Community and Vocational Service committee 2011-2012

Chairman - Meurig Lewis
Committee members - James Carter, Bill Jones, Liz Owen-Jones, Alun P Thomas, Gareth Williams, Garfield Williams, Richard Giffiths.

The role of the Community and Vocational Service committee is to identify areas of need, either directly or through local charitable organisations, within the community and provide the appropriate service work or financial assistance. Emphasis is given to the 'Ideals of service', acknowledging the fact that as a fund raiser and provider of funding, Rotary is merely one of many, but as a provider of service, it is without peer. The committee is responsible for raising the funds it distributes.

Committee meeting 20th September 2011Message in a Bottle - (Gareth Williams) Over the summer we have carried out a stock take of the number of bottles remaining to find we have 840 left. Heather West, who is in charge of the senior citizen Carers in North Ceredigion, has expressed an interest in taking up the scheme and we are making a presentation to her on the 7^th November. She has also asked whether we would be prepared to role out the scheme in South Ceredigion and we would like Club Council’s thoughts on this point. In view of this development, we have not made any approaches to other Clubs as indicated previously.
Age Concern Transport Volunteers - ( Meurig Lewis) We are grateful to the fourteen Rotarians who have signed up to assist with this project. As yet Age Concern has not requested our assistance, although they are aware of our readiness to help.
Vocational Visit - (Richard Griffiths) Rotarian Garfield Williams is organising a trip on the 11^th October for us to go and see the Borth Coastal Protection Scheme. We will also be arranging a Club trip next spring but the venue and arrangements have yet to be decided. Environment Project - (Garfield Williams) Our Environment project will take place next March and Rotarian Garfield is liaising with Paul Finch on possible ideas and the names of contacts to take this further.
Resilience Project - (Alun P Thomas) We are still waiting to hear from District before we can move this project forward.
Christmas Collection - (Meurig Lewis & Colin Fletcher) The main thrust of our committee meeting centred on which charities to support with the proceeds of our Christmas collection. A number of charities were put forward including, Macmillan Nurses, British Red Cross, St John’s Ambulance in the Aber Community, The Christian Lewis Trust, Ceredigion Young Carers, Jenny Fell with her work establishing an Alzheimer’s café in Aberystwyth, Age, RNLI, CAB and Cross Roads. No firm decision will be made until our November meeting although the favourite for our main charity is Macmillan Nurses.
Charity Presentation Evening - (Meurig Lewis & Colin Fletcher) Following on from the Christmas collection will be the Charity Presentation evening and we are very grateful to past president Richard Griffiths for again agreeing to hold the event at the Richmond Hotel next February.

Committee meeting 19th July 2011Message in a Bottle (Gareth Williams) - As the committee feel that we have more or less saturated the market in our area, it was suggested that we ask Club Council (and Club members) for their views in offering some of our stock, free of charge, to neighbouring clubs to see if they can instigate the scheme in their area. Machynlleth and Lampeter come to mind. We believe the scheme has already spread to Aberaeron but we will check that out. It would mean a couple of our members going to the Clubs involved to discuss the scheme.
Age Concern Transport Volunteers ( Meurig Lewis) - A board will shortly be going around asking for volunteer drivers on a short notice one week basis. Volunteers will only be signing up to one week at a time and not a month as previously and only then if Age Concern cannot find any drivers of their own.
Vocational Visit (Richard Griffiths) - Various interesting suggestions for the trip came up and Richard is now making enquiries as to feasibility etc. With the Club’s diary filling up quickly, we have in mind either a trip in either October or (more likely) the second half of April.
Environment Project (Garfield Williams) - Our Environment project will take place next March and Rotarian Garfield is liaising with Paul Finch on possible ideas and the names of contacts to take this further.
Resilience Project (Alun P Thomas) - We are in contact with Clive Edwards, the District Resilience Officer, who is still unaware of the direction RIBI will be proceeding. Clive has been informed that discussions are afoot with a leading agency. Once known it is Clive’s intention to invite a speaker from the appointed Agency to address a cluster of Clubs in order we can appreciate the mechanics and express our strengths and interests in support of any eventuality. Until then there is little point in taking this further.
Christmas Collection (Meurig Lewis & Colin Fletcher) -A testing nine dates have been arranged for our Christmas collection at four different venues. The street licence has come through and venues confirmed. Our committee are considering whether to change the collecting times at the Supermarket to take advantage of the busier evening shopping period. This would mean starting later and finishing later. With regard to which charities to support, we have already had some applications but we would like suggestions from Rotarians, especially for the main charity. It would be nice to find something new to support.
Charity Presentation Evening (Meurig Lewis & Colin Fletcher) -Following on from the Christmas collection will be the Charity Presentation evening and we are very grateful to past president Richard Griffiths for again agreeing to hold the event at the Richmond Hotel next February.

AGM 2009/10 report - 27th April 2010 (Chaiman Michael Deaville Age Concern drivers - Rotarians continued to provide transport, through the year, for clients of Age Concern’s lunch club. Our coordinator, Colin Bancroft, is appreciative of the cooperation received from Rotarians. In the first half-year, Eifion Lewis had provided a similar service for the Visually Handicapped but with a change to daytime meetings they could use public transport.
Christmas collections - The usual pattern of Christmas Collections was slightly modified to reflect local changes in supermarket ownership. We collected for 1 day at CKs, ex-Co-op, and for 2 days at the Co-op, ex-Summerfield, followed by 2 days at Morrisons and 3 days in Owain Glyndwr Square. The committee was gratified by the support of Aberystwyth Rotarians and was pleased with the amount collected, over £3000.
Presentation to charities - At a Presentation Evening at the Richmond Hotel on 18/02/10, the proceeds were distributed as follows:
• Aberystwyth Riding for the Disabled £500
• NACC Aberystwyth & District Group £200
• Aberystwyth & District Citizens Advice Bureau £200
• The Breastfeeding Network £100
• Papur Sain Ceredigion Talking Newspaper £1000
• Arad Goch Theatre Company £100
• Cylch Meithrin Llanfarian £100
• Mid Wales Colo-Rectal Cancer Fund £100
• Cruse Ceredigion £200
• Retained for Rotary Kids Out trip £500
The representatives of the recipient charities were grateful for our donations and also appreciated our hospitality, thanks to Richard Griffiths. The evening also provided the opportunity for Rotarian William Williams to present cheques to Papur Sain Ceredigion and to Macmillan Cancer Support following his participation in the 10 km Run, with sponsorship from the club. There had been a good report and photographs in the Cambrian News. Thank-you letters had been received and had been circulated at Club meetings.The charitable donations listed above were the outcome of the Committee’s careful consideration of all requests received. There were also 3 requests that were not approved, for reasons such as being in the area of another Rotary Club, as reported to Club Council and Club.
Message in a Bottle - this project, coordinated by Gareth Williams, continued with 144 bottles being supplied to Age Concern. Samples and information about sources were provided to Knighton R C.
Thanks for Life - John Davies managed our contribution to the all-committees “Thanks for Life” project and identified Magic Point as the “Window of Opportunity” for the Club display in February.
Visit - Richard Morgan’s arrangements are progressing for the proposed visits to Llechwedd Slate Caverns and the Talyllyn Railway on 25/05/10. An enjoyable outing is anticipated and we trust that more Rotarians will sign up.