Sinodun Rotary Club
 
The Spires club has close ties to Sinodun Rotary Club, in the south of Oxfordshire. The Sinodun members used to run the World Pooh Sticks Championships at Days Lock and handed this over to Spires in 2008. Sinodun members still help a huge amount with this event and are particularly popular with all the visitors since they provide the burgers and hot dogs. Sinodun friends also help the Spires team at the Truck Festival food stall in July each year. The food for the music festival at Steventon in south Oxfordshire is provided entirely by local Rotary clubs. The Spires/Sinodun team of 40 or so volunteers makes onion bahjees and lentil dahl for the full weekend.
 
 
 
Oxford Rotaract Club
 
The new Oxford Rotaract Club held its Charter Night on 19th November 2010. The club is sponsored by Oxford Spires. Members of Oxford Rotaract have helped Spires at Truck Festival, at Pooh Sticks and at the Blenheim Palace bike ride in August 2011.
 
Many of the members of Oxford Spires were members of the previous Oxford Rotaract Club so it was a natural fit for Spires to sponsor the new club. We are also linked through Oxford Brookes University: Lesley Hunt (of Spires) works at the University and has supported the new club, and three of the founding members of the Rotaract club are recent Brookes graduates. The previous club ran from 1970 to 2006.

The Charter Night was well supported by local Rotary Clubs, with around 50 people attending the evening. Laurie Cunningham, District Govenor, presented the new Rotaract President Sarah Field with the Rotary badges, and Naomi Barnes, the Vice-President of Oxford Spires, presented Sarah with a cheque for the new club, as a thank you for the help that the new members gave Spires at the Truck Festival.
 
Rotaract is a global network of young people, and part of Rotary International. It is for young professionals and students aged 18 to 30 years who are committed to service and leadership in their communities. The goals of Rotaract, as set out by Rotary International are:
 
- to develop professional and leadership skills
- to emphasise respect for the rights of others, and to promote ehtical standards and the dignity of all useful occupations
- to provide opportunities for young people to address the needs and concerns of the community and our world
- to provide opportunities for working in co-operation with sponsoring Rotary clubs
- to motivate young people for eventual membership in Rotary

Photo from the Charter Night on 19th November 2010: l to r - District Governor Laurie Cunningham, Rotaract President Sarah Field, Spires Vice-President Naomi Barnes, Assistant Governor (Maroon Zone) David Pope.
 
 
High Wycombe Rotaract
Pippa and John from High Wycombe Rotaract have helped us at Pooh Sticks for the last few years. Pippa is the one wearing the Pooh Bear outfit!