Rotary Club of Gloucester

AFTER 84 years the Rotary Club of Gloucester has its first woman president. At just 40, Angela Seddon is also one of the youngest members ever to hold the office and she will be president during Rotary International's centenary year until July 2005.

Angela, a single mum with two children lives in Abbeymead and is Regional Fundraising manager for The Prince's Trust in the South West of England.

She joined Trust in January 1992 and later become area manager for Gloucester and Bristol. In 2002 she was appointed Regional Fundraising Manager responsible for all private sector income to support Trust programmes throughout the South West of England.

She joined Gloucester Rotary in 2001 as many of the club's community activities with young people in Gloucester married well with the work of The Prince's Trust in its role of supporting disadvantaged young people.

In accepting office Angela paid a particularly warm tribute to her mum Carol and her daughter Kayleigh for their tremendous support since she joined Rotary and which had enabled her to accept the role of president.

Angela said she was honoured to be the first lady president in a Gloucester Rotary club and looked forward to a busy and exciting year. She reminded members of her programme for the year - in particular the centenary project being undertaken with Gloucester Severn and Gloucester North to fund an overnight parents room at the new children's hospital in Gloucester. This will provide much needed facilities and accommodation for those families whose children are undergoing treatment.

She has also chosen The Prince's Trust in Gloucester as her charity of the year and hopes to provide much needed funds to support its work with the city's disadvantaged young people.

CLUB members are under a three-line whip to ensure the auction of promises scheduled for October 15 is a great success. Billed as one of the main fundraisers for the current year, proceeds from it will go towards the club's contribution of 000 needed for a parents' room in the children's wing of the new Gloucestershire Royal Hospital.

The total cost of the centenary project will be 000 but is being split equally between our own club and our two daughter clubs Gloucester North and Gloucester Severn. Colin Eynon, in charge of the organising committee, says tickets for the event - which is being held at the King's School - will be 50 to include an excellent meal and a catalogue.

Viewing on the night will take place from 6.15pm while the meal will start at 7pm. There have already been several superb pledges but many more are needed to ensure the evening's success. It was also essential to ensure a good attendance. The venue will accommodate 250 and Colin is keen to see every seat taken.

Colin himself and John Smith will be pleased to receive pledges but time is of the essence.......the objective is to get the catalogue out by the middle/end of September. So get your pledges in fast...there's little time to lose.

Do you have what it takes to be a fashion model? Sue Smith is looking for a size 18 plus model for a Fashion Show in aid of the Prince's Trust which is taking place at St Andrew's Church Centre at Churchdown on Thursday, September 2.

The clothes are being provided by Just-in of Churchdown, Winchcombe and Stow-on-the-Wold who stock clothes with a range of sizes from 8 to 24. "We have models for all the other sizes but are very keen to show how good clothes look on someone size 18 or larger," said organiser Sue. If you are size 18 plus and would like to take part then contact Sue

Dear fellow Rotarians,

As editor of In Gear it's obviously invidious to write about one's own successes. To have now won the district magazine competition twice and to top that with the national title was praise indeed........but electing me 'Rotarian of the Year' really was the icing on the cake.

In an instant I was elated, delighted, gratified and humbled. The latter was particularly true in the light of the many qualities Bill Murray possessed who kindly donated the salver......it's also true of the Rotarians who have won it since its inception.

Thank you very sincerely. However, in turn, I would also like to pay a sincere tribute to fellow In Gear collaborator Colin Rogers. He does a splendid job providing me with photos, dealing with distribution, sorting out sponsorship and writing the occasional article.

It's a delight to work with him. This eight page In Gear for instance would not have seen the light of day had it not been for the additional sponsorship Colin generated.

Thank you in particular to Colin and in general to you all. It's a tremendous honour to be a member of the Rotary Club of Gloucester. I will try to uphold your faith in me.

John Lovell

BEFORE stepping down from office President Clive Kingscote reviewed the disappointments and successes of the past year. He said he had originally agreed to accept the office as a result of pressure and promises of support from certain members but that he had received support from the whole club.

Among the disappointments he cited were the appalling weather he and Ray Bell experienced on their joint incoming; the fact that he was too poorly to attend the Christmas lunch, there had been no Ladies Night because the venue had gone bust and that during the year the club had lost two members.

However on the positive side he listed:
* The club's first attempt at a fashion show last October had raised 00 for Air Ambulance.
* The Salvation Army had given the club its concert appeal cash which had raised another for the Air Ambulance.
* The Christmas Collection had raised a magnificent 00.
* When Garden Centre Twigs could not find a Santa for their Grotto club members stepped in and raised a further .
* The International Evening raised 00.
* The Westgate Traders gave the club from the Medieval Fare.

In March the appeal with local schools to raise money for the Institute for Cancer Research started which eventually realised the tremendous sum of 400. (The results of this are reported elsewhere in this publication).

WHAT DID WE DO WITH THE MONEY?

* 97 went to holidays for under privileged children.
* 00 for the Air Ambulance.
* went to the Iran earthquake appeal.
* Orphanaids in Ecuador received to provide kitchen equipment.
* went to buy 130 mosquito nets to save lives in Tanzania.
* The club gave to help save the Brownies meeting at the Citadel in Barton Street.
* 00 went to fund sports facilities at Quedgeley.
* The Gloucester Ladies Football Club received 00 towards new changing rooms at Tuffley.
* 00 has been allocated for the Ecuador water project.
* 72 purchased a fibre optic curtain for the Finlay Family Centre.
* We gave for handicapped sports.

WHAT ELSE HAVE WE DONE?

* This club through John and Colin have won not only the District but also the National award for the best Newsletter.
* We also won the District Skittles Competition.
* We had record numbers for the Senior Citizen Party this year.
* This club has "Lent a Hand" with some dozen members and wives helping children with difficulties weekly at Carlton Primary School. This project is to continue
* 300 children from five Rotary clubs including our own enjoyed a great day out at the Cattle Country Adventure Park at Berkeley.
* The year had ended with a double bill of an Evening with the Hamiltons and a Gala Dinner with Nick Owen when a cheque or 400 was handed to the Institute of Cancer Research
* One senior member wrote that this project had involved the community and raised the profile of Rotary and was the best thing we had done in all his many years of membership.

Clive ended by saying the club had had an incredible year. "You can be proud to be Rotarians and I am proud to have been your president."

CONGRATULATIONS to honorary member Richard Dennery on becoming the UK's best town centre manager. At an awards dinner in London's Richard was hailed Town Centre Manager of the Year for the UK and Ireland. The Gloucester city centre manager took the first prize in the 2004 Sceptre Awards, organised by Shopping Centre magazine

Richard said: "The criterion this year was town centre managers involved in regeneration. So what this really reflects that Gloucestershire's regeneration has been recognised on a national scale.

"But it recognises what has been happening in Gloucester for the last few years. Last year the city won gold in the Britain in Bloom competition and the blues festival is now in its fourth year. There is a real buzz about the city."

Judges said Mr Dennery had won because of how he had led the Central Gloucester Initiative, helping business occupancy levels in the city's prime locations to rise.

AFTER the formality

AFTER the formality of President Angela's incoming earlier in the day the proceedings became more informal in the evening at a cricket match, barbecue and dance.

At one point the weather threatened to rule out cricket in favour of skittles........... which, as things turned out, might not have been such a bad thing.

The game against the crew of HMS Gloucester was lost although it was a light hearted encounter enjoyed by both sides. Just for the record the ship's crew scored 130 .... or so and we countered with 90...or so.

The highlight of the evening came when President Angela presented the crew with a Paul Harris certificate of appreciation for their work in promoting world peace and for continuing to foster links with the city of Gloucester and in particular with our club.

A delicious barbecue followed by dancing to the music of Mike Westbury and Dave Courtney brought to an end a smashing evening and a memorable week.

Thoroughly deserved

The highest honour the Rotary movement can bestow - a Paul Harris Fellowship - has been awarded to club member Peter Nesbitt. It was presented to him by outgoing president Clive Kingscote at the handover meeting at the start of last month.

In his comments Clive outlined Peter's enormous contribution to the club over many years.

Inevitably Peter's leading role both as the instigator and organiser of the highly successful campaign with city schools to raise more than £38,000 was a considerable achievement.

But Clive also recalled Peter's work over many years for international projects and particularly Polio Plus - a campaign very close to his heart.

An indefatigable Rotarian, Peter has also played a prominent role in fundraising. It was thanks to Peter's initiative that the club launched its carol bus and Christmas collections a few years ago. As a result this festive fundraiser has raised thousands for club projects both here and overseas.

Peter, a former club president is also a former Gloucester Citizen of the Year. The latter reflected all the work he has done in the Coney Hill area where he is still chairman of the governors of Barnwood Park School.

Both as a Rotarian and a citizen, Peter is an example of the motto....'Service Above Self.' Once again our hearty congratulations on a thoroughly deserved honour