Kids Out Day

In June 2009 we took part in Kids Out Day for the third time. This is an event carried out by a large number of the Rotary Clubs throughout UK and Ireland on the same day – taking kids with learning or physical difficulties to some fun place for the day. Once again we continued our association with Mitchell House Special School, which has been a thoroughly rewarding experience for some of us in Rotary and appears to be very much appreciated by both the staff and pupils, and on 'Kids Out Day' on Wed 10 June, we took 17 children from the Junior section of Mitchell House School to Castle Espie, near Comber.

After a wonderful welcome in the brand new visitor centre from John, our host and guide for the visit, we had an entertaining tour of the walks and saw the amazing changes which are being made to shoreline to create a centre of excellence for wetland conservation.



There was some hectic feeding by the children of the multitudes of varied and rare ducks and geese which proved very popular to children and ducks alike.







There were oohs and aahs for the newly born ducklings in their special protected pen.

We were so lucky with the weather – it was a lovely sunny day.

After the tour – we returned to the Centre for another special treat – the entertainment by Magic George. We have had the pleasure of Magic George’s performances for a few years now and he never lets us down. The kids and helpers alike were in near hysterics over his show of magic, puppets and pantomiming.

Then we had a kids’ lunch of sausages and chips in baskets in the super café before a great send off in the fleet of buses, one of which had been donated by TM Coaches.

Harmony Community Trust - Glebe House

Harmony Community Trust is a Charity established by Belfast Rotary Club in 1975 when it was decided to create a local facility which would provide children with the opportunity of respite and the experience of mixing together in a neutral environment. Glebe House, an old Rectory with 16 acres in Kilclief near Strangford, was purchased and the organisation was set up to run a holiday centre where children from both sides of the divided community in Northern Ireland could meet in a neutral environment, learn to understand one another and contribute towards a better and more peaceful future for the Province.   The Club continues to have 2 representatives on the Committee.  Throughout the last 33 years this centre has provided an essential facility, which is still very relevant even in the current climate, to promote reconciliation and understanding.

In recognition of the huge input to the Trust by the late Harry Corscadden, the new Activity and Conference Centre was dedicated and named after him at a ceremony in May 2009. more……

Mitchell House School

Mitchell House School is a co-educational special school located in east Belfast for up to 80 children between the ages of 2 and 19 years with physical disabilities. The Belfast Club has provided Christmas Parties for the children. The 2008 party for the whole Junior School was a great day, the kids had a ball and the enthusiasm was contagious, all the party of Rotarians really got a buzz also. more…..
   

 Montgomery Bowl

Each week a club member is asked to donate £25 to the “Montgomery Bowl” and to choose between sending someone a bouquet of flowers or making a donation to our Children in Hospital Appeal Fund. The Fund is then used to help children in hospital in the Belfast area.

During the past year the club helped two children’s units:

· The Child & Family Unit based temporarily at Minnowburn while their new unit is built at Forster Greens. This unit cares for children up to the age of sixteen who have suffered physical or sexual abuse. These children spend quite a lot of time in their own rooms and so requested a number of handheld electronic games; we also supplied some table and playground games and a camera.

· Tor Bank School based at the Ulster Hospital. The children in this unit are more seriously disabled than those at Mitchell House, but, as in Mitchell House, the quality of the staff is truly amazing and to see the constant care and love that they give to the children is a humbling experience. They requested a resistance tunnel and a weighted blanket as used by the SAS for training (their "troopers” take hours rather than seconds to complete the tests! ).  We also supplied a special recumbent bicycle and an adjustable scooter board with support straps.

Christmas Family Appeal

The Belfast Rotary Club was pleased to initiate, and continue involvement with, The Christmas Family Appeal - now a joint venture between The Salvation Army and the Society of St Vincent de Paul, supported by BBC Northern Ireland. The Appeal collects and distributes Christmas toys and gifts for families in need across Northern Ireland.


John A. Savage Memorial Trophy

In 2009 the Club inaugurated the John A. Savage Memorial Trophy to be awarded each year to the individual or group, selected as giving great Service to the community.

The first recipients of the John A Savage J.P. Memorial Trophy were the Harmony Hill Presbyterian Church Youth Group for their work on the Duke of Edinburgh Scheme and commitment to young people. The Cup was presented on 23^rd November and by chance two of Rotarian Alan White’s grandchildren - Peter and Sarah White - were in the winning team!



The Cup has been created in memory of former member the late John Savage and with the excellent assistance of Eric Rainey, the old "R R Bowman" Silver Cup has been newly engraved as "The John A Savage Memorial Trophy". Craig McClelland kindly supplied a wooden plinth for the Cup which will display Silver shields listing the winners in 2009 and each subsequent year.

R R Bowman was a Rotarian in our Club who died about 50 years ago. He was a great Horticulturist and had particular ability in growing beautiful scented Roses. The Silver Cup, given by him to our Club, was awarded for many years at our Autumn Flower Show, for the best Rose in Show. It was often won by the late Rotarian David A. Dorman, O.B.E. K.O.L - a Belfast Rotarian for well over 50 years and a wonderful Horticulturist.

John Savage, born 12.04.1929 was also a Rotarian in our Club and died nearly 20 years ago. A man of action with great ability, high ethical and moral standards - his Scouting career was unique! - Scout Master; Group Scout Leader and latterly President of his own Group. John resigned as Director (having followed an engineering career) in Craig's in 1972 to follow a career that he much loved, in Scouting - an extension of his lifetime hobby.  With many awards for his Community Service he was Field Commissioner 1972 - 74 and Executive Commissioner 1974 until his death. He brought three Scout Associations in Ireland together.

‘A man behind everything’  he was appointed J.P. for his work in Juvenile courts; was a member of SELB from 1985; Chairman NI Standing Conference of Youth Organisations; member of the Board of Governors, Special School for Handicapped children, Newtownards; and a member of the Programme of Training Sub Committee (London H.Q.).

On joining the Rotary Club of Belfast, John quickly entered into the Work and Service under the Aims & Objects of Rotary. Possibly, one of his greatest contributions in Rotary and Scouting was his re-establishing the Rotary Boys' Camp, at Crawfordsburn Scout Centre 1977, with Pat Smyrl and Denise O'Neill, Scouts and Ranger Guides. He nurtured the disadvantaged children attending the Camps, as they enjoyed the experience of sleeping under canvas with a simple Scout programme, and he made a lasting difference to many lives.