Blood, Sweat and Tears

Have you signed up for the eDraw? Please can you help us promote the eDraw with friends and family over Christmas. For a ticket of just £12 per year we are able to raise important funds for our Rotary International Charity – The Rotary Foundation. This small gift will help others enjoy life, whilst during the year a chance for ticket holders to win in the monthly draw. The Rotary Foundation gives so much to help ensure our world becomes a better place. Visit our eDraw Page for more information, let’s help wipe away the tears and despair and help others.

Talking Crap many of you will have visited our programme in the week commencing 20th November 2014 about the fact that 1 in 3 of the world’s population are without toilets. If you haven’t seen it please at visit and see President Janice sitting on her throne. We are proposing to buy 5 toilets at £20 per toilet, we want to use the this slogan to encourage others to help Buy a Toilet for Christmas it is for Life.

This project is really developing and our Rotary Community Corps volunteers are now undertaking audits of various places to get a picture about the availability of Hearing Loops throughout Swindon. Please visit our new webpage Let’s Loop Swindon (also please help to share it on Social Media) and read all about our recent audit of 29 Chemists throughout Swindon. We are still looking for volunteers and have a number of other activities planned for this project in the coming months to include:

• A stall at the Voluntary Action Swindon Christmas Community Fair on the 6th December, in Swindon Central Library
• Let’s Loop Swindon Launch and Awareness Event on Wednesday 25th February, 2014
• Cheese & Wine Tasting on Saturday 14th March, 2015 at Christ Church Community Centre, Old Town, Swindon 7.30. – 10.00.p.m. we will need help to sell tickets as all funds raised will be for the Let’s Loop Swindon project.

Let’s Loop Swindon, our eAwareness work with Autism and Mental Health, plus our involvement with the Showmetheaccess website can be highlighted on Wednesday 3rd December as we celebrate the UN International Day of Persons with Disabilities the theme is Sustainable development – The promise of Technology

New Members and Blood Camps

It has been very good to welcome two new Rotarians to Click 4 Action eRotary who have joined us from Delhi, India, Rotarians Alok and Poonam, whose membership has been sponsored by Rotarian Sunil. In the true Rotary Spirit last week they ran a very successful Blood Camp in partnership with another Rotary Club. We look forward to supporting their future service in Delhi, please do visit this weeks programme where Rotarian Sunil is talking about his ambitions and vision for Rotary to give more Service in our communities.

We hope you will have enjoyed reading this News Update. As always we are looking for new members, please view Come Join the Magic of Rotary, as we are very excited that Click 4 Action eRotary is about making a difference in our community, networking with the Rotary International organisation of 1.2 million members and enjoying the Service we give.

I’m sure you wondering where the sweat comes in. Well we are all busy people taking part in Rotary of the 21st Century, we do it when we can, when time allows and because we love being part of a giving team!

Together we can help make a difference.

When the going gets tough, the tough keep going!

New Team takes Click 4 Action eRotary Forward

Cheers to every one in Click 4 Action eRotary

We are pleased to announce our new team as from the 1st November, 2014 President Janice Mason takes over the reigns, to support President Elect Mary as she prepares to take on the President mantle in 2015/16. Janice will also lead the new Treasurer Team that will help manage the eRotary finances, becoming the Treasurer with a team in 2015/16. James Lovatt has been elected President Nominee for 2014/15, James brings a wealth of experience in Rotaract, RIBI and website/social media, we are pleased and excited that he is eager to help take our eRotary forward. James will also continue as part of the Webmaster team for us and we are in the stages of upgrading our website as we move forward. Tim continues for now as the Secretary, but is planning to hand this on in 2015/16. Debbie Vance has agreed to help coordinate a Mentoring Team to help new members feel art home in eRotary, whilst learning more about eClub involvement. As we continue to develop our team we hope other members will join in with the teams we are creating to ensure that our work is a team effort and no one member is having to carry the burden. We remain committed to ensuring that our eRotary engages our members and responds to their passions as we develop Rotary for busy people in the 21st Century.

What we’ve achieved so far

So far we have already achieved our plans including the involvement in Peace One Day in September and in October a really good Mental Health Awareness Day at the Cafe Bliss in Worcester as part of our efforts for World Mental Health Day. We were please to see the launch of the Malmesbury and District Foodbank which we are a co-partner in and the launch of Safe Places Swindon, where we are partners in the Steering Group. Plus we’ve launched this year’s Young Writer’s Competition (please help us to promote). Rotarian David has been busy helping District 1100 with our bid for a Vocational Training Team and a Global Foundation Grant to send a team to help the FSCI Charity in Bulgaria with developing Social Enterprise for young people leaving care.

There is still much to do to complete our plans for 2014/15

We intend to put achieving the District 1100 Equality and Diversity Charter Mark as one of our goals for 2014/15, so we are leading by example in making E & D Central to all eRotary achieves. As part of that we want to make eAwareness a key part of our programme, particularly in raising awareness about Disabilities in our Communities and how we can ensure needs are catered for and that everything is accessible. We are already committed to Autism Awareness, Mental Health Awareness, Let’s Loop Swindon for people with Hearing Aids and we want to assist with the website development of Show me the access.

We’ve had the ambition to develop an online shop, as mentioned above our website is to have an overhaul, as part of this we hope to have a Let’s Loop Swindon page and incorporate an online shop to help organisations we support sell their goods and help us raise funds. Hoping we can sell some lovely things made out of ties from our Tied Up with Rotary project helping to support charities and End Polio Now.

We will run our annual virtual balloon race to help raise funds to purchase a Disaster Box, we intend to continue to support Roll Out the Barrel and with our Christmas Song project we hope to help water sanitation in Gambia. We will continue to develop our eDraw to help raise funds for the Rotary Foundation and a new charity to be announced.

Environmental Issues still remain a key priority and we hope to get involved in Earth Day whilst encouraging all our members to be extra practical when recycling at home. Above all we want to learn more about the transition movement and encourage this kind of community enterprise and sustainability.

Membership Development remains a key to all we do

We will continue to develop our menu of opportunities in joining eRotary, especially Family Membership and our offer of provisional membership for those who are interested in seeing if eRotary works for them. A key to our community efforts will be the Rotary Community Corps, in Malmesbury with the Flood Defences and in Swindon with Let’s Loop Swindon, our hope is that we can encourage other Rotary Clubs to adopt this way of forming a team to volunteer where there is a need or project in our communities. We will also continue our relationships to develop support for Uplands Educational Trust and our Uplands Interact Club, plus support PN James to develop the Rotaract Hub.

We believe once you’ve become a Rotarian you’ve joined a network of 1.2 million members in over 200 countries. Learning and experiencing International Rotary is really important for our membership, so we intend to arrange some international exchanges and encourage members to attend international opportunities.

Together we will working to 

Cheesed Off – Can eRotary give you a boost?

Have your heard about Let’s Loop Swindon?

Whilst so many people are on those much needed holidays, here at Click 4 Action eRotary we are excited to build our plans for the coming year. This week we have applied for our new charter for our Rotary Community Corps to help with our partnership project Let’s Loop Swindon.

We are pleased to be working with Rotarian Dave King who works with the national charity Hearing Link and partners Voluntary Action Swindon, Swindon Borough Council, Swindon Equality Coalition, Zurich Community Trust and developing links with the Great Western Hospital Audiology Department. Please help our new volunteers to promote this initiative and on Facebook as we are also trying to raise awareness, help by sharing the Let’s Loop Swindon posts.

Get Tied Up with Rotary continues during 2014/15 and we still continue to look for new sewers to help us turn over 1000 unused ties into glamour accessories. Calling all would be sewers, we are having a Sew In on Saturday 4th October, join Rotarians Janice Mason and Jill Harwood as we get creative and turn neckties into bags, necklaces, spectacle cases, pencil holders, a time for fun, chat and food.

Things planned in the pipeline

President Sinead and Rotarian Enda are soon to meet to get into place our plans for International Peace Day 21st September 2014. If ever the world needs encouragement for this, it is now.

President Elect Mary, Rotarians Martin and Polly are soon to meet to start working on preparations for World Mental Health Day 10th October, 2014 with the theme ‘Living with Schizophrenia’. We want to encourage everyone to talk openly about Mental Health and encouraging people to keep their’s fit.

Rotarian Polly is looking for members of Click 4 Action eRotary to act as judges in our Young Writers competition to be run in the Autumn and to help promote it through libraries and schools.

Our Youth Officer Pa Modou needs your help in the Song for Water. Have you read our programme for week commencing 7th August?

Plans are well in hand for the Malmesbury & District Food Bank to launch in September and the first every Rotary Community Corps in RIBI is helping with these developments along with Flood Defences. District Governor Martyn Harwood is to visit this team lead by Rotarian Ray Sanderson on 20th August, so it was good to see a great article in the August edition of Rotary Today edited by our own Rotarian Allan Berry.

Rotarian David Pratt is still working on the District 1100 plan to send a Vocational Training Team to develop a Social Enterprise Model in Bulgaria working with the Foundation for Social Change and Inclusion and linked to a Rotary Foundation Global Grant. So don’t forget everyone to help promote our monthly online eDraw. Rotarians David, Kate and Margaret are really keeping this going and need all our members and friends to help promote and sell, just £12 a year and you could be one of those lucky winners, plus help us to contribute to the Rotary Foundation.

Rotaract Hub is now under way again with one of our newest members, Rotarian James Lovatt using all his enthusiasm and knowledge to develop this online opportunity for younger people 18 to 30 years, who haven’t got a Rotaract Club they can join. New website can be found at Rotaract Hub.

Cheese, Wine and Bidding all to help Enterprise

Following up last month’s article, plans are well in hand for our Online Auction and we are still seeking items, so please continue to ask around and look out any items that can help us raise funds for Enterprise in the two charities Human & Hope Association in Cambodia and the Uplands Educational Trust in Swindon. Rotarian Maria who visited the project in Cambodia is working on a Ploughmans and Wine Tasting which will help celebrate and raise more funds for these worthy causes to be held in early October.So Click 4 Action eRotary is always seeking new people to get involved in our Menu of  Opportunities and join us in the Magic of Rotary. No need to be cheesed off, come and get involved in all our different activities that are done on and off line.

 

Piloting for Change

At the Rotary International in Britain and Ireland Assembly 21st – 23rd February, 2014 we were reminded that membership was the key to Rotary’s continued success. RI President Elect Gary, with his theme for 2014/15 Light Up Rotary, places much emphasis on getting people to join and be part of a large team to make a difference in our world. To do this it will be important that Rotary is operating to meet interested people’s needs in the 21st Century – time, capacity, diversity, accessibility, affordable and flexibility all need to be part of a modern Rotary offer if we are to attract. Click 4 Action eRotary is already starting to put the opportunities in place so that we are able to be part of this drive. Let us be proud of what we’ve achieved so far and be partners with other Rotary Clubs to go for Lighting Up Rotary and seeing new people find the enjoyment and excitement we get from giving Service above Self in our communities.

Piloting Change

eRotary itself is already quite a change for some, so we ask all our members when the opportunity arises, to visit traditional Rotary Clubs and spread the message that we are Rotarians meeting in Rotary in a different way that suits our lifestyle, but we still hold dearly the Rotary ethos of the Objects and Four Way Test. Tell them what we achieve and why we can be good partners alongside how they operate, especially to help them:

• with retention when Rotarians need to move or leave the area due to work or family commitments
• or when they are recruiting and come across someone who would make a good Rotarian but time prevents, perhaps they could mention joining eRotary.

We want to continue to develop the idea of eRotary Hubs where 2 plus eRotarians can sometimes meet up.

Since the beginning of our eClub we have wanted to offer Family Membership, it has been agreed by RIBI that we can pilot this ability to join as a family. For a reduced cost two adult partners can join and their children, this will be £150 (initially including the one off £25 per person joining fee to RI) and annual subscriptions in future years of £100 per couple. Hopefully if the pilot works this could be a way we help increase our membership across Rotary.

For people who don’t want to become Rotarians, but do want to help with our projects and support our causes in specific communities, we are piloting the Rotary Community Corps programme. This is currently being launched in Malmesbury to help with the flood defences and the setting up of the Foodbank. We would like to see a similar scheme established in Swindon to help with the Education Life Centres and help Rotarian Dave King with the Hearing Loops project.

We are still very keen to enable younger professionals or students to join us e.g. between 18 and 30 years as Rotaractors. We offer them the the Rotaract Hub, as well as being involved in all we do as Rotarians online. For just £25 per year or £2 per month, become part of our activities and help us develop projects where fun, fellowship and doing good in the local or world community is what its about. Find out more and help us create this new way of doing Rotaract.

Doing Rotary through online and offline Service

Valuing your health and the health of others is really important to our eRotary members, so our current Virtual Balloon Race to help raise funds for the British Heart Foundation and the Rotary Foundation, is helping to provide these organisations with funds to ensure we can maintain their work. Join in the fun of the Balloon Race for only £2 per balloon you can support these charities. To help promote with friends see eClub Balloon Race A4 2014 to post up on noticeboards.

Last year we ran a very successful Autism Awareness Workshop to help promote the need to be an inclusive community, this year we are running a similar workshop building on the need to encourage communities and employers to offer voluntary and paid opportunities to people with Autism. Please help us advertise this event and encourage interested people to attend AA Flier March 2014.

This month March is Rotary Literacy Month.  As eRotary we are again this year working with the Worcestershire Litfest & Fringe to encourage young people in their writing skills. This is open to any interested young people in the age categories below:

 Final News in Brief

• World’s Greatest Meal read all about our Uplands Interact Club efforts.
• Rotary Prize eDraw Winner this month is Rotarian Debbie Vincent, join in for the opportunity to win and help raise funds for The Rotary Foundation.
• Rotarian Jacqui Horn joined eRotary and was inducted at the RIBI Assembly by President Elect Gary, welcome Jacqui. 

Dreams to Action Two Years On

Click 4 Action eRotary (District 1100 eClub) was chartered on the 8th February 2012. This weekend we are celebrating that a dream started at the New Orleans Rotary International Convention in 2012 has continued to achieve doing Rotary successfully now for two years. Who would have thought sitting in a workshop listening to how E-Clubs worked, would be turned into an action packed adventure that is delivering Service above Self through a team of like minded people who want to be able to do it in a 21st Century way, where time and capacity are restricted.

Less of the history, on with the action! What a scream we had last night as we tried for the first time a Skype meeting, talk about operating in the dark, but Tim, Mary, Janice and Allan spent a good hour talking Rotary. Sorry if others were waiting to join us, if you missed it our next Skype is on the 8th March at 2.00.p.m. and thereafter the 8th of each month at a time to be announced.

Uplands Interact – tomorrow District Governor Jan Harris is to attend the Uplands Educational Trust AGM, where she will present the Interact Club Charter to Jordon our Interact Club President. The Interact Club are currently working on the World’s Greatest Meal to help End Polio and a Musical Concert to buy Water Barrels, for the Roll out the Barrel scheme.

Do book your place on the meal as every £1 will be donated to End Polio and trebled by matching. Plus watch out for our concert date.

Young Writer’s Competition – Again this year we are working with the Worcestershire Lit Festival to sponsor this competition, please encourage young people to enter and use their creative talent, more details at Young Writer’s Entry.

Autism Awareness Workshop – 29th March, 2014

Please encourage people to attend, we aim to:

• help communities understand Autism more develop strategies to be more inclusive,
• help make opportunities for Volunteering, Work Experience or Employment available that are accessible and understand the advantages and adjustments that Autism can bring to Enterprise.

Book using this booking form AA Flier March 2014

Virtual Balloon Race – watch out for details of our famous Balloon Race in aid of the British Heart Foundation and the Rotary Foundation, we will run the race at the end of February.

Tied Up for Rotary – sees a new turn with our eRotarian Ray’s new challenge in Good Tieday, please help to collect ties.

Foodbank – our efforts to help start a food bank in Malmesbury and District are progressing see Newsletter-Feb 2014, Ray is the Chair of the Steering Group.

Internet Shop – it has always been our dream to have an online shop, thanks to Nicke this is nearly a reality, we just need a volunteer to help run it. We’ve plenty of goods to sell, through the Tied Up for Rotary enterprise.

eRotarian David describes his passion for the raising of funds for The Rotary Foundation, in his article in this weeks programme. Help us do that by joining in with our eDraw, more information can be found at http://www.1100rotaryeclub.org/monthly-edraw/

Easy Fundraising – is helping us to raise funds for charities and projects, can you help just by doing your normal shopping online, join in and help raise funds the easy way.

Mental Health – remains a key topic we want to encourage more discussion about it and to encourage all of us to exercise our Mental Wellbeing, do visit our Facebook page where eRotarian Maria keeps the conversation up-to-date.

Still to come – Our President’s Event in London in March; selling little plastic ducks for the famous Rotary Club of Old Town Duck Race; a possible twinning visit from our friends in Germany.

The best of all getting new people to join in with a dream and get involved in the ACTION. We welcome all interested new comers, we want to help you make a difference in our world, your time, capacity or where you live shouldn’t be a block to joining Rotary, we can promise you that catching the eRotary Bug is great fun, offers plenty of opportunity and we invite you to join us.

eRotary shining new Light for Action

This is Light is not just for Christmas, it’s for Life

Are you trying to think of a unique and good idea to give something different to your friends or family for Christmas? Well we’ve come up with a great idea that can help to make a difference in the world, whilst bring you new light in our homes. UniLight, who produce LED Lights, is working partnership with Click 4 Action eRotary to provide an ideal Christmas gift. To provide a way of developing this years Rotary theme Engage Rotary – Change Lives:

• Profits from the sale will build a Micro Funding pot so we can invest in community activities to enable sustainable development.
• Give those who receive the gift an opportunity to reduce energy consumption and bills.
• Highlight the need for each one of us to be involved in the environmental action and reducing Climate Change.

For more information please complete the form below and we will send more details and information on how to order:

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eRotary President focuses her light on getting members involved

This week President Janice is showing that it is really important to ensure her members are engaged in making sure our plans for the year stay on track. In her address to members of Click 4 Action eRotary she asks them to review the eRotary Plan, see Janice’s Message.

Shining the Light on Mental Health Awareness and Wellbeing

On Saturday 12th October we had a really good day in Worcester Guildhall at the Mental Health Awareness and Wellbeing Open Space, our first physical day to help celebrate World Mental Health Awareness Day and enable people to talk openly about Mental Health and the need to exercise our mentality in order to keep it fit. It was really good that we had a good number of people who dropped in and were grateful for the help from the Samaritans, team from the First Aid for Mental Health, Worcestershire LitFest & Fringe members and the WCC Public Health Team.  Do keep in touch with this eAwareness campaign through our Mental Health Awareness Facebook page.

Maria and Martin viewing her books, she sold some on the day, so that 50% of the profits could be donated to MIND. Many people who attended enjoyed colouring in the picture, a great way to relax and think.

Neckties helping to focus the spot light on Ending Polio

Our necktie project is continuing to bring people’s attention to the need to eradicate Polio from the world. How these unloved and unused ties can be turned into beautiful saleable bags certainly was a talking point in Worcester to introduce the work of Rotary in helping with this cause. Rather than rattling buckets again we were showing that recycled ties and creative activity can help change the world. Please visit our website about this project recycled neckties and get involved.

We do need volunteers to help sew, yesterday the Worcestershire LitFest & Fringe were so impressed they offered us a stall at their Christmas Fayre Event on 7th December.

Rotary International works across the world to bring new light to communities

Through The Rotary Foundation, money is raised within our own charity to undertake humanitarian work, develop a better understanding of the world and engender peace. To learn more about this wonderful work please go to The Rotary Foundation. Click 4 Action eRotary is introducing our eDraw to raise funds for this important work.

Please help us to shine our Click 4 Action eRotary Light out to the many different corners of the globe – pass on this News Update to your friends, family and others who may be interested.

eDraw to help Click 4 Action

David Pratt our Click 4 Action eRotary Foundation Officer asks you for your help as we launch our new initiative to support The Rotary Foundation.

Dear Rotarians and friends of the Click 4 Action eRotary (District 1100 eClub), your relations, friends and anybody else who may be interested and just anyone in the World – yes I do mean the World – who appreciate what Rotary International is achieving for those who need help, the vulnerable in our communities throughout the world, and  would like to make a small contribution to help what is being done. I would also like to touch the Heart of those that would like to make a contribution, but with a chance of winning something back. Wouldn’t we all?

This is the Opening Month of the Click4Action Foundation eDraw – and you all have the opportunity of joining in the first month and being in the first C4AeDraw which will take place on 1^st November 2013.

So, What is the C4A Foundation eDraw?  – It is fundraising with a chance of winning a monthly prize.

The Fundraising aspect provides monies to the Rotary Foundation, the world’s largest charity, whose work has improved the lives for millions of people across the world.

You may have heard of the Rotary campaign, End Polio Now, to rid the world of this terrible disease. Or you may know of the relief freely given in times of worldwide disasters. Or you may know of the initiative to rid the world of malnutrition, lack of water and poverty. All this comes from the small fundraising initiatives held by over 35,000 Rotary Clubs worldwide.

Hence the Rotary District 1100eClub and this C4A Foundation eDraw.

The Chance of Winning a Monthly Prize is part of the Foundation eDraw. Each month a draw is made selecting a winner from all the participants in the eDraw.

So, How does this work?

You are asked to subscribe £1 each month for 12 months, with £12 payable when you join and hopefully each subsequent year on your joining anniversary. Each month the £1 is divided 50% to Rotary Foundation and 50% to the winner of the C4AeDraw. The winner is chosen each month by a computerised random selector and will be announced by the eRotary President. As more and more people join the bigger the contribution to Foundation, but also to the Prize winner, who is paid immediately on the first day of the month via BACS into their bank account.

Just think forward to the time when there are 100, 500 or more subscribers – YOU could win £x00’s!  What would you do with £250 for just a £1 entry?

Oh and by the way, there is NO LIMIT to the number of subscriptions you may want to take. Of course the more subscriptions you take the better the chance of winning and the more help you are giving to those who need help in our communities throughout the world.

The Subscription form is on the Monthly eDraw website, please help us help others and create a Win Win opportunity by your generous contribution of a few subscriptions.

Thank You – David Pratt, Foundation Officer, Click 4 Action eRotary