A valiant team of volunteers from Maidenhead Bridge Rotary Club and Ashfield MedComms, an Inizio Company, braved the elements to transform a forgotten garden at Richard Silver House, an assisted living home, on Friday 4th November.
 
Maidenhead Bridge Rotary Club had been contacted by a relative of a resident living at the home asking for help to tidy up the communal garden area so residents, and their families, can enjoy the outside space.  Naturally they leapt into action.
 
Ably assisted by a team of five corporate volunteers, the team worked hard to dig out existing gravel, remove damaged weed-control fabric, empty and re-fill raised planters, dig over flower beds and re-lay new weed-control fabric and gravel.
 
Natalie Beavan, a volunteer from Ashfield MedComms, commented “We really enjoyed helping with the garden project at Richard Silver House as part of our Ashfield MedComms Make it Matter community action day. It was great to be working alongside colleagues and members of Maidenhead Bridge Rotary Club to transform the garden and get it ready for planting. Meeting some of the residents and their families was the highlight and hearing we were making such a difference made it a truly rewarding experience.”
 
The Rotary volunteers have already had a message of thanks from the parents of one resident, who says it looks "100% better"!
 
Event Co-ordinator Harrie Hayward commented “We were so pleased to be able to help and are looking forward to doing more in the future with plans to plant bulbs, plants and shrubs to give a splash of colour in the spring and summer months; as well as create a recreational area with seating and sun protection so residents can really enjoy the garden”.
 
“We also want to extend a huge thank you to the team from Ashfield MedComms who worked so hard all day and achieved so much – we really couldn’t have done this without them”, Harrie continued.

You're Invited!
If you're not a member of the club yet, then we’d also like to extend an invite to you and your friends to join us at one of our fun upcoming events to find out more about what we do and how you can get involved. 
 
Remember we’re a very relaxed, flexible and friendly club so you don’t have to commit huge amounts of time to get involved.  It’s a great way to meet new people, try out new activities and give something back to the local community.

Good causes were the winner on Sunday as participants in the Rotary Maidenhead Boundary Walk raised almost £4,500 for 23 different charities.

Despite poor weather first thing, more than 340 walkers of all ages signed up for the annual sponsored walk. Among them was Zahra Baharmal who completed two circuits of the 13-mile route after losing out on a place in the London Marathon, held the same day.  

Zahra, who works for tax accountants Craufurd Hale in Crown Lane, raised £1,605 for her chosen charity, Breast Cancer Now.

The Boundary Walk is based on the tradition of ‘beating the bounds’, a circuit of the boundary of the old Maidenhead borough which dates back to when the town was granted its charter in 1582.

It is organised jointly by the Rotary Club of Maidenhead and Rotary Club of Maidenhead Bridge which deployed scores of volunteers to man checkpoints and marshall road crossings along the route, which started and ended in Boulters Lock Car Park in Lower Cookham Road.

While most participants completed the traditional route around the town, others followed a 5km family route introduced to make sure the Boundary Walk is open to everyone.​

Many walkers brought along their four-legged friends, while other groups crossed the generations. 

Richard Poad, former chairman of Maidenhead Heritage Centre, completed the walk with his grandson Fred Brittan, raising several hundred pounds for the centre. The youngest walker, aged just five years old, was part of a group from a Cookham school PTA raising money for school funds.

The highest single amount of sponsorship was £2,104, raised by a group of walkers led by Rotarian Gurdip Bahra in aid of the Makindhu Dental Project, which provides vital dentistry to a rural community in Kenya.

Event organiser Eddie Piekut said: “In light of the very poor weather forecast the turn-out was respectable but a bit lower than previous years. The day turned out to be perfect walking weather, allowing for a decent amount to be raised for charity.

“I was proud when walkers said the day was a well-organised and fun event. It was great to see the town’s Rotary Clubs coming together, as well the Civic Society, and the East Berks Ramblers who assisted on specific parts of the route.”

Eddie continued: “Apart from Gurdip’s herculean efforts it’s also great to be able to provide organisations like People to Places and the Magpie Foundation with a mechanism to have fun and raise cash. The next objective will be to raise the profile of the Boundary walk route as year-round amenity for all the people of our town.”

Maidenhead MP Theresa May once again joined walkers for the start of the walk, along with Royal Borough Mayor, Cllr Christine Bateson, and Rotary district governor Marius Hopely.

Mrs May said: “The Boundary Walk is a win-win. People get out into the countryside for a great walk in the fresh air, but they also raise money for some great causes. I am very impressed that so many came out with the early stage of the day being wet and not looking very promising.”

People of all ages are invited to take part in one of Maidenhead’s most enduring traditions when the annual Boundary Walk returns on Sunday, October 2.

Now in the 41st year of its current form, the roots of the popular charity fundraiser actually stretch back hundreds of years.

A sponsored walk organised by The Rotary Clubs of Maidenhead Bridge and Maidenhead, the event sees hundreds of walkers raising thousands of pounds for their chosen charities as they retrace the route of the old Maidenhead Borough. The traditional route is 13.1 miles but a new 2.5-mile ‘family route’ has been introduced this year to ensure the event is open to everyone.

Walking the main route harks back to the very origins of Maidenhead itself and the granting of a ‘Charter of Incorporation’ which brought the Borough of Maidenhead into being in 1582.

Afterwards it became a tradition for the Mayor to get beaters to drive square-headed nails into posts and walls along the boundary route, each bearing his initials on its head. So was born the tradition of ‘beating the bounds’.

By 1934 the boundary of the borough was marked by stones – many of which can still be seen today – and during the walk the mayor would tap each one with the ceremonial mace to ‘reinforce’ the boundary. Another informal tradition to evolve was to give a young boy ‘the bumps’ at each of the stones.

The last official ‘beating the bounds’ was in 1973, when Cllr Euphemia Underhill was Mayor, after which the tradition slipped into obscurity.

But in 1982 the Boundary Walk was revived by Rotary and the East Berkshire Ramblers to help mark the 400th anniversary of the granting of the charter and became the annual fundraising event we know today.

Originally held on the last Sunday of September, the date was changed to the first Sunday in October as it clashed with Harvest Festival church services. While other changes over the years have included a shift to online booking and sponsorship, the event remains at its heart an opportunity for people to walk in aid of their chosen charities.

Eddie Piekut, one of the organising team, said: “It’s a fantastic event. When you step out on the Boundary Walk you are following in the footsteps of generations of Maidonians and keeping alive a tradition that celebrates the origins of our town.

“But it’s also more relevant than ever as it’s a great opportunity to raise much-needed money for vital charities and community groups. Taking part in the Boundary Walk is a rite of passage that every Maidonian should do at least once.”

Both routes start and finish at Boulters Lock car park and follow fully signposted paths with checkpoints manned by Rotary marshals.

The event is open to everyone, though under-16s must be accompanied by a responsible adult. Entry fees for the traditional walk are £5 for adults and £1 for children. For the family route the cost is £3 for adults and £1 for children.
Registration for group of 15 or more is just £20 for the traditional walk and £10 for the family walk, if you register in advance by September 9. 
​
For more details and to register see www.boundarywalk.org.uk

Check out the list of upcoming events on the back page of the newsletter, if you’d like to join us get in touch today.

We hope you enjoy reading it and if you, or anyone you know, would like to get involved with any of our volunteering opportunities, or attend one of our meetings, please do get in touch; and feel free to share our newsletter with others too.

You're Invited!
If you're not a member of the club yet, then we’d also like to extend an invite to you and your friends to join us at one of our fun upcoming events to find out more about what we do and how you can get involved. 
 
Remember we’re a very relaxed, flexible and friendly club so you don’t have to commit huge amounts of time to get involved.  It’s a great way to meet new people, try out new activities and give something back to the local community.

THE chance to step out in aid of your favourite good cause is being offered by the organisers of this year’s Maidenhead Rotary Boundary Walk.

Taking place on Sunday, October 2, the annual event sees hundreds of walkers raising thousands of pounds for their chosen charities as they retrace the route of the old Maidenhead Borough.

Organised by the Rotary Clubs of Maidenhead Bridge and Maidenhead, the event is a ready-made fundraiser. The route is fully signposted and marshalled by Rotarians and all participants have to do is register, raise sponsorship and complete the walk.

The traditional route is 13.1 miles but a new 2.5-mile ‘family route’ has been introduced this year to ensure the event is open to everyone.

Eddie Piekut from the organising team said: “We invite everyone to join us on October 2 to make this year’s Maidenhead Boundary Walk the best year ever with a record-breaking number of walkers. 

“It’s open to walkers of all ages and abilities, individuals, groups or families. It’s a great opportunity to take part in a wonderful local tradition, have some fun, and raise much needed money for your chosen causes. 

 “Both routes start and finish at Boulters Lock car park. The traditional route takes you through some of the loveliest countryside around Maidenhead, while the new family walk is a picturesque stroll round Boulters Island, crossing the river to the Taplow side before heading back.”

The Boundary Walk celebrates the centuries-old tradition of ‘beating the bounds’ which marked the creation of the original Borough of Maidenhead in 1582. Each year the Mayor would get beaters to drive square-headed nails into posts and walls along the boundary route, each bearing his initials.

By 1934 the boundary was marked by stones – many of which can still be seen today – and during the walk the mayor would tap each one with the ceremonial mace to ‘reinforce’ the boundary. The last official ‘beating the bounds’ was in 1973 but was resurrected as the Boundary Walk in 1982 to mark the 400th anniversary of the borough and became an annual fundraising event.

There is a registration fee to take part, which covers the costs of running the event, but participants keep 100 per cent of the sponsorship they raise. Everyone who completes the walk gets a certificate.

The event is open to everyone, though under-16s must be accompanied by a responsible adult. Entry fees for the traditional walk are £5 for adults and £1 for children. For the family route the cost is £3 for adults and £1 for children.
Registration for group of 15 or more is just £20 for the traditional walk and £10 for the family walk, if you register in advance by September 9. 

THE section of the River Thames running through Maidenhead was given a spring clean on Saturday by all of the town’s Rotary Clubs assisted by its sea cadet unit.

Members drawn from the Rotary Clubs of Maidenhead, Maidenhead Bridge, Maidenhead Thames and Maidenhead Rotaract scoured the river bank for litter between Boulters Lock and the M4 at Bray, while sea cadets from TS Iron Duke in Mill Lane took to the water in launches to clear litter from the river itself.

In parallel to the clean-up, Claire Booth and Sushi Gow from Maidenhead Bridge Rotary Club ran a stall in the High Street giving information to members of the public about how to reduce their carbon footprint and live more sustainably.​

The initiative was part of a Thames Valley-wide Rotary project which saw all clubs whose areas include the Thames turning out to clean up their stretches of the River. The day was also used to highlight an international Rotary campaign called End Plastic Soup, which aims to stop single-use plastics being dumped into our waterways and oceans by 2050.

The Maidenhead clean-up was organised by a team from all four Rotary clubs led by Rotarian Gurdial Singh.

He said: “It was a fantastic day and shows what can be achieved when Rotary Clubs join forces with each other and work with community groups. Rotary would like to say a huge thank you to Maidenhead Sea Cadets for coming on board with the project and providing such invaluable help.
​
“While we picked up a respectable amount of litter from the river banks, many areas were actually reasonably clean so well done to the people of Maidenhead for being environmentally aware and taking their litter home with them. Thank you to everyone for their support on the day.”

THE town’s four Rotary Clubs will be teaming up on Saturday for a spring clean along the River Thames.
 
Members of the Rotary Clubs of Maidenhead, Maidenhead Thames, Maidenhead Bridge and Maidenhead Rotaract will be collecting litter from both banks of the river between Boulters Lock and the M4 at Bray.
 
They will be supported by Maidenhead sea cadets who will be manning boats to allow Rotarians to also clear litter from the river itself.
 
Meanwhile, a separate team from Maidenhead Bridge Rotary Club will be manning a stall in the town centre to raise awareness of environmental issues and promote greener alternatives to help people reduce their carbon footprint.
 
The project is part of a Thames Valley-wide Rotary initiative which will see clubs which cover stretches of the river from Oxford to Windsor turning out to clean up their sections of the Thames.
 
As well as reducing litter and its impact on the environment, the day also aims to promote a major Rotary programme called End Plastic Soup which has the objective of stopping single-use plastics being dumped into waterways and oceans worldwide by 2050.
 
Sushi Gow from Maidenhead Bridge Rotary Club said: “This is a wonderful opportunity for all of the town’s Rotary Clubs to join forces for the good of our community. By working together we can make a real difference and also raise awareness of important environmental issues.
 
“Last year Rotary added protecting the environment as a new core area of focus so this will be only the first of many initiatives locally, nationally and internationally as we turn the same energy and determination that has led to the near eradication of polio to reducing the impact of climate change.”
​
Rotary is the world’s largest volunteer humanitarian organisation with 1.4 million members in 46,000 clubs across the globe. Together they work to make the world a better place is areas such as promoting peace, fighting disease, providing clean water and sanitation, protecting mothers and children, supporting education, growing local economies and protecting the environment.

The sun was shining on what has to be one of the hottest Easters we can recall!  The bouncy slide in prime place, stallholders ready to welcome families and the clues to the treasure hunt laid out round Grenfell Park.  The 10th Annual Easter Family Fun Day, organised by Maidenhead Bridge Rotary Club, had arrived after a 2-year enforced break due to lock-downs this April.
 
This year children enjoyed the many activities on offer including bouncing like bunnies on the inflatable slide, having their faces painted, playing bar skittles and trying their luck at the coconut shye.  Of course the main attraction was hunting around the park following clues to answer the Easter-Themed quiz so they could be rewarded with chocolates.
 
​​This is the 10th year the club has run the event and it gets bigger and better each year, and this year was no different, proving to be a huge hit with local families and a great success, with more than 1000 people joining in the fun, the most to ever attend.
 
Families sent time playing and enjoying the sunshine, whilst decorating bunny masks, seeing how many marbles they could get inside a flowerpot under timed conditions and of course sampling the lovely ice cream and other food on offer.
 
For the first time we were joined by MooMusic who put on several singalong play sessions that had everyone, old and young, joining in.
 
Over £1700 was raised at the event which will be donated to local good causes to support community projects, just one of the aims of the day and Maidenhead Bridge Rotary Club.
 
Event Organiser Adam Hunter, commented “We have had a great day with excellent support from the local community.  We’re thrilled with the number of people who came to enjoy this superb park in the centre of town, and join in the fun.  Here’s to doing it all again next year!”
 
For more information and to be kept up to date about other events organised by the club visit www.maidenheadbridgerotary.org.uk/easterfunday or contact Lisa Hunter on 07876 341334 or e-mail [email protected]

​We are excited to release the third edition of our club newsletter for this Rotary Year, and the first for 2022.  ​It is packed full of updates and articles on all the amazing things we've been doing over the past couple of months and a few details of upcoming events, highlighting just how active we and how much fun we have!

You're Invited!
If you're not a member of the club yet, then we’d also like to extend an invite to you and your friends to join us at one of our fun upcoming events to find out more about what we do and how you can get involved. 
 
Remember we’re a very relaxed, flexible and friendly club so you don’t have to commit huge amounts of time to get involved.  It’s a great way to meet new people, try out new activities and give something back to the local community.
 
Check out the list of upcoming events on the back page of the newsletter, if you’d like to join us get in touch today.
 
We hope you enjoy reading it and if you, or anyone you know, would like to get involved with any of our volunteering opportunities, or attend one of our meetings, please do get in touch; and feel free to share our newsletter with others too.