Please visit this ROTARY e club (with a worldwide group of participants)👍 and watch the inspiring presentation by a POLIO survivor - just go to this YouTube video at : http://tinyurl.com/y899vdbu

A visit from PP Derek Steel of Rotary Club of Torrance del Amo, California - (ex- Barrovian) - visited us 27th Sept 2017

Had a splendid evening at University College Dublin at the inaugural of Rotaract Dublin UCD -attended by Rotary District 1160 Governor Garth Arnold, President of Dublin Fingal (sponsor club) Alan Spain, representatives from other Dublin Rotary Clubs and lots of students from UCD. The new club have ambitions to spread their message to other universities in Ireland and generate more Rotaract Clubs, good luck to them in their task.👍👍👍👍👍

Rotary throughout the world, working for the common good. Check out our website and come and see us ! www.furnessrotary.org.uk

On Wednesday 20th September our speaker was the IPP of Furness Peninsula Club, Rotarian Pauline Gardner who is also a director on the board of our local Credit Union. She came to speak to us about the Credit Union, what it does, some of the problems they have and to make a plea for members to volunteer their assistance to the Union, or if any had cash to spare which they would like to invest in a good cause, that would also be very welcome.

A Talk by Meg Fletcher on the Kinamba Community Project in Kigali, Rwanda, to the Rotary Club of Furness on the 13th September 2017. Meg explained that the Kinamba Community Project is a schools project in Kigali, the capital of Rwanda with nursery, primary and now secondary school pupils. This not only involves teaching, but in many ways importantly, giving the children a nutritious meal before and during school. Families in Kigali are very poor and food prices are high. Some children come to school having not had anything to eat since their last school meal the previous day! The infant school children get a nutritious porridge at breakfast every school day and a bread roll is added when available. There are signs of malnutrition in all these children. The primary school children get a vegetable meal with soya and sometimes dried fish at lunchtime. The Project also gives meals to the teachers ( who also have problems buying food for themselves and their families). As a treat, the children were given apples, which they had never seen before! Meg also explained that, as the Project is now been in action for ten years, some of the children have reached secondary school eligibility. Due to the meals provided by the project, these children have done a lot better at school than otherwise, and are thus able to apply to go on with their education. The majority of secondary education in Rwanda is private and residential, and so costs about £450 per year on average per pupil. In addition, pupils have to provide for themselves, a box with relevant books, blankets, mattresses, pillows, toilet rolls, soap (personal and clothes washing), cup, plate, a jerry can for water and sometimes a hoe to help in the garden! All this has to be piled onto the bus that takes the children to school! The ability of the individual students is the factor which is looked at by the different schools and some pupils of exceptional ability will be accepted at the elite schools. Six girls (good at playing cricket) have been accepted at a school specialising in sports and has grants from the charity “Cricket without Boundaries”. One of them is an ace bowler! A Boy has been accepted at an elite school, where the President’s children are pupils ( he wants to be a Doctor!) A big challenge for the project is changing the attitudes of the children. They are given every opportunity to excel and to achieve what is possible. The culture is to give them hope for the future and both girls and boys can succeed. The Project has 114 children in the nursery/infant class and 134 children in the primary class. There are up to 39 children in secondary education with another 18 in January. None of the teenage secondary school age children would have that opportunity without the Project providing finance and equipment. The personal lives of these children are for the most part very tragic and poignant with loss of both parents and/or carers, exclusion from the family home and homelessness, all overcome with stoicism and bravery. After answering a few questions, Meg was thanked by Rotarian Peter Gardner and all responded warmly. Meg was then presented with a cheque from the Club to help with the Project. Reported by Rotarian Frank Randall PHF

Alan says THANK YOU to all of our Tour de Furness supporters, printed in North West Mail 14th September 2017😀😀

Two nice double page spreads in North West Mail today following yesterday's Tour de Furness 2017 with heavy rain and high winds (worst weather we have experienced in 22 years!) - yet 400 riders and LOTS and LOTS of helpers made it another great event which will benefit many including St Mary's Hospice and the Bay BAY B fund.....🚴‍♂️🚵‍♂️🚵‍♂️

Good TDF article in Mail today thanks to Rotarian Peter Rodell and Mail.

A Visit to Ulverston Beer Festival by a few intrepid members of the Rotary Club of Furness on Thursday 31/08/17 A motley crew of Rotarians gathered at the Coronation Hall in Ulverston to imbibe fermented malt liquor of various flavours, colours and strengths. It was interesting to see the methods of transport used in getting to the venue. One group got a lift from a sympathetic car driver friend, others used taxi, bus and train or combination of such transport. All got stuck in to tasting their favourites choices of pale, golden, brown or dark beers with cider also available. I was amazed at the taste of a dark beer with blue berry and vanilla flavours that tasted like chocolate! All these liquids of delight were sourced from far and wide and to slow down the process of inebriation, all present only drank half pints! However as the night went on, the noise in the hall got louder and there were some accidents, with an embarrassing one for pour Vice President oops! By the time of our departure for a meal at the Stan Laurel Pub, we were a merry band of Rotarians and guests. The meal was tasty and served promptly, and we all tucked in to our choices with relish (malt liquor has the effect of increasing the appetite!) Finally we all dispersed to our home destinations by the preferred mode of transport, after a very enjoyable evening of fellowship and I must admit, a lot of fun.😊😋

Visit to Barrow Lifeboat Station by a small group of Members of the Rotary Club of Furness on Wednesday 30th August 2017. 14 Rotarians gathered at Barrow Lifeboat Station for a guided tour hosted by one of the volunteers of the RNLI (Royal National Lifeboat Institution) He told us of the history of the RNLI and of the Barrow Station. The First Barrow Station was built in 1884 at a cost of £220 and is now the Bosun’s Locker Cafe. The present Station was built a few years ago, replacing the 3rd station, which was built in the 1930’s at a cost of £440,000. The present Station cost £3.5 million! Also the “ James Bibby” lifeboat, now at the Dock Museum, cost about £300,000, but the new Tamar Class Lifeboat cost £2.7 million. Such is inflation! The RNLI is run on voluntary contributions only and costs £171 million a year, so fund raising is a priority, and each station has its own fund raising committee. Our tour of the lifeboat itself was really impressive and a real eye opener! The crew cabin is sealed from water ingress and reminded me of a space capsule even though it was painted black. All the crew seats are sprung with hydraulic dampers and very comfortable with the crew strapped in. All the instrumentation is computer controlled with the Coxwain having complete control of the Lifeboat. Externally there is Radar and VHF search aerials, and a small zodiac inflatable to help with rescue which has it’s own compartment at the stern. There is a survivor cabin below as well as an immaculate engine room with two powerful diesel engines. The Lifeboat is on a cradle which tips forward to launch it onto the slipway. While we were there some of the crew launched a zodiac type inflatable lifeboat from a crane onto the slipway and out into Walney Channel and beforehand we saw them put on the fully protective and waterproof suits with lifebelts and helmets. After a short video of the Barrow Lifeboat history and operations, Rotarian Colin Scraggs gave a vote of thanks to our host. All then retired to the Custom House Restaurant for suitable food and refreshment after a very enjoyable visit. The Barrow Lifeboat and RNLI will be the subject of a talk at one of our meetings, so watch this space. Reported by Rtn Frank Randall PHF

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