Thursday 1 July 2010 saw the start of a new year for the Rotary Club of Horbury and Ossett Phoenix with the installation of new President Michael Bradley. Prior to handing over his chain of office and responsibility for the club retiring President Nick Hunter thanked the club for its hard work over the previous 12 months and reminded members just how many projects, charities and good causes it had supported during the last Rotary year, as follows:

We have supported a number of overseas projects particularly in Mwansa, Tanzania and Kenya. The REMIT project (Rotary eliminating Malaria in Tanzania) was adopted by Jim and the International Committee, with the purchase of 220 Mosquito nets which Jim and others installed in Kenya.  Here we have also funded the digging of another fresh water well to supply clean water to the village of Tiwi, in addition to the continued sponsorship for the education of a number of children at a school in Msembueni.  We purchased sent a Shelterbox to earthquake victims in Haiti funded by our successful Phoenix Nights dance.

Closer to home - we have supported a number of good causes some through established charities for example: Air Ambulance and RNLI, others directly with the individuals concerned.

We have been involved in Community projects, not just fundraising but actively ‘working’ to create a more pleasant environment for the local community.  Last year we worked in the public garden at the side of Horbury Library and created some new flower beds in front of the Mansion House in Carr Lodge Park.  Not forgetting the many hours spent in the walled garden.

We have supported with appropriate funding:

A wheelchair for Homestart; a Hydrotherapy bath; two specialist trikes for twins with severe physical problems;  made donations towards funding a youth worker through Horbury Churches Together; and the Horbury Heritage Trust - who were also recipients of our ‘Good Citizen Award’. We have supported individuals who sought sponsorship for example the ‘Malawi Challenge’.

At Christmas we provided gifts for the elderly and scented hyacinths for the blind.  We collected ‘tools for self reliance’ as well as collecting ‘spectacles’, now starting the ‘Boots for Africa’ fottball boots appeal.  The list goes on with our Community involvement in Stroke

Awareness and Blood pressure testing.

For the Young, we were involved with local schools donating speech day prizes, providing Dictionaries and funded Drugs awareness programmes, more recently a wildlife garden at Netherton Junior and Infant School, and assistance to Middlestown mums to build a play area & ramp in the school grounds.  We supported Kids Out, Rotary Youth Leadership Awards and 6 young people on Outward Bound programmes.  We were actively involved with the Inner 9 Technology tournament and held our own Youth Speaks competition.

Presidential charities - Alzheimer’s & Dementia and C.A.P. (Community Awareness Programme) benefited with £1250.00 being donated to each.

President Nick concluded by saying that much of what we had achieved could not have happened if our fundraising through the Horbury Show, Brass Band Concerts, raffles and the Phoenix Night dance had not been so well supported by the public of Horbury and Ossett.

New President Michael Bradley paid tribute to Nick Hunters hard work during the past year in particular reinvigorating ties with the Rotary District but also by his personal commitment and involvement in many of the projects he had listed. Mike also announced that his charities for the coming year will be WaterAid, the Breakthrough Youth Project in Horbury, and Prostate Cancer Research.

Ends.