Past Speakers
Past Speakers
Embedded Files
Meeting 02nd October
IN OUT .. IN OUT - No shake it all about, but close. The Rotary Club of Towcester was treated to an evening of gentle exercise with a demonstration by Janine from the Towcester Leisure Centre. She underlined the need to maintain a regime of stretching and balancing, particularly during the winter period. All members participated and enjoyed a chance to stretch out.
This is another face of Rotary in Towcester, a face of fun and fellowship. The Club is looking to expand and is looking for new members. Rotary is totally diverse and open to all over the age of 18.
If you would like to know more why not get in touch. Send an email to secretary@towcester-rotary.org.uk or visit the Club's website www.towcester-rotary.org.uk.
At Our Meeting 25th September “Promoting Peace – We promote goodwill and understanding across the world by training local leaders to support long-term peacebuilding understanding”
This is the message brought to the Club at our Thursday evening meeting by Rtn Nigel Anderson, President of the Rotary Club of Wellingborough with a particular emphasis on training our younger generation in the need for Peace Advocacy.
Nigel is District 1070 champion for Peace Advocacy in schools under the title of ‘Peace Advocate for Schools’. He has successfully introduced a number of schools in the Wellingborough area to the concept of having dedicated Peace Advocates in primary and senior schools.
The aim is to teach children, who will be the next generation, on how to handle difficult situations which are causing them to feel anxious or fearful of everyday life. They face a number of serious concerns that need addressing. Nigel says that in society today the major concerns to children are bullying, social media exposure, knife crimes and drugs to name but a few.
The aim of the programme is conflict resolution. Teaching children that talking is the way forward, talking through a problem which can lead to a resolution. Studies have shown that children talking amongst themselves are far more likely to give them an opportunity to discuss and resolve problems than talking to an adult.
The steps taken by a Peace Advocate attempt to get children to think about their life styles. A negative life stye, in most cases, leads to mental health problems that can affect a child throughout his or her life. The process adopted by a Peace Advocate gives a child the opportunity to recognize that certain life styles can lead to these mental health problems.
Nigel says it is important to get a school to ‘buy in’ to the concept and support it. Rotary provides training to selected children, who then manage the themselves in the school environment. In fact, one school has a number of trained children who wear tabards identifying themselves as ‘Peace Warriors’. They make themselves available to talk to other children who are perhaps feeling anxious or fearful.
This is one of the many services that Rotary is developing to help our children grow up in what is at the moment a dangerous world and to make it a more peaceful and stable world.
Nigel agreed to send further information on Peace Advocacy for the club to give its consideration and perhaps introduction into the Towcester and District Schools.
Nigel is seen above being thanked by President John.
For further information contact Rtn Nigel Anderson –
nigel.anderson.na@gmail.com
Meeting 4th September - Physiotherapist
Meeting 4th September - Physiotherapist
Alastair Greetham MCSP – Physiotherapist
At the Thursday meeting 4th September.. Alastair who was trained in the military and worked mainly in the area of orthopedic rehabilitation. He has a clinical interest in movement and posture-related problems
. During his presentation the club had ‘audience participation’ with carrying out simple exercises that affect the body and improve it’s posture.
Alastair has undertaken a study of movements we all take in our everyday life and from a review of the results he has discovered that the average human makes up to 500 movements per day, that are considered to be similar to ‘squats’.
The simple act of getting up out of a chair is an exercise that many people do not undertake properly. The way a person stands can have an effect on muscle groupings. Alastair demonstrated the rights and wrongs and had the audience taking part.
At the end of the evening all those in attendance understood the importance of keeping active and how simple exercises can help the body maintain itself and improve the physical wellbeing.
At Thursday’s meeting, 28th August.
Sue Jobbings gave an interesting and informative presentation on the services provided by Spring, a Northamptonshire based organization that provides a service called Social Prescribing and covers nearly all aspects relating to lifestyle and both physical and mental health.
Spring works in conjunction with Northamptonshire Health and Care Partnership and Public Health Northamptonshire, and is open to all adults living in the county who have at least one long term health condition and would like to improve their health and wellbeing.
The majority of GP surgeries have a trained Social Prescriber in the practice who are able to refer a patient to Spring. However, not all participants come from surgeries, there is a route for self-referral.
Sue gave an outline of all the services her organization provides. Working with a Social Prescriber helps give a person control over their life style working on such aspects as looking after themselves, managing symptoms of health-related conditions, both physical and mental, financial advice, managing attitudes to life style choices and how they affect relationships, giving a person a more positive outlook on life. Spring’s services are far reaching and available to all in the county.
For further information contact your GP’s surgery or visit Spring’s website…
www.springnorthamptonshire.org
On Thursday the 7th Augusts meeting the Club was given an interesting presentation by the Deanshanger Hedgehog Rescue Centre. Rachel and Dominic Mathews started the Deanshanger Hedgehog Rescue Centre in the summer of 2021, after years of observing hedgehogs in their village and garden, and the realisation that there was no rescue facility in the local area.
Their busiest season (June – October) they are often full to capacity…but when the phone rings they know that there is another hedgehog in desperate need of help! Of course, they always try their very best to get it to another rescue centre or a knowledgeable vet, however this often takes time – something that a poorly hedgehog often doesn’t have! Combine this with more travelling, further stress and delaying treatment. Some sadly can’t fight for long enough.
Having started in their shed. It became clear very quickly that demand was high in the area and so they had to come up with another plan.....they turned a room in their home into a critical care area, with the shed now being used for hedgehog rehabilitation!
At our weekly meeting on the 24th July, the Club was entertained to a presentation by Odette Mould MBE, Founder and Sam Williams, Family Liaison Officer on the services offered by Harry’s Rainbow, a Milton Keynes based charity for bereaved families covering MK, Northampton and District.
This charity was founded by Odette 14 years when she sadly lost her son, Harry, leaving a twin sister. Odette then realized that there wasn’t any bereavement counselling in the area, having to travel over 30 miles to the nearest centre. The charity’s mantra is…
“We aim to give bereaved children a brighter tomorrow”
Odette realized that Jessica, Harry’s twin sister was suffering from the loss of her brother and she decided to help her daughter find a way through. She investigated other bereavement counselling organizations and set out a series of actions that she found helped other families in a similar situation. The charity supports over 600 children with more and more joining each year. Last year 179 children were registered with the charity.
The Charity offers a number of bespoke services including…
· Support Groups
· Memory Boxes and Books
· Trips, Activities and Parties
· Therapeutic Mentoring
· Short Breaks at the Charity’s Caravan
· Podcast
· School Support and Training
· Projects
One of the best actions is that of talking through the bereavement with those affected.
3rd July - SOUTH AFRICA comes to TOWCESTER - Rotarian Noelean Jorgensen from the Rotary Club of Port Elizabeth, South Africa visited Towcester to attend the Silverstone F1 weekend. She was entertained by the Rotary Club of Towcester, an example of how the Rotary Family works. Arriving on Thursday, she was met at Milton Keynes Central by three club members and brought to Towcester. In the evening, she attended the Club’s weekly meeting where she gave a presentation on the activities of her club in Port Elizabeth, a smaller club than Towcester, although they carry out similar activities to those we undertake in Towcester, supporting the younger generation particularly those that are venerable and at risk, to the older generation that require support and assistance.
Noelean stayed with one of the Club’s Rotarians and arrangements were made to transport her to and from the Silverstone circuit, not an easy task on such a busy weekend.
On the Saturday evening, a supper party for her which was well attended by a number of the Towcester members.
This is an example of how the Rotary family works. You may be a member of a small club, but you are also welcomed at any of the 45,000 clubs worldwide.
If you would like to know more about Rotary and particularly Rotary in Towcester then send an email to secretary@towcester-rotary.org.uk. Alternatively visit the Club’s web site www.towcester-rotary.org.uk .
We meet on a Thursday evening at the Saracens Head Hotel, Towcester.
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