Rotary Club of Oxford Spires

Rotarians from Oxford, Bicester, Abingdon, Witney

Charity & Community Events

Focus on the Crocus - September 2010

Oxford Spires club has ordered 5,000 bulbs to plant in the next few months. This is part of the Focus on the Crocus campaign, run by Rotary in Great Britain and Ireland (RIBI).

www.focusonthecrocus.org

Throughout RIBI over the next few months, Rotary clubs will be embarking on a mass planting of purple crocuses on available spaces in order to raise the profile of Rotary, highlight Rotary's campaign to eradicate polio and serve as a lasting reminder of Rotary's achievements. The hope is that the crocuses will all be in flower for Rotary Day on 23^rd February 2011.

End Polio Now is a key part of Rotary's programme of international activities and Rotarians have been working hard for over 20 years towards finally eradicating this disease from the planet. The work has involved fundraising, training of health care workers and mass immunisation programmes in the countries most affected. Rotary has also worked with governments wherever possible to commit financial and other resources to polio eradication. The removal of polio from the planet is now an achievable prospect thanks to many years of hard work from Rotarians across the world.

The purple flowers represent the colour of ink dabbed on a child’s little finger to indicate they have been immunised against polio.

It is likely that our group will do the planting at weekends (since most of us work Monday to Friday) and anyone is welcome to come along to help us. We have been told that 5,000 bulbs will cover 30 square metres, so we might be planting in a couple of different sites. We are currently contacting local groups and planning where we will plant. Our Club has members from all over Oxfordshire, so we could plant anywhere in the county. Other Rotary Clubs will also be taking part, so in February, the county could be a mass of purple.

Truck July 08/09

Truck is an independent, family-run relatively small music festival held in a farmers field in Steventon just outside Didcot. It has been going since 1998 and had been getting bigger and bigger. It caters for all music tastes and has seen a number of famous bands (although maybe not as famous at the time they played). Having said that, Ash and Supergrass were the headline acts this year

The field in which the event is held is owned by a local Rotarian and as such a stipulation of the event that all food is prepared by Rotarians to raise monies for charities and good causes. In 2008 alone over £50,000 was raised.We did not really know what to expect in our first year and sold out of much of our stock before the end of the first day. Being a resourceful lot we scoured the shops of Abingdon, Didcot and beyond to keep us going for the whole weekend. I don’t think there was any onion or chapattis left in the area.

Up until 2008 Didcot Rotary Club were the main providers selling burgers, sausages, donuts and other such delicacies. We at Oxford Spires were lucky enough to get involved in 2008 running our own food stand selling a vegetarian option of Onion Bahjees and lentil dahl for the hungry masses. This proved very popular allowing us to raise over £5000.00 for our chosen charities.

This year we had more stock, more staff and more cooking utensils, somehow we managed to get a full 6 ring oven onto the site and 3 fryers, much better than the two rings and two fryers we had last year. As with 2008 it was a fantastic couple of days, lots of fun cooking, socialising and listening to great music (when we got the chance). Hopefully we will be back in 2010.

Thame Festival 2009 .....................

World Pooh Sticks March 2009

Most people will have heard of the game of Pooh Sticks from the A.A. Milne books where Christopher Robin, Pooh and friends threw sticks over one side of a bridge to see whose stick came out first on the other side. What you may not know that thanks to a keen RNLI supporter the World PoohSticks Championships have been going on for over 20 years in a small village in Oxfordshire.

This year we at Oxford Spires Rotary Club took over from the Sinodun Rotary Club in running the event. To read more click on Pooh Sticks World Championships

Stroke Awareness

Oxford Spires along Rotary clubs across the country work with The Stroke Association to increase awareness of the killer condition and to raise funds for prevention and research. Stroke is the single main cause of severe adult disability in England and Wales and one of the biggest causes of death in this country.Each year clubs organise a blood pressure check day. Rotary club members along with qualified medical staff who undertake the checks invade shopping malls, church halls, community centers and garage forecourts .to give people an opportunity to have their blood pressure checked and therefore be aware of any potentially lifesaving lifestyle changes they may need to make. Members of the public who have had their blood pressure taken will be given a card for them to take to their GP so that they are able to discuss its implications and, if necessary, plan follow-up readings.

We along with other clubs from Oxford set ourselves up in a shopping centre in Cowley. It may sound like an unusual way to spend your day but as well as increasing people awareness it is a new way to just have a chat with lots of interesting people from around Oxford.

Donnington Residents' Association Event - September 2008

The club donated a tug-of war rope in support of a small event aimed at bringing the local community together. As a club we also like to get involved so also went along to help out and enjoy a day with the community.

Sailability 2008

Oxford Sailability is affiliated to Oxford Sailing Club and provides sailing for the disabled in specially adapted boats. It operates from April to October every Tuesday evening from 6pm.

In 2008 we raised funds in support of this great activity. We were able to visit them and watch them in action. A great group of people who definately know how to enjoy themselves.

For more information visit http://www.oxfordsailingclub.com/sailing/sailability/sailability

Rotary Fair - February 2008............

Garden creation project for Sobell House Hospice 2004

Sobell House was established in 1976 to care for people suffering with a life threatening illness, and for their families.It offers physical, psychological, social and spiritual care to those facing life threatening illness, death and bereavement. The focus is on quality of life, respecting the uniqueness of each person, and respect for the dignity of all users of the service.

A new wing was opened in 2003 and what better way to contribute that to get our hands dirty and help to create a beautiful garden within the grounds.

Before - The blank canvas

The team hard at work - you don't need to be an professional gardener to make a difference

For more information on the hospice visit www.sobellhospiceoxford.org

Painting at Witan house for the Elderly 2002

One of the first of our projects were we got our rollers and paint brushes to help brighten up a home for the elderly in Witney.

Another garden project - Before, during and....

After!

Race Night 2007..............

Carol Singing - Every year a group from the club and friends travel around various establishment in Woodstock carol singing and raising money for a chosen charity of the year.