Amwell Rotary Club News

Rotary The World Over

2012-01-18T21:04:00.000Z

Amwell Rotary Club Member Mike and his wife Jean recently returned from a trip to the USA. Whilst there, they managed to visit a Rotary Club in Texas.

Pictured below are Mike and Jean as they present an Amwell Banner to the Club President.

Paul Harris Fellowship award - Rtn Ernie Cox

2011-12-20T12:00:00.000Z

Named after our founder, the Paul Harris Fellowship award marks outstanding service to Rotary or to the community and the club makes a donation to the Rotary Foundation in recognition of each award presented. At our Xmas meeting on December 19th, President Roger Williams presented Amwell Rotary Club member Ernie Cox with a Paul Harris Fellowship award in recognition of his tireless service to Rotary over the past 30 or so years.

Ernie was somewhat surprised to say the least.

Congratulations Ernie on a thoroughly well deserved award.

Rotary Youth Leadership Awards

2011-12-13T21:05:00.001Z

We were delighted to welcome James Williamson to our meeting on December 12th. James sucessfully completed the Rotary Youth leadership Awards weekend at RAF Henlow earlier this year and gave us very impressive talk on his experiences.

The photograph below shows James being presented with his RYLA certificate by Club President Roger Williams.

You can find out more about RYLA and the work we do under the heading New Generations on our main web site which is linked from the top right of this page.

Festive Fun in Ware

2011-12-04T21:24:00.000Z

The Ware Dickensian evening for 2011 was held on Friday, December 2nd.

Despite it being a chilly winter evening, the crowds still turned out in force to say hello to Santa as he visited Ware to see his friends from Amwell Rotary Club.

Amwell Rotary Club also ran a tombola stall and raised a significant amount for local charities and other good causes.

Our sincere thanks to everyone who came along, to everyone who contributed items for the tombola as well as to our photographer Kevin and our Hot Chestnut team of Alan & Bob.

Thank you everyone!

Lucky Number Draw!

2011-11-23T21:23:00.002Z

Despite fears of heavy rain on Bonfire Night, the weather stayed fine, if a little foggy, and the Ware Fireworks Display was once again very successful, attracting a record crowd of 5400.

The event is organised by the 3 Rotary Clubs that meet in Ware - Ware, Amwell and Hertford Shires and all the money raised goes to charities supported by the 3 clubs. This year, the total amount raised is expected to be around £12,000 and Herts Air Ambulance will be a major beneficiary.

It's great to be able to put on an event like this, which is so clearly enjoyed by our local community, while raising significant sums for good causes.

We would like to thank our event sponsor, GlaxoSmithKline, who have generously supported the event for several years, and also local businesses, Moffatt Saunders and Neelakash restaurant. Also thanks to all those who provided help on the night with marshalling, to ensure the large crowd of adults and youngsters could enjoy the fireworks in safety.

Everyone attending the event was given a numbered flyer on entry. If you have the flyer bearing the lucky number 3852, you have won a free overnight stay for two in the luxury Marriott Hanbury Manor hotel.

Call 01920 463366 to claim your prize!

Ware Fireworks

2011-11-06T11:29:00.000Z

A huge thank you to everyone who came along to support this event last night. Attendance was up on last year's numbers and we hope to have made a substantial amount of money for local charities and good causes supported by the three Rotary Clubs that meet in Ware.

Thanks also to GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), the principal sponsor of the event and to Moffatt Saunders, a local Insurance Broker, who sponsor the entrance gate at Kingsway. The Neelakash Restaurant of 3 Amwell End, Ware are also entrance sponsors and they will be publishing the winning number for the entrance ticket draw on Friday November 11th. As in previous years, the Marriott Hanbury Manor Hotel has donated a free overnight stay for two as the prize for the lucky number draw.

Presentation to Isabel Hospice

2011-10-18T13:09:00.001+01:00

We were delighted to be joined by Barbara Doherty MBE, from Isabel Hospice, at our meeting on Monday October 17th. On behalf of Amwell Rotary Club, President Roger Williams presented Barbara with a cheque for the £2,600 which was raised by the Tour d'Amwell sponsored cycle ride at the end of July. Barabara was also presented with a cheque for a further £1,400 by Deidre Carter, the money being raised by Amwell Rotary Club members in memory of her late huband Mike, a founder member and Past President of Amwell Rotary Club who sadly passed away earlier this year.

Pictured below are Barbara Doherty MBE, Deidre Carter and Roger Williams

The 40th Annual Ware Fireworks Display!

2011-10-17T23:43:00.001+01:00

The 2011 Ware Fireworks Display will take place on Saturday 5th November in its usual venue on the corner of High Oak Road and Kingsway. Ticket prices are being held for the SIXTH Year!

Prices are Adults £4, Children (U14) £2, Family of 4 - £10.

Gates will open at 5.30pm. The bonfire will be lit around 6.30pm and the firework display should begin around 7.00pm.

It will be organised once again by the three Rotary Clubs that meet in Ware – Ware, Amwell and Hertford Shires.

This very popular event attracts several thousand people from the local area, who come to enjoy a traditional bonfire accompanied by a spectacular display of fireworks. Careful planning and plenty of marshals help to ensure that everyone, young and old alike, can have a safe and enjoyable evening.

http://www.warefireworks.org.uk/

Bowls Group Knockout Competition

2011-09-28T22:06:00.002+01:00

As well as taking part in the District Bowls competition, Amwell Rotary Club's bowls group meet regularly throughout the year. Their outdoor knockout competition was held at Hartham Common, Hertford on September 26th and Club President Roger Williams was on hand to present the winner's trophy to Iain Baker.

The club's bowls group league competition was won by Vic Knowles. Congratulations to the both of you!

The District Bowls Competition

2011-09-28T22:01:00.000+01:00

The District 1260 Outdoor Bowls Triples Tournament for the Fred Butt Trophy was again played at the Bushey Bowls Club on Wednesday 21st September and was organised by last years winners, Luton Chiltern Club.

Nine teams from Amwell, Amersham, Bletchley, Flitwick Vale, Chesham and Luton Chiltern competed, each team played four matches of six ends or 50 minutes play and the two teams with the most points played in the final.

As last year, Brian Gregory’s Chesham team reached the final along with one of the Amwell teams who were the only team that won all four of their preliminary matches. Amwell maintained their form in the final to add their name to the Fred Butt Trophy for the first time.

Congratulations to The Amwell Bowls Team who have been a major supporter of this competition for several years.

The White Water Duck Race

2011-09-07T10:51:00.000+01:00

After some two years of planning and preparation, the White Water Duck Race was finally held on Sunday September 4th at the Lee Valley White Water Centre.

Built for the 2012 London Olympics, the Centre is the best place in the world for white water rafting, canoeing and kayaking - and it made an incredible venue for a Duck Race.

Visit our main web site for more details and photographs!

We hope to add a race video shortly.

The High Sherrif of Hertfordshire

2011-09-06T00:09:00.000+01:00

We were delighted to be able to welcome Lord and Lady Charles Cecil to our meeting on Monday September 5th. The current High Sherrif of Hertfordshire, Lord Cecil entertained us with a fascinating talk on the origins and history of this post, as well as an explanation of the modern role and duties the High Sherrif performs.

Pictured below are Lord and Lady Cecil with Club President Roger Williams.

Rotary Young Photographer Competition

2011-08-29T11:38:00.001+01:00

To all young people aged 7-18, we are pleased to announce details for this year's Rotary Young Photographer competition. We hope as many of you as possible will be inspired to enter.

The theme for this year is Olympic Dreams or Olympic Spirit

The competition is open to any individuals, age 7-18 to enter. There are good prizes and opportunities for prize-winners to enter District and National Competitions. Further Details can be found on our main web site which is linked at the top left of this page.

The White Ware Duck Race

2011-08-24T19:11:00.001+01:00

Sunday September 4th 2011

We are now able to confirm that the White Water Duck Race will start shortly after 8:00pm on Sunday September 4th.

The centre is proving very popular and the start time is immediately after the last booking for the day. The course is floodlit and the ducks are in training and raring to go!

The 3rd Tour d'Amwell Sponsored Cycle Ride

2011-08-03T14:15:00.000+01:00

Following on from last year's hugely successful event, the third Tour d' Amwell sponsored cycle ride took place on Sunday July 31st 2011. Twenty Seven cyclists completed a 20 mile sponsored bike ride through the Hertfordshire Countryside. Setting off from the village hall at Great Amwell at 2:00 pm, their route took them through various villages and fords before they returned, just over two hours later for refreshments and to enjoy the sideshows organised by Roger Williams.

A huge thank you to all of the riders, to everyone who came along and helped on the day, to the ladies from Inner Wheel who organized the food and especially to Amwell Club member Gwyn Marson who came up with the idea.

The 28th Annual Ware Duck Race

2011-07-19T15:54:00.000+01:00

The 2011 Great Ware Duck Race was held on Sunday July 17th at Ware Lock in weather that best be described as "Lovely for Ducks!" Despite the rain, a good crowd of people turned up to watch the excitement of this annual event that has raised many thousands of pounds for local charities and good causes over the past 28 years.

At least the rain helped the flow of water over the weir, resulting in a fast race - the winner sprinting home in a little over 12 minutes.

Once again THANK YOU to everyone who bought a ticket or who came along and supported us. Special thanks also to the Hoddesdon Sub Aqua Club without whose help the race would not have been possible.

More photographs of the event, along with details of the winning ticket numbers, can be found on our main web site - see the link at the top of this page.

President's Handover

2011-07-07T12:45:00.000+01:00

The 1st of July marks the start of a new Rotary Year and so, at our meeting on Monday July 4th, outgoing President George Wallace handed on the Chain of Office to incoming President Roger Williams. On behalf of the Club, Roger congratulated George on an excellent year of good Rotary and wished him well as he takes over the role of Assistant Governor, covering the five local Rotary Clubs in the Lea Valley Zone, before presenting him with his Past President's Jewel.

President Roger then handed on the President Elect's Chain of Office to Stephen Lowe.

Welcome to a New Member

2011-07-07T12:39:00.000+01:00

Before handing over the President's Chain of Office to Roger Williams at our meeting on July 4th, outgoing President George Wallace officially welcomed Sheila Grimmant as the newest member of Amwell Rotary Club.

Rotarians Sheila and George are pictured below, along with Rotarian Mike Fagan who originally proposed Sheila for membership.

Cheque Presentation to The RNIB

2011-07-07T12:38:00.000+01:00

During his year as president, George Wallace had nominated the RNIB as his President's Charity for the year. We were delighted to welcome Eileen Haffenden to our handover Meeting on July 4th to tell us a little more about the invaluable work this charity undertakes, particularly with it's talking book service. On behalf of the club, George was able to present her with a cheque for £700.00 which, together with our previous donation of £300.00 following last year's carol Service at Haileybury, will fund the recording of another book for distribution in audio format.

Pictured below are Eillen and George.

Help for Heroes

2011-06-28T07:45:00.001+01:00

We were delighted to join with our colleagues from both the Ware and the Hertford Shires Rotary Clubs to welcome Captain Jeffrey Yang, representing Help for Heroes, to a joint meeting on Monday June 27th. Captain Yang gave us a brief insight into the invaluable work that this charity has undertaken since being founded in 2007 and left us in no doubt that the donation of of £2,220.00 from the proceeds of last year's Ware Fireworks Display would be put to excellent use.

Our thanks to all of the members of the public who came along to the Fireworks Display last year to support the Rotary Clubs that meet in Ware, as well as to our sponsors GlaxoSmithKline and Moffatt Saunders as well as the Marriott Hanbury Manor Hotel and the Neelakash Restaurant in Ware.

The Schools Technology Tournament

2011-06-22T19:57:00.001+01:00

Amwell Rotary Club joined with colleagues from the four other local Rotary Clubs for the 2011 Schools technology tournament held at Broxbourne Civic Hall on June 21st . Organized by the Rotary Club of Hoddesdon, this annual event challenges teams of 4 school children to design and build a device capable of performing a basic task as set out in the brief using only the materials provided.

The Big Picture - Rotary Reloaded

2011-06-20T00:28:00.001+01:00

Our 2010 - 2011 District Governor Amanda Watkin promised a members conference that would celebrate the many achievements of the clubs within the District, one that would be interactive and fun, one with keynote speakers who would enhance our Rotary experience and, above all, one that would "Reload Rotary."

A dozen Amwell Rotarians and partners traveled up to Scarborough for what was undoubtedly an excellent weekend. The facilities at the Spa Complex are first class, inspirational Keynote speakers included Michael Portillo, speaking on behalf of DebRa and Jeremy Gilley of Peace One Day. The RIBI Youth Speaks National Intermediate Winners from The Roundwood Park School in Harpenden stunned us with the sheer quality of their presentation and the North East Regional Choir gave a fabulous performance full of energy and enthusiasm. It was also a pleasure to meet up again with the two GSE Teams - from our district and from New Orleans.

Thanks to everyone on the Conference team for a fantastic Event!

Pictured below is President Elect Roger Williams alongside our "Big Picture" from Amwell Rotary Club.

Kids Out Day 2011

2011-06-08T23:12:00.003+01:00

Many thousands of disadvantaged and special needs children enjoyed a fantastic day out as they joined in the fun of the 22nd annual Rotary Kids Out Day, organised by Rotarians from hundreds of clubs across Great Britain and Ireland and held on Wednesday June 8th 2011.

Amwell Rotarians joined forces with colleagues from the other Rotary Clubs in District 1260 to take some six hundred children to Whipsnade Zoo in Bedfordshire. You can see a small selection of photos from the day on our main web site. Just follow the link on the latest news page.

2011 GSE Team from New Orleans

2011-06-06T23:14:00.001+01:00

We were delighted to welcome the 2011 GSE Team from Rotary District 6840 (Louisiana & Mississippi) to our meeting on Monday June 6th.

Rotarian Alan Tomsic from the Rotary Club of Slidell, Louisiana introduced team members Ayo, Sarah, Anika and Amelia.

It was a pleasure to meet you all; Enjoy your stay in District 1260 and let's catch up again at District Conference in Scarborough in two weeks time!

Pictured below are President George, Alan and the GSE Team.

Home Start East Herts

2011-06-01T20:53:00.000+01:00

Home-Start East Herts is a voluntary organisation that offers informal, confidential support to parents to enable them to give their children under 5 the best possible start in life. Their volunteers visit families in their homes for 2-3 hours a week to provide friendship, emotional support and practical help in whatever way is needed. It may be an extra pair of hands to enable a parent of twins and a toddler to go shopping, playing with one child while mum/dad spends quality time with the other or offering a listening ear to parents with quite complex problems. These families are often isolated and lack confidence and volunteers can encourage them to make friends in the community.

Amwell Rotary Club are delighted to have been able to make a donation of £500.00 to support the excellent work they do.

Pictured below is President George Wallace presenting the cheque on Thursday May 27th.

Practical Help for the Elderly & Disabled

2011-05-21T21:36:00.000+01:00

On Saturday July 21st 2011, Rotarians from the Rotary Clubs of Amwell, Hertford, Hertford Shires and Ware joined forces for a day to offer free help and assistance with various household and garden maintenance tasks to many elderly and disabled residents of Ware and Hertford

From the central contact point at Ware's Roebuck Hotel, a large number of Rotary volunteers worked hard to make a success of this truly worthwhile community service project.

Our thanks to Barry Flint and the staff at the Roebuck as well as to everyone else who helped to make the day go smoothly.

The Indoor Bowls League

2011-05-11T20:32:00.000+01:00

Congratulations to Ken Edmonds who managed to win not only the club indoor league (having never been off the top spot from the beginning of the season) but also the club knockout competition!

Ken is pictured below, receiving the Indoor Bowls trophy from Club President George Wallace at our meeting on Monday May 9th 2011.

The President's Away Trip - April 2011

2011-04-20T17:30:00.002+01:00

A party of around 50 Rotarians, Inner Wheel Members and partners enjoyed three days of fun and fellowship in and around Oxford from April 17th to 19th this year

Staying at the Thames Four Pillars Hotel at Sandford on Thames, we joined an excellent guided walking tour around many of the colleges and sites, learning more of the history of this beautiful city as well as seeing many of the sites used in the television adaptations of Colin Dexter's Inspector Morse novels. Some of our members also took the opportunity to walk along the Thames path from Sandford, enjoying the views.

More details and photographs can be found on our main web site - just follow the link at the top of the page!

The 2010 - 2011 GSE Team

2011-04-11T23:41:00.000+01:00

For our meeting on April 11th, 2001, we were very lucky to be joined by Pamela Burns from the Rotary Club of Saint Albans Priory and three of the members of the 2011 GSE team that she led to New Orleans.

Neville, Natalie and Haydon treated the club to an excellent presentation, telling us about their experieces in the city and the surrounding area as they learned more about how the community was being rebuilt in the aftermath of the 2005 Hurricane and the subsequent flooding when many of the flood defences were breached.

We also heard how they had been given a unique opportunity to work with fellow professionals to learn about their work methods and practices.

Pictured below are Natalie and Pamela.

Mosquito Nets for Cambodian Orphanages

2011-04-06T22:28:00.001+01:00

We were deighted to recieve an update from our Rotary Club colleagues in Phnom Penh, Cambodia advsing us that the first batch of mosquito nets funded by Amwell Rotary Club had been distributed to various orphanges.

"Huy is one of the young chaps taking care of 4 orphanages and he is also helping me to distribute some of these nets to the needy...... Huy will also help me to organize an All Star Championship sport event in May for these children..... He is such a good young man with big heart for these kids and I was amazed for his unselfish loves to them... My other fellow Rotarians will be coming up with a list of how to distribute the rest of the nets.... will keep you updated. Warm regards, Lity"

"The staffs and children were very happy to get these mosquito nets, they told me they used to see them in TV advertising, and now they have them. The children will get lots of benefit from your support! May God Bless You! Huy"

See our Main website - latest news page - for more photographs!

Shelter Box Appeal

2011-03-19T17:35:00.006Z

The Rotary Clubs of Amwell, Hertford, Hertford Shires and Ware joined forces on Saturday March 19th to undertake street collections in both Ware and Hertford to raise funds for ShelterBox. In the aftermath of the recent earthquake in New Zealand and the tsunami that has devastated parts of Japan , a substantial amount of money has been collected and this will all be used to fund the purchase of additional Shelterboxes. Our sincere thanks to the people of both Hertford and Ware who gave so generously.

Starting as the brainchild of one Rotarian with the support of his Rotary club in year 2000 – ShelterBox has grown to become the largest Rotary Club project in the 100 year history of the organisation.

Each box supplies an extended family of up to 10 people with a tent and lifesaving equipment to use while they are displaced or homeless. The contents are tailored depending on the nature and location of the disaster, with great care taken sourcing every item to ensure it is robust enough to be of lasting value.

Highly trained ShelterBox Response Teams distribute boxes on the ground, working closely with local organisations, international aid agencies and Rotary clubs worldwide.

Alex Klais - Ambassadorial Scholar

2011-03-08T14:40:00.000Z

We were delighted to welcome Alex Klais to our meeting on Monday February 28th. Sponsored by the Rotary Club of Windsor, Ontario, Alex is studying at the University of Hertfordshire.

Alex is pictured below exchanging Rotary Club banners with Club President George Wallace.

You can find out more about the Ambassadorial Scholars programme of the Rotary Foundation on our main web site which is linked at the top of this page.

White Water Duck Race - September 4th 2011

2011-02-20T22:39:00.003Z

For the past thirty years, Amwell Rotary Club has been involved in raising money for numerous local and national charities. With the advent of the Olympic Games in London next year we are hoping to raise a substantial sum of money to be distributed to charities.

We plan to race 2000 plastic ducks down the Olympic White Water Slalom Course, recently opened at Waltham Abbey in Hertfordshire.

Batches of 250 tickets will be offered to charities at £1 each for sale at £2 each.

We are at an advanced stage in planning this event, which will be held on Sunday 4th September 2011. All necessary permissions have been obtained from the White Water Centre and the Regional Park Authority.

We now wish to proceed with selling the tickets to interested charities and would be delighted to discuss this further. Please see our main site for contact details.

Paul Haris Fellowship Award

2011-01-12T12:20:00.002Z

At our first meeting of the year, held on Monday, January 10th, Amwell Rotary Club Member Maurice Powell was presented with a Paul Harris Fellowship in recognition of his tremendous service to Rotary. One of the founder members of Amwell Rotary Club. Maurice has served as Club Almoner for several years, keeping an eye on the general wellbeing of the club and it members and doing much to promote the "Family of Rotary".

Maurice is pictured below receiving his award from Club President George Wallace.

You can find out more about the Paul Harris Fellowship on our main web site which is linked at the top of this page.

Annual Carol Service at Haileybury College

2010-12-23T11:42:00.003Z

The annual Rotary Christmas Carol Service at Haileybury Chapel took place on December 15th with a good attendance from the five local Rotary Clubs. As in previous years the choir, recruited by Vic Knowles and led by Meirion Morris from the chancel steps, were in fine voice with organist Alex Norris providing really strong support for the singing from the chapel's mighty Klais Organ. We were also delighted to welcome back Eleanor Lovegrove as our trumpet soloist.

Each of the readers coped well with the acoustics and the brief address from Chris Briggs, the Chaplain at Haileybury, captured the attention and gave the congregation an encouraging, seasonal thought.

A retiring collection raised £300.00 for the RNIB and a local representative from the organization spoke briefly in the Atlee room after the service where mince pies and wine were served.

Once again our sincere thanks to Chris Briggs as well as to Alex and Eleanor.

Pictured below are Amwell Rotary Club President George Wallace and the representative from the RNIB.

Santa Spotted in Bengeo

2010-12-15T16:46:00.000Z

Santa joined members of Amwell Rotary and Inner Wheel to visit Bengeo on Tuesday evening. A huge thank you to everyone who came out to see him and who contributed so generously

He will be out again this coming Thursday evening, touring the Foxholes estate in Hertford. On Friday he will be at Tesco in Ware from 10:00 am through to 7:00 pm and on Saturday you can see him at Sainsbury's in Hoddesdon.

With very best wishes for a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy, Peacful & Prosperous New Year.

Club President 2012 - 2013

2010-12-06T22:49:00.001Z

At our Annual Special General Meeting held on December 6th, long serving club member Stephen Lowe was confirmed as Vice President - to serve as Club President for the Rotary year 2012 to 2013.

Pictured below are current Club President George Wallace and Stephen. Congratulations Stephen!

Ware Dickensian Evening 2010

2010-12-04T13:23:00.001Z

Despite it being a bitterly cold winter evening, the crowds still turned out in force to say hello to Santa as he visited Ware on Friday December 3rd to see his friends from Amwell Rotary Club. A choir of club members, Inner Wheel Members and friends sang Christmas carols by his sleigh while children queued to say hello or to have their photos taken.

Amwell Rotary Club also ran a tombola stall and sold hot soup and delicious roast chestnuts and hope to have raised a significant amount for local charities and other good causes.

Our sincere thanks to everyone who came along, to everyone who contributed items for the tombola and especially to our friends from The Roebuck Hotel who ran the hot soup stall as well as to our photography team of Kevin and Chris.

You can see more pictures on our main club web site as well as find details of when and where Santa's Sleigh will be visiting.

The Ware Fireworks Display

2010-11-08T23:01:00.000Z

A huge thank you to everyone who came along to the Ware Fireworks Display on Saturday November 6th!

The bonfire was huge and the Disney themed fireworks display was absolutely spectacular. All of the monies raised with go to good causes supported by the 3 Rotary Clubs that meet in Ware: Amwell, Hertford Shires and Ware.

A huge thank you as well to our event sponsors, GlaxoSmithKline and Moffatt Saunders.

Don't forget to keep hold of your lucky number flyers as one lucky person will win a free overnight stay for two donated by the Marriot Hanbury Manor Hotel. The lucky number will be published on Friday November 12th at the Neelakash Restaurant of 3 Amwell End, Ware.

There are more details of the event on our main web site

Focus on The Crocus

2010-10-23T00:13:00.000+01:00

What is Focus on the Crocus all about? Rotary in Great Britain and Ireland (RIBI) is working with The Eden Project, the International Flower Bulb Centre (IBC), the National Trust and Learning through Landscapes to plant purple crocus bulbs from the beginning of October so they will be in flower for Rotary Day – 23 February 2011.

These Purple Flowers represent the colour of ink dabbed on a child’s little finger to indicate they have been immunised against polio. Rotary clubs across RIBI have been contacting their local schools, residential homes, local councils and other community organisations to ask them to identify suitable sites which have now been planted with swathes of purple crocus bulbs – as a reminder of the essential need to continue the fight to eradicate polio from our world.

Picture below are Amwell Rotarians planting just some of the 5000 bulbs they distributed. These ones are on the main road into Ware from the A10 - close to Wodson Park.

Isabel Hospice

2010-10-19T14:10:00.000+01:00

Following on from last year's hugely successful event, the second Tour d' Amwell sponsored cycle ride took place on Sunday August 8th 2010. More than thirty cyclists completed a 20 mile sponsored bike ride through the Hertfordshire Countryside. Setting off from the village hall at Great Amwell at 2:00 pm, their route took them through various villages and fords before they returned, just over two hours later for refreshing drinks and a buffet.

This event raised over £5,000.00 for Isabel Hospice and we were delighted to welcome Helen Dodd, Director of Hospice Care Services for the hospice, to our meeting on October 18th when President George Wallace was able to present her with a cheque from the club.

Pictured below are President George and Helen. You can also visit our main web site for photos from the event.

District Governor Amanda Watkin

2010-10-05T07:15:00.000+01:00

We were delighted to welcome our 2010 - 2011 District Governor Amanda Watkin to our weekly meeting on October 4th.

A member of Hitchin Tilehouse Rotary Club, Amanda spoke briefly on how she sees Rotary developing to meet the challenges that lie ahead before opening the floor for questions and debate. An excellent meeting and well done to Amanda who has now visited 44 out of the 50 Rotary Clubs in the District since becoming District Governor on July 1st this year.

Pictured below are DG Amanda and Club President George Wallace as they exchange Rotary Banners.

Ware Fireworks Display 2010

2010-10-03T23:49:00.001+01:00

The 2010 Ware Fireworks Display will take place on Saturday 6th November in its usual venue on the corner of High Oak Road and Kingsway. It will be organised once again by the 3 Rotary Clubs that meet in Ware – Ware, Amwell and Hertford Shires.

This very popular event, now in its 39th year, attracts several thousand people from the local area who come to enjoy a traditional bonfire accompanied by a spectacular display of fireworks. Careful planning and plenty of marshals help to ensure that everyone, young and old alike, can have a safe and enjoyable evening.

Click HERE for more details on the Ware Fireworks web site.

Bowls Group End of Season Tournament

2010-10-03T23:42:00.000+01:00

The Annual Bowls Group Dinner was held at The Salisbury Hotel in Hertford on the 29th Sept when the league winners trophy was presented to Mike Carter by Club President George Wallace.

The end of season domestic tournament was held on the following day.

Pictured below are some of the members of the Bowls Group enjoying the matches.

The 2nd Tour d'Amwell Sponsored Cycle Ride

2010-08-08T20:17:00.000+01:00

Following on from last year's hugely succesful, inaugral event, over 30 cyclists set out from Great Amwell Vilaage Hall on the afternoon of Sunday August 8th to cycle either the 20 mile or the 30 mile course through the wonderful Hertfordshire countryside

All of the riders were sponsored and all proceeds, as well as any profits from the buffett meal served afterwards, will go to Isabel Hospice to help fund the remarkable mwork that they do.

Pictured below is Club President George with some of the Cyclists. You can see more photos from the event on our main website which is linked at the top right of the page.

Presidents Welcome Dinner

2010-07-28T10:44:00.001+01:00

In recent years it has become a club tradition for the Past Presidents to join with the new President for a dinner to wish him or her well for the coming Rotary Year. The Rotary Year commences on July 1st and the event is usually held later that month. This year's meal was held at The Salisbury Hotel in Hertford on July 27th and an excellent time was had by all.

Pictured below are past Presidents Tony Freeland, Mike Fagan and Vic Knowles with current Club President George Wallace.

Ware Lend a Hand Day

2010-07-28T10:15:00.000+01:00

On Saturday July 24th, Rotarians and partners from the Rotary Clubs of Amwell, Hertford Shires and Ware once again joined forces for a day to offer free help and assistance with various household and garden maintenance tasks to many elderly and disabled residents of Ware.

The 27th Annual Great Ware Duck Race

2010-07-18T21:48:00.002+01:00

The 2010 Great Ware Duck Race was held on Sunday July 18th at Ware Lock.

After a fast start the race setlled into a close fought, tactical battle with the leading competitors all looking for the advantage - and a push.

Two of the winning duck owners were actually present at this year's event to see their ducks cross the line! Bethany Mathews (2nd Prize) and Macey Jenkins (1st Prize) are pictured below with Club President George Wallace.

A full list of winning numbers can be found on our main website which is linked at the top of this page.

Once again THANK YOU to everyone who bought a ticket or who came along and supported us. Over the past 27 years, this event has raised substantial sums for local, Rotary supported charities.

Presidents Handover

2010-07-07T07:40:00.002+01:00

At our meeting on Monday July 5th, outgoing Club President Vernon Benjafield passed the President's Chain of Office to incoming Club President George Wallace. George then passed on the President Elect's chain of office to Roger Williams.

Vernon thanked the Club for the tremendous support he had received over the past 12 months and wished George and Roger very best wishes for the coming Rotary year.

Amwell Rotary Club wins Best Email Bulletin Award!

2010-07-07T07:37:00.001+01:00

At the District Induction Dinner held on July 1st, Amwell Rotary Club were delighted to be awarded the trophy for "Best Email Bulletin in District."

Congratulations and Well Done to our Communication Committee Chairman and Bulletin Editor Graham Klinkert.

Pictured below are Graham and 2009 - 2010 President Vernon with the District Shield.

Schools Technology Tournament 2010

2010-06-22T20:41:00.003+01:00

Amwell Rotary Club joined with colleagues from the four other local Rotary Clubs to provide stewards and judges for the 2010 Schools tecnology tournament held at Broxbourne Civic Hall on June 22nd 2010. Organised by the Rotary Club of Hoddesdon, this annual event challenges teams of 4 school children to design and build a device capable of performing a basic task as set out in the brief using only the materials provided. This year the basic challenge was to build a flashing, illuminated sign.

The teams came up with some very clever designs and it was a hard job to decide the winners. However, after testing the devices the winning teams were

Basic Challenge - Chauncy School (Ware)

Intermediate - The John Warner School (Hoddesdon)

Advanced - The John Warner School (Hoddesdon)

Below, you can see the three winning teams.

Kids Out Day 2010

2010-06-12T17:58:00.002+01:00

Many thousands of disadvantaged and special needs children enjoyed a fantastic day out as they joined in the fun of the 21st annual Rotary Kids Out Day, organised by Rotarians from hundreds of clubs across Great Britain and Ireland and held on Wednesday June 9th 2010.

Amwell Rotarians joined forces with colleagues from the other Rotary Clubs in District 1260 to take some six hundred children to Whipsnade Zoo in Bedfordshire.

Pictured below is the Safari Express about to leave on its trip around the zoo.

The National President of RIBI

2010-06-07T23:32:00.003+01:00

We were delighted to welcome David Fowler, the National President of Rotary International Great Britain and Ireland to our meeting on June 7th.

David shared with Amwell Rotarians and visitors from both the Ware and the Hertford Shires Clubs just a few of his experiences during his year in office in a short but inspiring address that reminded us all of the power of one good idea and just how huge that idea can become when Rotarians join forces to make it happen. We were also very pleased to welcome back District Governor Sandy Aked Walker and David Aked Walker, members of the Rotary Club of Newport Pagnell.

Pictured below are Club Presidents Denise and Vernon with RIBI President David.

Rotary District 1260 Annual Conference 2010

2010-05-23T23:05:00.002+01:00

This year's Rotary District 1260 Conference was held in the stunning town of Bath from the 21st to the 23rd of May. A dozen Amwell Rotarians and partners attended and had an enjoyable weekend celebrating Rotary and it's achievements.

Pictured below are Amwell Club president Vernon Benjafield with Past District Governor Derek and Kay Adams at the gala dinner held on the Friday evening.

The Inbound 2010 GSE Team

2010-05-23T22:59:00.005+01:00

The 2010 inbound Group Study Exchange team from District 3230 in India are currently two weeks into their stay here. During their first week in the UK, team leader Vijay and his team members were hosted by Amwell Rotary Club members. Unfortunately, their busy schedule meant that they were unable to come along to one of our meetings so a social evening was arranged instead at which we were able to meet with them all. Many thanks to Martin and Karin for inviting us to their home.

Enjoy the rest of your stay - it's been a true pleasure to have met you all!

The two photos below show the team with their hosts and Amwell Club President Vernon receiving a Rotary Club of Madras banner.

Ambassadorial Scholars

2010-05-19T21:03:00.004+01:00

We were delighted to welcome two of the four Rotary Ambassadorial Scholars currently being hosted in District 1260 to our meeting on Monday May 17th.

Olga and Katrina each gave a brief presentation outlining a little about themslves and their backgrounds before telling us more of what they hope to achieve in their future careers and how their Rotary Scholarships are helping them to develop and further those plans. It was a true priviledge to meet these two remarkable young women who we are sure will go on to achieve great things.

Pictured below are Past District Governor John Hopkins with Olga and Amwell Club President Vernon Benjafield with Katrina

You can read more about the Rotary Foundation and it's projects on our main website.

Amwell Rotary Bowls Group Annual Tournament

2010-05-02T14:57:00.001+01:00

The Amwell Rotary Club Bowls Group held their annual tournament at Cheshunt Indoor Bowls Club on Friday April 30th. Club President Vernon joined them for lunch and to present the prizes. First place went to Ken Edmonds who beat Vic Knowles in the final match of the day.

Pictured below are Ken and Vernon with the Rose Bowl Trophy.

Royal Tunbridge Wells

2010-04-29T00:41:00.004+01:00

A party of 50 Rotarians, Inner Wheel Members and partners enjoyed a three days of fun and fellowship in Kent at the end of April 2010

Staying at the excellent Spa Hotel in Royal Tunbridge Wells, we were able to enjoy a visit to Sir Winston Churchill's former home at Chartwell, the tulip festival at Pashley Manor Gardens, a wine tasting at the Chapel Down Vinery and a visit to Finchcocks Musical Museum - complete with a recital by the proprietor, Richard Burnett. A black tie dinner on Monday 26th rounded off the trip.

Many thanks to Alan Phelps for all of the hard work and planning that made everything so enjoyable.

Pictured below are Club President Vernon Benjafield and this year's Amwell Inner Wheel President June Rowland.

Stroke Awareness Day

2010-04-29T00:34:00.002+01:00

Amwell Rotarians joined forces with colleagues from both the Ware and the Hertford Shires Rotary Clubs to offer free blood pressure checks to the general public on Saturday April 24th.

Over 200 people took advantage of the offer and we would like to thank the health professionals who carried out the checks as well as Jamieson Hill for the use of their offices in Ware High Street.

Isabel Hospice

2010-03-27T23:10:00.003Z

A group of Amwell Rotary Club members visited Isabel Hospice earlier this year to see the facilities for ourselves and to get an idea of the work that they do for the local community. It was a thoroughly worthwhile trip and we all left feeling that our donations over the past few years have definitely been put to excellent use.

Pictured below is Club President Vernon presenting a cheque for the proceeds from the retiring collection taken at the Christmas Carol Service held at Haileybury Chapel last Christmas.

Over a million newspapers a day ...

2010-03-13T18:55:00.002Z

A series of vocational tours of the Newsprint International works by the M25 - A10 junction has given members a priviledged insight into the amazing technology that produces many of our daily newspapers.

Pictured below is the ink room.

And, talking of ink, don't forget that you can purchase your Printer Ink Cartridges via Amwell Rotary Club and help our Club Charity Account!

We can directly order compatible replacement printer cartridges for any consumer computer printer from the largest manufacture in the UK.

The Annual Golf Competition

2010-03-08T23:09:00.003Z

This year's Amwell Golf Competition reached its thrilling climax on Monday March 8th. Club Secretary Andrew Willson managed to retain the trophy with Colin Straker taking second place.

Pictured below is Club President Vernon presenting Andrew with the Rose Bowl Trophy at that evening's Club meeting.

The Extraordinary Quiz of The Year

2010-02-21T11:15:00.003Z

A big thank you to everyone who came along and supported our Extraordinary Quiz of The Year at Wodson Park on Friday 19th of February. It was an excellent evening and we are sure that the winning table will enjoy their prize of a meal at the recently opened Bluecoats Restaurant in Hertford.

Held to mark Rotary Day on February 23rd, the questions were loosely themed around various aspects of Rotary - although you certainly didn't need to be a Rotarian to know the answers!

The Rotary District 1260 Quiz

2010-01-24T20:40:00.002Z

This annual event, usually held at Wheathampstead, attracts entries from a large number of the Rotary Clubs within the District.

In recent years Amwell have entered two teams of four and we were delighted when Amwell One managed a very creditable third place in the 2010 competition.

Pictured below are the team members receiving their runner up prizes.

Cheque Presentation to Herts Aid

2010-01-20T07:09:00.003Z

Rotarians from the three Rotary Clubs that meet in Ware (Ware, Hertford Shires and Amwell ) joined together at Amwell Rotary Club's meeting on Monday January 18th to present Suzanne Bannister of local Charity Herts Aid with a cheque for £2010.00. This money was part of the of the proceeds from last November's Ware Fireworks display.

We were delighted also to welcome Gary Matthews, Editor of the Mercury Newspaper and Ceri Langford, Managing Director of Moffatt Saunders as guests at this meeting. Along with GlaxoSmithKline, the major sponsors of the event, both the Mercury and Moffatt Saunders provided sponsorship and support for the Ware Fireworks for which we are very grateful.

Pictured above are Gary Matthews - Editor of the Mercury Newspaper, Denise Newman – President of Ware Rotary Club, Suzanne Bannister – Herts Aid, Vernon Benjafield – President of Amwell Rotary Club, Bob Frost – President of Hertford Shires Rotary Club and Ceri Langford Managing Director of Moffatt Saunders

The District 1260 2010 GSE Team

2010-01-11T23:26:00.004Z

We were delighted to welcome the 2010 GSE team members to our meeting on January 11th 2010. Due to fly out to Chenai, India on January 20th, the four team members and their team leader, Amwell Rotary Club member Paul Manning, were able to run through their presentations and gain some valuable feed back before their departure.

They will be making postings to an online Blog during their trip - you can follow it here:-

http://www.rotary1260gse2010.blogspot.com/

as well as find out a bit more about the Rotary Group Study Exchange Programme.

Pictured below are Paul Manning and the team members.

Christmas at Isabel Hospice

2009-12-08T22:15:00.001Z

As in previous years, Amwell Rotary Club are delighted to have presented a festive Christmas tree to the Day Care Centre at Isabel Hospice.

Beautifully decorated by the hospice staff and volunteers it looks splendid as it stands in reception.

Ware Dickensian Evening - December 4th 2009

2009-12-05T12:41:00.002Z

On a crisp winter evening the crowds turned out in force to say hello to Santa as he visited Ware to see his friends from Amwell Rotary Club. A choir of club members, wives and friends sang Christmas carols by his sleigh while children queued to say hello or to have their photos taken.

Amwell Rotary Club also ran a tombola stall and sold hot soup as well as delicious goodies from the chocolate fountain and hope to have raised a significant amount for local charities and other good causes.

Our sincere thanks to everyone who came along, to everyone who contributed items for the tombola and especially to our friends from The Roebuck Hotel who ran the chocolate fountain as well as to our photography team.

Thank you – and best wishes from all at Amwell Rotary Club for a Merry Christmas and a Happy and Prosperous New Year.

Xmas Carol Service at Haileybury

2009-12-02T21:55:00.001Z

Wednesday 16th December 2009 - 7.45 pm for an 8:00 pm start

All are welcome to attend this service of readings and Christmas Carols in the beautiful setting of Haileybury College Chapel, Hertford Heath.

Retiring collection in aid of Isabel Hospice.

All welcome.

Mince pies and wine are available in the Attlee room afterwards, £5 per head.

Organised by the Rotary Club of Amwell.

Lucky Number 3672

2009-11-15T10:19:00.000Z

Does this match the number on the flyer given to you at the Ware Firework Extraganza? If so, you gave won a free overnight stay for two in the luxury Marriott Hanbury Manor Hotel!

Call 01992 526640 to claim your prize

Visit by the 2009 Group Study Exchange Team

2009-10-29T11:50:00.004Z

For our meeting on October 26th we were joined by Rtn Roger Sharpe from the Rotary Club of Dunstable and the four members of the 2009 Group Study Exchange Team who visited Indiana in April.

Team Leader Roger introduced Charles, Atalie, Mark and Emma who each spoke for just a few minutes on their experiences and what the exchange had taught them, as well as how it would help them in their repective vocations.

It was an excellent evening and our thanks are due to Roger and his team, four fine ambassadors for their sponsoring Rotary Clubs.

Charter Member Honoured

2009-10-13T12:50:00.004+01:00

We were delighted to welcome back George Hill to our meeeting on October 12th.

One of the original Charter Members (Founders) of Amwell Rotary Club, George served Rotary as an active member for almost thirty years.

In recognition of his outstanding service George was formally inducted back into Rotary as an Honorary Member of Amwell Rotary Club by Club President Vernon Benjafield

Congratulations George on a thoroughly well deserved honour!

End Polio Now - Rotary Window Display

2009-10-13T12:44:00.005+01:00

To mark Polio Awareness Day on October 24th, Amwell Rotary Club have put up a window display in the former Woolwich Building Society premises in Hertford.

Our thanks to Hertford Tourist Information Centre for all of their help with this.

See our main web site for more details on the $200 Million Challenge to eradicate polio.

Cheque Presentation to Isabel Hospice

2009-09-09T12:32:00.003+01:00

We were also delighted to welcome Helen Dodd, Director of Nursing at Isabel Hospice to our meeting on September 7th.

On behalf of Amwell Rotary Club, Club president Vernon presented Helen with a cheque for £4,300.40. This magnificent sum represented the proceeds from the innaugural Tour d'Amwell sponsored cycle ride.

Visit from District Governor Sandy Aked-Walker

2009-09-09T12:25:00.004+01:00

We were delighted to welcome District Governor Sandy Aked-Walker to our meeting on September 7th

Sandy gave us a brief talk on the Thanks for Life project which will culminate on February 23rd next year, Rotary Day - the 105th Anniversary of the first ever Rotary Club meeting. You can find more details about Rotary Day and a link to the Thanks for Life web site HERE

Latest News from France

2009-08-07T21:13:00.010+01:00

Several of our members are currently enjoying a cycling trip through France. Travelling from Le Havre, along the Seinne, they have already visted some wonderful towns and villages, including one that shares its name with a certain Amwell Rotary Club President!

Many thanks for the photo Gentlemen.

Have a great time and see you all on the 17th when we have a great guest speaker lined up.

The Tour d'Amwell - Sponsored Cycle Ride

2009-08-02T22:36:00.003+01:00

A new event this year, the Tour d'Amwell saw 25 intrepid cyclists complete a sponsored, 20 mile bike ride through the Hertfordshire countryside on Sunday August 2nd. The final figures are still to be confirmed but we look to have raised a substantial amount for Isabel Hospice.

A huge thank you to all of the riders, to everyone who helped on the day, to the Inner Wheel members for their invaluable support and to Rtn Gwyn Marson in particular for all of the hard work he put in to organise this event.

More details and photographs can be viewed on the Club web site.

Duck Race Winners!

2009-07-22T21:25:00.005+01:00

A full list of the winners of this year's Great Ware Duck Race can now be viewed on the Amwell Rotary Club Website - Click HERE to see the list as well as some more photographs from the day.

The 26th Annual Great Ware Duck Race

2009-07-19T21:10:00.003+01:00

The 2009 Duck Race was held on Sunday July 19th.

With a start time of 4.00pm, by ten to four the crowds had gathered, the Mayor of Ware was present in the VIP area, the ducks were champing at the bit and it was all systems go for another thrilling race.

The flag went up, they were under starters orders and then - then the heavens opened! Undeterred, the ducks took to the water like, well, ducks really.

Check our main website for more details and photos!

Sir David Brewer - Lord Lieutenant of London

2009-07-13T23:46:00.002+01:00

It was a great honour to welcome Sir David Brewer to our meeting on July 13th. Lord Mayor of The City of London for 2005 - 2006, Sir David was appointed as Lord Lieutenant of Greater London in 2008.

He gave us a fascinating account of the the role and duties of a Lord Lieutenant in serving as the Queens Representative, as well as explaining some of the history behind the post. Full of humour and anecdotes, it was an excellent after dinner talk and we thank Sir David for taking the time to come along and join us.

President's handover - July 6th 2009

2009-07-08T09:54:00.003+01:00

We were delighted to welcome friends from the Hertford, Hertford Shires and Ware Rotary Clubs as well as from both the Amwell and Hertford Inner Wheel Clubs to our President's Handover meeting on July 6th.

Outgoing President Eddy Rowland reflected on a great year of Rotary service, fellowship and fun before passing on the President's chain of office to Vernon Benjafield, President Vernon thanked Eddy for his sound leadership of the club before presenting him with his Past Presidents jewel. He then passed on the President Elect's jewel to George Wallace and presented June Rowland with a bouquet of flowers as a token of our thanks for all of the help and support she gave Eddy during his year in office.

Hoddesdon Rotary Club's Schools Technology Tournament

2009-06-23T20:44:00.004+01:00

Along with colleagues from the Rotary Clubs of Hertford, Hertford Shires and Ware, Amwell Rotary Club sent several members to help judge at Hoddesdon Rotary Club's annual Schools Technology Tournament.

28 Teams from 9 local schools took part in this, the 14th annual challenge. It was a great day and all of the teams came up with some great ideas, some innovative solutions and some impressive, rubber band powered satellite launchers. They also had a lot of fun!

The winners were :-

Basic Challenge - Hailey Hall School (Team One)

Intermediate Challenge - Chauncy School (Team Two)

Advanced Challenge - St Edmunds College (Team Four)

A special award for best runners up was presented to the Richard Hale School, Team Three.

The International Fellowship of Yachting Rotarians

2009-06-17T09:43:00.003+01:00

There was a nautical flavour to our meeting on June 15th when we were delighted to welcome Rtn Bryan Skinner from Hertford Rotary club as a guest. Bryan is the present International Fleet Commodore of the Fellowship and he was accompanied by the current Vice Commodore and the Rear Commodore as well as by a past Commodore. This is believed to be the first time ever in the history of the fellowship that all three current International Commodores have attended the same scheduled meeting of a Rotary Club.

For more details on the IYFR click HERE for a link to their website.

ShelterBox

2009-06-13T20:14:00.003+01:00

The Rotary Clubs of Amwell and Hertford joined forces at Hertford on Saturday June 13th to publicise the work of ShelterBox.

ShelterBox was set up by the Rotary Club of Helston-Lizard and all aid is distributed from their base in Cornwall.

Their solution to disasters is the ShelterBox – a tough, green plastic box containing a 10-person tent and ancillary equipment designed to enable a family of up to 10 people survive for at least six months. Made to a unique design using high quality materials, these tents are suitable for a wide range of conditions. Other items may include insulated groundsheets, thermal blankets, a multi-fuel stove, cooking equipment, tools, mosquito nets, water containers etc.

Our sincere thanks to everyone who gave so generously to help us purchase another one of these life saving items.

Kids Out Day - June 10th 2009

2009-06-10T21:34:00.004+01:00

Many thousands of disadvantaged and special needs children enjoyed a fantastic day out as they joined in the fun of the 20th annual Rotary Kids Out Day, organised by Rotarians from hundreds of clubs across Great Britain and Ireland and held on Wednesday June 10th 2009.

Amwell Rotarians joined forces with colleagues from the other Rotary Clubs in District 1260 to take some six hundred children to Whipsnade Zoo in Bedfordshire.

Check our main web site for some general photographs from the day.

Cheque Presentation to HOLD

2009-05-27T21:52:00.004+01:00

We were delighted to be able to present a cheque for £100.00 to the Hoddesdon Organisation for Local Disabled (HOLD) at their May Social on May 27th.

Pictured below are Irene Dinnes of HOLD and Vernon Benjafield, President Elect of Amwell Rotary Club.

Ware Lend a Hand Day

2009-05-23T14:05:00.000+01:00

On Saturday May 16th this year, Rotarians and partners from the Rotary Clubs of Amwell, Hertford Shires and Ware once again joined forces for a day to offer free help and assistance with various household and garden maintenance tasks to many elderly and disabled residents of Ware.

From the central contact point at Farecla Ltd's Broadmead premises, a large number of Rotary volunteers worked hard to make a success of this truly worthwhile community service project.

Our thanks to Farecla Ltd for giving us use of their excellent facilities and to everyone else who helped to make the day go smoothly.

Iain Duncan Smith

2009-05-12T14:12:00.002+01:00

We were delighted to welcome the Rt Hon Iain Duncan Smith to our meeting on Monday May 11th.

Leader of the Conservative Party from 2001 to 2003 and presently M.P. for Chingford and Woodford Green, Iain delivered a pasionate address on the aims and ethos of the Centre for Social Justice, a centre-right think tank which works with small charities in its aim of finding innovative policies for tackling poverty.

Rotary Awareness Day - The Centre, Milton Keynes

2009-05-04T19:55:00.003+01:00

On Monday May 4th, Rotary Clubs from Districts 1260, as well representatives of Inner Wheel and Rotaract and colleagues from Rotary clubs in District 1070 joined forces for the second Rotary Awareness Day.

Held at Middleton Hall in The Centre, Milton Keynes, this event aims to increase general awareness of Rotary International, what it is and what it does, all as part of a fun packed day with plenty of activities for children as well as live music and other entertainment.

A big thank you to everyone who came along - it was a long day but well worth it!

Annual President's Weekend Away

2009-04-28T11:41:00.004+01:00

A party of more than 70 Amwell Rotary Club members and wives have just enjoyed a fantastic three days of fun and fellowship in Buxton, Derbyshire.

Staying at the excellent Palace Hotel, we were able to enjoy a guided tour of this beautiful town in the heart of the Peak District, a trip to see the ETO performance of the Magic Flute at the Buxton Opera House, a vist to Haddon Hall, some serious hill walking and an excellent formal dinner as well as having plenty of time to just relax and unwind.

Many thanks to President Eddy and June for hosting a great trip and to Alan Phelps for all of the hard work and planning that made everything so enjoyable.

More details and photos will be added to our main web site in the coming days but here's one to wet your appetite!

Stroke Awareness Day

2009-04-23T22:47:00.001+01:00

Rotarians from the Amwell, Hertford Shires and Ware clubs joined forces on April 18th to offer free Blood Pressure Checks as part of the national Stroke Awareness Day Initiative.

Our thanks to Jamieson Hill Solicitors for the use of their offices and to the medical professionals who made the day possible.

Tour of The Somme Battlefields

2009-04-04T13:09:00.006+01:00

Early last year, Jim Nicholson gave Amwell Rotary Club a truly fascinating talk on the Somme Battlefields. Following on from that, a group of club members asked him to organise a tour to see the Somme for themselves.

The Tour took place last month and, thanks to Maurice and Ron, we now have an excellent write up and some photographs.

Visit www.amwellrotary.org.uk/fellowship/somme_trip.html for the details!

Visit by Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar

2009-03-29T12:38:00.002+01:00

We were delighted to welcome Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar Yoko Kitamura to our meeting on Monday March 23rd.

Pictured are Amwell Rotary Club President Eddy, Yoko and Rtn Tony Phillips

Boost for Herts Aid

2009-02-27T14:43:00.004Z

The Three Rotary Clubs meeting in Ware provided a boost this week for a charity that is based in the town.

Rotarians from the Rotary Clubs of Amwell and Hertford Shires joined with colleagues from Ware Rotary Club at their lunchtime meeting at the Priory on Wednesday to hand Herts Aid a cheque for £2,010.00, proceeds from last November's fireworks display.

Herts Aid, which is based in Baldock Street, offers support and information to anyone in the county infected or affected by HIV or AIDS. It also offers sex education and health promotion training. Charity manager Suzanne Bannister spoke about the theatre production "It Won't Happen to Me" which spreads the message about HIV and AIDS.

Breakfast with The RIBI President

2009-01-22T09:08:00.005Z

Seven members of Amwell Rotary Club, along with colleagues from Hertford, Hoddesdon and Ware visited the breakfast meeting of the Hertford Shires Rotary Club on Wednesday morning to meet R.I.B.I. President Ian Thomson who was making his official visit to Rotary District 1260.

A member of the Rotary Club of Cheltenham, Ian treated those present to a truly inspiring talk that highlighted the huge range of good works undertaken by Rotary Clubs around the world. It was a great way to start the day, and well worth the early start!

A Huge Thank You!

2009-01-19T12:27:00.006Z

The Rotary Club of Amwell would like to thank all the people who donated to and/or participated in their fund raising activities during the last six months. The main events were the Ware Duck Race, Fireworks Night (in conjunction with Ware and Hertford Shires Rotary Clubs), the annual Carol Service at Haileybury and the Santa’s Sleigh collection around the streets. The Club also donated over 30 shoeboxes containing gifts to the national ‘Shoebox Scheme’ for distribution to families in need.

In total the Club raised over £8000 and donated to date more than £6000 to local and international charities and/or projects. The major donations were:-

Isabel Hospice £1500
Keech Cottage Childrens Hospice £580
Herts Air Ambulance £500
Sightsavers International £400
Polio Eradication Project £500
Bursary for local sportsman £500
Community Hall in Sandton, South Africa £700

Donations were also given to:-

National Arboretum Memorial
British Legion Poppy fund
Harlow and Broxbourne Women’s Aid
Light into Europe charity
Rotary Ophthalmic Initiative
Local Technology Tournament for Schools
Hertford Museum.

Christmas at Isabel Hospice

2008-12-16T15:10:00.006Z

As in previous years, Amwell Rotary Club have presented a festive Christmas Tree to the Day Care Centre at Isabel Hospice. Splendidly decorated by the Hospice Team, it has been much admired by all who have seen it.

Ware Dickensian Evening 2008

2008-12-06T17:55:00.005Z

The 2008 Ware Dickensian Evening was held last night.

This year's event followed the original format, reintroduced last year, with both Amwell End and Ware High Street being closed to traffic so that a large number of stalls and sideshows could be set up.

Despite it being a cold and damp evening, the crowds turned out in force to see Santa and his real live reindeer as they made a stop over in Ware on their way back to the North Pole.

Click on the link at the top right of this page for our main web site and follow the links from "Latest News" for more details and photographs.

Refilwe Community Centre

2008-12-03T14:55:00.003Z

At a centre for the care and education of orphaned young children, often diagnosed with HIV/aids, a community hall has been constructed that will host many activities for the centre's children and an educational resource base for local people.

On November 20th 2008, The Rotary Club of Sandton (South Africa), working in conjunction with the Rotary clubs of Amwell, Hertford Shires and Hertford in England, handed over furniture, a public address and sound system and sporting equipment to the value of R90,000. (Approx £5,800.00) The funds contributed by the four clubs were supplemented by The Rotary Foundation in the form of a Matching Grant.

See our main site for more details and photogrpahs

My Great Grandfather - Winston Churchill

2008-11-18T16:46:00.011Z

We were delighted to welcome large numbers of our colleagues from the Rotary Clubs of Hoddesdon, Ware and Hertford along to our meeting on Monday November 17th to hear an excellent after dinner talk given by Jonathan Sandys.

A Great Grandson of Sir Winston Churchill, Jonathan gave us a fascinating glimpse into the wit and the wisdom of a man many consider to be the greatest Britain to have ever lived.

Some photos from the evening are now on our main website - follw the link at the top of the page