THE ROTARY CLUB OF CHURCH AND OSWALDTWISTLE
AT our club meeting on October 15, past district governor, Malcolm Baldwin, was very pleased to present an RI Presidential Citation for the 2017-2018 year, to Church and Oswaldtwistle Rotary.
The citation was presented on behalf of immediate past president of Rotary International, Ian Riseley, in recognition that the club achieved a set of prescribed RI goals and entry of the required data on Rotary Club Central.
This is a prestigious award with difficult targets to achieve, indeed only three clubs out of a potential 67 in the District of Lancashire and Cumbria, were able to achieve the set goals.
The award covers the following categories: Support and strengthen Rotary, focus and increase humanitarian service, enhance public image and awareness.
During the year, Church and Oswaldtwistle Rotary carried out 30 or so service projects, which involved over 6,200 hours of work, carried out by 1,200+ volunteers; Rotarians, friends and supporters of Rotary.
Receiving the award on behalf of the membership, president Lyndon made the following comment: “We are very pleased to have achieved the stretching targets set and it must be stressed that this is down to hard work and diligent support of our Membership, an achievement we should all be very proud of indeed.”
On the evening of October 17, a fund-raising event took place at Balti Stan in Clayton-le-Moors, organised and hosted by the owner, Church and Oswaldtwistle Rotarian, Harun Miah.
The purpose of the evening was to raise money for Rotary Vision 2020, a two-year project in which Church and Oswaldtwistle Rotary are partnering with the Rotary Club of Sylhet Central, Bangladesh.
The aim of the project is to cure and improve the lives of people who have become avoidably blind within the rural areas of Sylhet, by providing either hospital treatment or medicines that would otherwise be beyond their reach.
Malcolm Ward, a fellow Rotarian and close friend of Harun, acted as MC and kept the event moving at a pace.
This event was attended by 77 fellow Rotarians and friends, the entertainment was provided by Gavin Young: Wedding singer, corporate event host and a versatile entertainer.
Gavin is certainly dynamic and treated us to close on two hours of modern, pop, rock and Film scores, accompanied by dancing and singing by all present.
Indeed, he convinced the Rotary president and two members of the audience to perform a John Travolta tribute followed by a dancing contest.
The grand total of £1,035 was raised on the night which got this worthwhile international project off to a flying start.
President Lyndon commented: “It was heart-warming to see 77 people coming together to support this very worthwhile cause and having such a good time in the process.
“Harun should be justifiable proud of what has been achieved this evening.”