Good Causes.....
The Rotary Club of Downham Market is successful in fund-raising for local and international causes. Our grateful thanks go to the citizens of the town in being so generous with their donations when we are collecting. Here are just a few examples of what you help us to achieve
1. Funding for Downham Food Bank
2. Helping to fund the Downham Methodist Church volunteers providing a meals on wheels service
3. Financial support for Medical Detection Jobs charity
4. Assisting the local Girl Guides with funding to enable their summer camp to all the guides, not just the lucky families who can afford it.
5. The leasing of a new car for Tapping House, Norfolk Hospice, for their outreach nursing service to terminally ill patients in their own homes
6. Dictionaries for life made available to local schools
7. Donation to Downham Men's Shed for the purchase of equipment
8. A grant to the Swan Centre for the purchase of musical instruments
9. Financial support for the Magpie Centre - Riding for the Disabled
10. Assistance with financing the local united churches Christmas Dinner
11. Funding of the annual Technology Tournament for local schools
12. Assisting Marie Curie with local collections to support their splendid work
13. Supporting a local youth on the Rotary Youth Leadership Award course at Graffham Water
14. Purchase of 10,000 purple crocus bulbs for planting in the Town in support of the Purple for Polio campaign run by Rotary and the Bill Gates Foundation to eradicate polio
15. Financial support for Children's Air Ambulance
16. Financial suport for the Kid's Cancer Charity
17. Donation to Hillcrest Primary School to help with their Christmas party
18. A donation to a local child suffering from Cerebral Palsy towards assistance equipment
19. Donations to British Legion
20. Funding for West Dereham Play Area
21. Funding for the 'Outside classroom' at Denver Primary School
and further afield some examples of how the Club to causes; our annual 'Shoe Box' appeal to send gifts to needy families in Eastern Europe, crisis funding for tragedies like the Doncaster floods, the wildfires in Australia and violent weather events in the Philippines, the Caribbean, Sri Lanka and many other emergencies. We are also part of Lend with Care - a micro-financing scheme to help entrepreneurs in developing countries provide employment and support their families.
Here are just some of the other good causes we have, or are, supporting (Most have a link to more information - click on the logos or photos for links).
YANA - You Are Not Alone
Help for those in farming who may be affected by stress and depression.
Helpline: 0300 323 0400
SAVING THE CHILDREN OF BELARUS
The project, led by Rotarian Carole Samuel, began in the Spring of 2013 with the aim of improving the lives of children who live in the path of the radiation cloud that blanketed their area of Belarus when the Chernobyl power plant exploded. The explosion was over 30 years ago, but the land and water sources here continue to be contaminated, causing cancers and severely weakening children’s immune systems. Carole was successful in raising money to purchase sorely needed equipment, replace cracked and broken windows and frames with double glazing (it gets down to way below freezing in the winter), and refurbish toilet facilities at Korovatichi school. President Elect Martin Chilvers is picture with Carole above.
Citizens Advice - this wonderful charity (note this is not a government or local government funded agency) is able to help those in need by guiding them on the best course of action to solve their problems.
Local office; The Hanse House, South Quay, King's Lynn PE30 5GN
Advice line 9.30am - 4pm Monday to Friday 03 444 111 444
What's in a Shelterbox? Just about everything needed for survival and the start of rebuilding.... Great concept - help save a family!
Shelterbox... A great route to rapid disaster relief. So much vital time can be lost if fundraising for relief work is only inaugurated after a disaster happens. Far better to have resources in place around the world ready to be deployed in the event of an earthquake or tsunami, for example. That's what Shelterbox is about.
Rotary's End Polio Now! campaign is achieving great things alongside the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to eradicatepolio from the world. Rotary has contributed $100million from members worldwide - reason alone to support Rotary. Britain has been polio-free for decades now. Not so the rest of the world. Through the efforts of Bill & Melinda Gates and Rotary this crippling disease, mostly affecting children, has been eradicated in all but Afghanistan, Pakistan and Nigeria. India, with its huge population has been polio-free for two years now. With a final push, polio will follow smallpox into the history books. If you get a chance to contribute, please do. "We are this close" - scroll down and click on the Rotary logo below
Students from Downham Market High School (Downham Market Academy from 1st July 2013) presented the Club with a cheque for £446.46 to help make polio something found in history books not in children. This was followed by another great donation of £571.16 from Iceni Academy.
More information, by clicking on the Rotary logo, about the RIBI Donations Trust which concentrates on reconstruction following a natural rather than immediate aid......
Norfolk and Norwich Scope Association “NANSA believes that all people with disabilities are entitled to full inclusion in society. We aim to empower Norfolk people with disabilities to achieve their life aspirations.” Click on the nansa logo above to go to there website.
Downham Youth Centre, Paradise Road
Click on the logo above for more information Centre, which opened in February 2013, - the South West Norfolk Youth Opportunities Project (SWAN). Sports Leaders Awards and a recording studio are included in the current programme.
We support West Norfolk MIND, based in Downham Market at Cousins Court, High Street, PE38 9DA and have donated to help them carry on their excellent work...... Visit them, their shop opposite the Town Council Offices in Paradise Road, or phone on 01366 387997
Mary's Meals. It costs just £10.70 to give a child a main meal a day for a year. Think about it.......... Much more information on their website. Click on the picture.
Helping disadvantaged young people in the UK, especially those suffering from cancer and disabilities. An inspiring video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98rjuwBWJaA
You might also like to have a look at http://www.chainsforchange.co.uk/ Over £6000 raised by an ambitious three-man cycle ride in June 2013
The Trussell Trust operate Foodbanks throughout the UK working closely with Fareshare who we supported with Tesco in early July 2013
This is a great local charity. The Hospice covers much of West Norfolk and provides huge support for terminally ill patients and their families. Here is the car Downham Rotary provided to enable nurses to visit clients in their homes.
Marie Curie Cancer Care
We are strong supporters of East Anglian Air Ambulance
Children with Cancer. This charity offers much-needed support to families as well their children who are ill.
Many Club members grew moustaches in November 2012 in aid of prostate research - Over £1200 was raised. A great effort lads!
EACH supports families and cares for children and young people with life-threatening conditions across Cambridgeshire, Essex, Norfolk and Suffolk. They provide care and support wherever the family wishes – in families’ own homes, in the community or at one of their hospices in Ipswich, Milton just north of Cambridge and Quidenham.
Headway supports people who have sustained brain injuries with invaluable help and advice.
In 2011 alone, Sightsavers with its many partners carried out 31million treatments to prevent or cure blindness in the Third World and performed 250,000 sight-restoring cataract operations.
Support the RDA Magpie Centre at Wallington Hall, just up the A10 from Downham
SERV Norfolk - our local Blood Bikers
President Bob Linford and President Elect Martin Chilvers presented a cheque to Leia Brinton, who lives in Emneth. Leia's son, Reggie, was born, in September 2015, with Ichthyosis. This is a severe skin condition that causes sufferers to itch constantly and shed their skin, often on a daily basis. There is no cure but sufferers are helped by using a special type of bath (only available from the USA) twice a day which Leia and her mother Toni Roberts are raising money to purchase.