International Service committee 2007-2008

Chairman - Colin Fletcher
Committee members - Colin Bancroft, Bryn Button,  John Davies, Colin Eagles, Richard Francis, Bill Jones, John Pugh-Jones, Emlyn Watkin
The committee's function is to raise the awareness and effectiveness of international and world community service provided by districts and clubs.  It's aim is to identify and suitable causes and projects and take the responsibility for raising the supporting funding.

 

Report to Club AGM 29 April 2008
Pig Roast at Nantcellan
The year got off to a good start with a dry day for the Pig Roast hosted by Peter and Celia Gardner at Nantcellan on Sunday, 5 August 2007.  The event was run in conjunction with the Inner Wheel and a net surplus of £1,204.34 was raised to be shared between Water Aid (Rotary) and Born Free of HIV (Inner Wheel).  Thanks to Peter and Celia Gardner for hosting together with John Bradshaw and Gareth Williams for taking charge of the spit.
Adopt a Minefield
3 dozen Christmas Puddings were purchased for sale within the Club again this year.  Unfortunately, 7 puddings had to be returned because the seals were defective and not airtight.  The net proceeds amounted to £295, including a donation of £5.  £3 from the sale of every pudding went to the Adopt a Minefield Charity.  The £92 raised in this way (including the £5 donation) was match funded by the UN.  The project (run by the Cwmbran Vale Club) was expected to raise £15k this year which, together with match funding from the UN, meant that a combined total of £30k would be raised to support mine clearance work in Bosnia.  Thanks to Emlyn Watkin and Colin Eagles for collecting the money.
Aqua Boxes
An “Aqua 30” box containing 30 filtration units (£250) and a Standard Aqua Box (£50) filled with items given by Rotarians, were purchased.  Thanks to Colin Bancroft who lead on this project and to all Rotarians for their generosity in contributing items to fill the second box.  With the frequency of natural disasters around the world these boxes are in constant demand and are shipped out by Rotary on an almost industrial scale.
Collective Matching Grant Project
The Club contributed £194 to the Collective Matching Grant Project organised by AG Tony Park for Clubs in Zone 1.  The project, with the Rotary Club of Mussoorie (India), provides funding for school uniforms, stationery, Hepatitis A vaccinations, Haemoglobin tests and iron supplements for all 975 students in the 12 primary schools of Mussoorie, Uttaranchal, India.  The award is for INR 623,200 (equivalent to US$ 15,200).  With match funding, the total grant budget for the project is INR 1,379,978 (equivalent to US$ 33,658). 
William Williams’s Run
On Sunday, 9 December 2007, William successfully completed the 10k run organised by the Aberystwyth Athletic Club in association with Macmillan Cancer Support and the Cambrian News.  William completed the run in under an hour; a remarkable achievement.  The total amount raised was £1,291 plus Gift Aid (28% on eligible donations).  Cheques amounting to £1,250 were given to Sue Williams of the Aberystwyth and District Chernobyl Children’s Project at a presentation evening held at the Richmond Hotel on Tuesday, 11 March.  A further cheque will be given to the project when the amount of Gift Aid has been finalized and received by the Treasurer.
Silent Auction
The Silent Auction held at the RAFA Club on Friday, 7 March raised a total of £688.85.  Rotary Clubs in RIBI are sponsoring a Water Aid project to provide clean water and sanitation for 10,000 people in Tanzania.  The proceeds from the Silent Auction are to be sent to Water Aid as our contribution towards to cost of the project.  Many thanks to Bill and Mildred Jones for taking the lead on this event.
Social Evening and Book Swap
The final event of this Rotary Year for the International Committee is a Social Evening and Book Swap (Cheese, Wine and Nibbles) to be held at the home of Colin and Delyth Fletcher between 7.00 and 9.00 pm on Thursday, 22 May.  Part of the proceeds will go to make up the Club’s donation to Water Aid to £1,000.  Any amount raised over and above that required for this purpose will be put towards the Rotary Polio Appeal (an average of $1.000 has been requested from each club for each of the three years from 2008 to 2010 to match the $100m grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to Rotary Foundation for polio eradication).

We should also remember Richard Francis, a member of the International Committee, who sadly died earlier in the year.

Committee meeting 22 January 2008
Adopt a Minefield
Although 32 Christmas Puddings were sold, 7 out of the 36 delivered to the Club had to be withdrawn because the seals were defective and not airtight.  The net proceeds amounted to £295 including a donation of £5.  £3 from every pudding sold will go to the Adopt a Minefield Charity.  The £92 raised in this way (including the £5 donation) is match funded by the UN for mine clearance in Bosnia.
Matching Grant Project
A letter of confirmation of willingness to contribute £200 to the Collective Matching Grant Project  being organised for Clubs in Zone 1 by Assistant Governor Tony Park was sent on 3 August 2007.  Confirmation has since been received from Tony Park that the project is still going ahead subject to the Club obtaining a permit from the Indian Government.  Tony Park is checking the position with Mansel Thomas, the District International Service Chair and we have been asked to keep the £200 on one side ready to be used as, at this stage, he expects the project to proceed.
Aqua Boxes
Colin Bancroft has made arrangements for the purchase of an “Aqua 30” box containing 30 filtration units.  A second box is being filled with items given by Rotarians.  This second box is now almost ready to be sent.  Special thanks to all Rotarians for their generosity in contributing items to fill the box.  With the frequency of natural disasters around the world these boxes are in constant demand and are shipped out by Rotary on an almost industrial scale. 
Fund Raising Event at the RAAFA Club
Rtn Bill Jones is leading on this project.  The event, a silent auction with music provided by Alan Phillips and his youth band, is to take place at 7.00 pm on Friday, 7 March at the RAFA Club.Tickets will be available shortly.  The proceeds are to go to Water Aid. 
World Water Day is to be held on 22 March.  An estimated 1.1 billion people do not have safe water to drink and 2.4 billion do not have access to any form of sanitation.  Water Aid is undertaking a project to provide clean water and sanitation for 10,000 people in Tanzania.  This project is being sponsored by Rotary Clubs in RIBI.
William Williams’s Run  - 9 December 2007
The total sponsorship received now stands at £1,276 plus Gift Aid.  All proceeds are to go to the Aberystwyth and District Chernobyl Children’s Project.  The intention is to present the cheque to the organisers of the Project and include a piece, with a photograph, in the Cambrian News.  Special thanks to William, who beat last year’s time and completed the 10k course in under an hour – some going!Summer Event
We are hoping to arrange a Summer event to raise funds in support of Water Aid and will have more information available on this in due course.
Wheelchair Foundation
£650 had been raised at the Champagne and Strawberries event held last July.  At the time, the matched funding allocation from District had been completed and it had been suggested that the money be retained within the Club in case matched funding was renewed this Rotary year.  This now seems unlikely and (subject to a final check) it is proposed that the money be sent directly to the Wheelchair Foundation.  The Wheelchair Foundation apply match funding themselves to contributions that they receive so the overall contribution will be doubled to £1,300.  The difference would be that our contribution will not be match funded by District before going to the Wheelchair Foundation.

Committee meeting 27 November 2007
Pig Roast at Nantcellan
£602 has been paid to the Inner Wheel as their share of the proceeds from the Pig Roast at Nantcellan.
Adopt a Minefield
36 Christmas puddings have been ordered and 32 sold so far.  A payment form has been prepared.  The puddings are expected to arrive at the Richmond Hotel on Tuesday, 4 December and will be brought to the Club for collection and payment on 11 December.  The project (run by the Cwmbran Vale Club) is on track to raise £15k this year (which means that approximately 5,000 puddings have been sold - £3 from the sale of each pudding going to the Charity).  With U.N. match funding, a total of £30k has been raised to support mine clearance work in Bosnia. 
Matching Grant Project
A letter of confirmation of willingness to contribute £200 to the Collective Matching Grant Project  being organised for Clubs in Zone 1 by Assistant Governor Tony Park was sent on 3 August 2007.  Nothing further has been heard and it was agreed to follow up before the next meeting on 22 January 2008.
Aqua Boxes
Colin Bancroft has made arrangements for the purchase of an “Aqua 30” box containing 30 filtration units at a cost of £250.  Rotarians will be asked for items to fill a second box shortly.
Fund Raising Event at the RAAFA Club
Rtn Bill Jones is leading on this project.  The event, probably a silent auction with music provided by Alan Phillips and his youth band, is to take place during March 2008.
William Williams’s Run  - 9 December 2007
William’s 10k run is due to take place on Sunday, 9^th December.  The start time is 1.00 pm at the Station end of Plas Crug.  The finish is at Penweddig School.  It is hoped that as many Rotarians as possible will turn out to support William along the route.  William’s number is number 10.  The sponsorship arrangements are being undertaken jointly by the International Committee and the Community and Vocational Services Committee.  William has raised a substantial amount of personal sponsorship himself.  Sponsorship Forms, including the option to Gift Aid contributions (for an additional 28%) have been circulated to Rotarians and will be collected at the meeting on Tuesday, 11 December.
A separate competition, with a prize of a bottle of Malt Whisky, is taking place for Rotarians to guess William’s time.  This board is going round for the last time on Tuesday, 4 December.  Bob Hughes-Jones had kindly agreed to act as Club Timekeeper for this competition.
Summer Event
Further thought was given to an event to be held in May or June 2008 following this year’s very successful strawberries and champagne evening.  The Village Hall at Waunfawr has been booked provisionally for the evening of Thursday, 22 May.  The Village Hall does not have a licence for the sale of alcoholic drinks but the plan is to include free glasses of champagne with the sale of raffle tickets so no money is taken for the Champagne.  The proceeds from the event will go to Water Aid and the proposed title for the event is “Strawberry Fair - in support of Water Aid”.
Date of Next Meeting - Tuesday, 22 January 2008.

Committee meeting 25 September 2007
Pig Roast at Nantcellan - The Pig Roast held at Nantcellan on Sunday, 5 August had raised a total of £1204.34.  The shared proceeds of the event are to go to Water Aid (Rotary) and Born Free of HIV (Inner Wheel)
Income
Ticket Sales and Donations        1170.00
Sale of Wine                                86.00
Raffle                                          224.87
Total                                         1480.87             1480.87
Costs
Hire of Tables and Chairs              20.00
Paper Roll for Tablecloths             20.36
Pig                                            110.00
Charcoal                                      19.75
Wine                                          106.42
Total Costs                                276.53               276.53
Net Surplus                                                       1204.34
Inner Wheel                                                        602.17
Rotary                                                                 602.17
                                                                          1204.34
Adopt a Minefield - Colin Fletcher to purchase 3 dozen Christmas Puddings for sale within the Club again this year.  Order to be placed before 31 October.  Rtns Colin Eagles and Emlyn Watkin to lead on the sale of the puddings within the Club.
Matching Grant Project - A letter of confirmation of willingness to contribute £200 to the Collective Matching Grant Project was being organised for Clubs in Zone 1 by Assistant Governor Tony Park was sent on 3 August 2007.
Aqua Boxes - The Club Council had agreed to a proposal to fill two boxes at a cost of £320.  One box (£60) to contain a filtration unit and other items.  The other box (£250) to contain 25 filtration units.  Rtn Colin Bancroft, who was leading on this project, would make the necessary arrangements.
Fund Raising Event at the RAAFA Club - Rtn Bill Jones was leading on this project.  The event, probably a silent auction with music provided by Alan Phillips and his youth band, would take place during March 2008..
William Williams’s Run  - 9 December 2007 - Rtn William Williams had kindly offered to run in the 10k event organised by Macmillan Cancer Support and the Cambrian News provided the Club arranged sponsorship.  The event was due to take place on Sunday, 9 December and the International and Community and Vocational Committees had agreed to arrange sponsorship in support of the Aberystwyth and District Chernobyl Children’s Project.  Sponsorship forms were being prepared.  Rtn Bob Hughes Hughes-Jones had kindly agreed to act as timekeeper and it was proposed to offer a first prize of a bottle of malt whiskey for the closest guess to William’s time.  It was also hoped to include the facility to gift aid sponsorship as this could add another 28% to the amount raised.
Summer Event - Preliminary thought was given to an event to be held in May or June 2008 following this year’s very successful strawberries and champagne evening.  Current thinking is to use the Village Hall at Waunfawr for a similar event (or, thinking afterwards – a cheese and wine evening with wider publicity round the Waun) in support of Water Aid. 

Committee meeting 31 July 2007
Present - Colin Fletcher (Chair), Colin Bancroft, Colin Eagles, Bill Jones, John Pugh Jones

Champagne and Strawberries - Despite the wet weather, a very successful event, hosted by Emlyn and Cheryl Watkin at their home in Llanrhystud on 30 June, had raised over £650 for the Wheelchair Foundation. Rtn Emlyn Watkin undertook to process the payment of the money to the Charity and the associated paperwork.
Pig Roast at Nantcellan - Arrangements for the Pig Roast to be held at Nantcellan on Sunday, 5 August 2007, were well advanced.  The shared proceeds of the event were to go to Water Aid (Rotary) and Born Free of HIV (Inner Wheel).
Adopt a Minefield - It was agreed to purchase 3 dozen Christmas Puddings for sale within the Club again this year.  The puddings had proved to be popular last year.  The price (£10 a pudding of which £3 went to the Charity) was unchanged.  Rtn Colin Fletcher undertook to place the order before the closing date of 31 October 2007.  Rtns Colin Eagles and Emlyn Watkin to lead on the sale of the puddings within the Club.
Matching Grant Project - A Collective Matching Grant Project Project was being organised for Clubs in Zone 1 by Assistant Governor Tony Park.  Each of the 11 clubs in Zone 1 had been asked to raise approximately £200 if all contributed.  The project itself was to support Literacy and Child Care in Mussoorie, a small hill town in India situated at an altitude of 6500 ft above sea level.  Tony Park had asked for confirmation of interest and it was agreed to proceed.  Rtn Colin Fletcher would write to AG Tony Park accordingly.
Aqua Boxes - The Club Council had expressed a desire to proceed once again with the filling of an Aqua Box.  Three boxes had been filled last year.  This year it was proposed to fill two boxes at a cost of £320 using money from the Pig Roast.  One box (£60) would contain a filtration unit and other items.  The other box (£250) would contain 250 filtration units.  Rtn Colin Bancroft would lead on this project.
Fund Raising Event at the RAAFA Club - Rtn Bill Jones, leading on this project, indicated that this event would now take place in the spring of 2008.
International Achievements 2006 - 07 - A return had been sent to Rtn Mansel Thomas (International Service Committee District Chairman) showing the following amounts that had been raised last year:
    Aquaboxes                                           £180
    Rotary Doctor Bank                             £1,500
    Wheelchair Foundation                          £650
    Total                                                   £2,330

 International Service committee reports 2006-2007

A summary of 2005-2006 activities (Chairman - Emlyn Watkin)
The main purpose of the International Service Committee is to raise the awareness and effectiveness of international and world community service. It's aim is to identify suitable causes and projects and take the responsibility for raising the supporting funding. The Committee felt its’ role in 2006/7 was to support a number of International charities identified and prioritised  at the District conference and by the District Governor. The committee also agreed that it would be operate effectively if it focussed on just three projects in the year and set an ambitious overall target to raise some £2,000
The three selected projects are
 o Purchase and filling of three Aqua Boxes. Their purpose is to provide in the wake of both man made and natural disasters a rapid response provision of safe drinking water and welfare aid items. Colin Bancroft has successfully organised the purchase, filling and return of the three aqua boxes and it is pleasing to report that the project is complete.
 o Sponsorship of a doctor under the Rotary Doctor Bank organisation of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Doctor Bank Organisation: is a humanitarian and voluntary organisation providing medical assistance in developing countries.We have recently received confrimation that Dr David Tibbutt from Worcester will be going out to Kitovu Hospital in Uganda from the 18^th May to 23^rd June.   You will have a good idea of the work which he will be doing as he spoke to the Club in February, and Rtn William has already booked him to give another talk next January.
 o Support to the Wheelchair Foundation.The Wheelchair Foundation: is a nonprofit organization leading an international effort to create awareness of the needs and abilities of people with physical disabilities, to promote the joy of giving, create global friendship, and to deliver a wheelchair to every child, teen and adult in the world who needs one, but cannot afford one. For these people, the Wheelchair Foundation delivers Hope, Mobility and Freedom. It is estimated that there are 100  million in need of a wheel chair and since 2001, Rotary has helped to fund 125,000 wheelchairs.The wheelchairs are made in China and cost about $150 (about £80).The money we raise will pass to RIBI who will match fund our contribution. The total is then further match funded by the WheelChair Foundation.
Fundraising. There was some £350.81 from previous years available to the committee in 2006/7. The Committee raised £689.25 (50% of the net proceeds) from the very successful Pig Roast in August at Nant Cellan Clarach, thanks to Rtn & Mrs Peter Gardener and the joint efforts of the Inner Wheel.The Committee  raised a further £758 at the Silent Auction in November.
In total therefore the money available to date is £1798.06 of which £180 has been spent on the three Aqua Boxes and £1,500 has been committed to the Doctor Bank Sponsorship. This leaves £118.06 available towards the Wheelchair foundation.
To finish off the year we will be holding a champagne and stawberries fundraising event on Saturday 30^th June in Llanrhystud so we hope that you will all support us to raise money for the Wheelchair foundation.