PHOENIX
THE ROTARY CLUB
OF HORBURY AND OSSETT
PHOENIX
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Welcome to the website of |
PHOENIX
THE ROTARY CLUB
OF HORBURY AND OSSETT
PHOENIX
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Welcome to the website of |
Registered Charity
No:1042627
Theme 2012-2013
Horbury Show Website
Rotary Navigation
Walk Website
Emley African Schools
Website
Breakfast Club Starts in 2013
January 2013 saw the start of the ‘KAG’ breakfast club. It had long been a concern of the headteacher, Harrison, and the trustees, that many pupils were arriving at school early in the morning having eaten nothing since the previous day. They generally rise at 4.30 to 5am, have a long journey to school , sometimes walking all the way, and sometimes walking a considerable distance to catch the school bus. They arrive at 7 to 7.30,with the main meal of the day given at 12.30. With an empty stomach ,the difficulty of having enthusiasm for lessons and education cannot be overestimated.
40 pupils who would benefit from breakfast have been identified and are being given a bowl of maize porridge before school starts.
This has been made possible by a donation of £500 from Horbury and Ossett Phoenix Rotary Club, and will fund the club for 1 year. It is to be hoped that this will improve the general wellbeing of the most deprived children and enable them to profit more from the education offered.
If successful, it will be a priority of the trustees to secure funding to enable it to be continued.
The Rotary Club of Horbury & Ossett Phoenix joined forces with the Emley African Education Project to jointly pay for the construction of a toilet block for KAG School.
President Roger Parkinson told fellow Rotarian Jim Donnan that he wanted his overseas project for 2011-12 to be directed at the KAG School in Mzambweni. Jim and his wife Rosemary, who are the founders of the Emley project discussed this with the leaders of the school and it was agreed that a toilet block was desparately needed.
All of the children at school are taught personal hygiene and together with the provision of clean water, the installation of modern toilets is a massive step forward in the continuing struggle to improve personal and family health and well being.
Rosemary and Jim Donnan show us around the new block.
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In 2012/13, the Rotary club of Horbury and Ossett Phoenix, under president Mike Gill, lent further support, and enabled more steps to be taken to improve health and sanitation.
Firstly, piped water was installed to the toilet blocks and to the school for general use, obviating the need for bucketed water from a nearby well, or water collection from the roof. This necessitated the digging of a trench about 300 m long from the main road .Secondly, a large concrete septic tank was built, to which all the toilet facilities have now been connected, a considerable improvement on the ‘pit latrine’ system. Thirdly, the original toilet block has been enlarged and modified to enable it to be for the sole use of teachers and girls.
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At the Wakefield Sports Club's College Grove Sports Ground The Rotary Club of Horbury and Ossett Phoenix distributed £3000 to 13 local sports organisations. Nearly £1500 of the money was raised with a sporting supper at Horbury WMC in November and the balance was made up of a donation from the former Wakefield RFC and from the funds raised at the Horbury Show.
Awards made to individual clubs are listed below and cover many different junior sports activities in the Wakefield, Horbury, Ossett and Netherton Areas.
President Mike Gill said: " We are delighted that Wildcats Coach Richard Agar could come along and make the presentations to the junior clubs who successfully bid for a share of the money that he helped us to raise. As a club we have always supported junior sport and youth activities and this year we have been further inspired by the Olympic games. The £3000 we have handed over today is only part of our commitment this year because in addition we have distributed £1000 to Netherton Youth Club, £250 to the Horbury Breakthrough Project, £300 to the Ossett Brick House project, and funded two Outward Bound courses for 2 Ossett boys at a cost of £920, and a Youth Leadership Award for a Horbury boy at a cost of £450 "
In the past year the Rotary Club has also purchased Christmas Gifts for elderly people, presented Christmas hyacinths to blind and partially blind people, £3500 to Wakefield Hospice, £3500 to Forget Me Not Childrens Hospice, decorated the home of a lady with social difficulties, planted bedding plants in Carr Lodge Park, planted trees with the Woodland Trust in Thornes, organised and ran the Horbury show, and Navigation Walk, ran a Youth Speaks debating competition and a photographic competition for local schools, and collected donations for Marie Curie Daffodil Appeal. Other donations during the last year include: £500 to the Hebden Bridge Flood Appeal, £500 towards refurbishing a hospital in Tanzania, £500 to support a breakfast club at a school in Kenya, £1000 towards a toilet block and water supply to the same school in Kenya and £400 to fund a Disaster Relief box.
Anyone interested in being involved with the activities of The Horbury and Ossett Phoenix Rotary Club should contact the secretary using the "contact us" facility on the top horizontal menu.
Thanks everyone for your generosity in taking part in our Christmas Raffle this year - Click here for the results
This Autumn numerous Community groups are coming together to work on a three week project aimed at improving wildlife habitat whilst creating an added barrier to help keep children away from busy railway lines near Horbury Junction. The partners involved with this initiative include Wakefield Council, Network Rail, Tree Wardens Voluntary Group, The Conservation Volunteers, local schools and of course Horbury and Ossett Phoenix Rotary Club.
After extensive ground preparation works the volunteers will plant over 4000 trees to form a hedgerow of mainly Hawthorn and Blackthorn plus groups of other mixed British native trees.
Roger Parkinson of the Tree Wardens Group (co-ordinating the initiative) said 'this is a tremendous community effort which will provide blossom in the spring to benefit pollinating insects, fruits and seeds in the autumn to help the birds and small mammals, a great improvement for the natural food chain. The 'thorn' hedge will improve safety and create a Green Corridor of local wildlife. It could not have been achieved without the help of our partners, thank you to all those who are taking part'.
By the end of the project over 100 adults will have helped on site including young trainees from The Conservation Volunteers. Over 300 children will have attended from local schools, planted trees and learnt how people and nature benefit from this type of project. Ten members of Horbury and Ossett Phoenix Rotary Club were involved over two days on the early stages of ground preparation and tree planting effectively helping to 'kick-start' the project. We look forward to seeing the result of everyones endeavours as the trees flourish in the springtime!
PRESS RELEASE: Monday 19th November 2012
Olympian Norman Hughes and British Lion Tim Stimpson were the inspirational and entertaining speakers at a Rotary Club Sporting Supper at Horbury Working Mens Club last Thursday evening. The event organised by the Rotary Club of Horbury and Ossett Phoenix was attended by over 130 people and raised nearly £1500 which is to be distributed among individuals, clubs and organisations involved in providing Junior Sports activities in the area.
MC and comedian Malcolm Lord ensured the evening flowed with laughter and encouraged everyone to participate in the fund raising.
Wakefield Olympic torch bearer Karen Townend put in an appearance to the Chariots of Fire theme music and later posed for photos with guests.
Wildcats Coach Richard Agar was very much in the demand during the Question and Answer session towards the end of the evening.
Following the event Rotary Club President Mike Gill said, "We are delighted with the amount raised at the supper and grateful to everyone who supported us. We want to do our bit to encourage the involvement of young people in sport and to support those volunteers who are already involved in coaching and organising such activities. We have therefore decided to double the amount raised with £1500 from our existing charity funds making a grand total of £3000 available."
Many local sports clubs have been contacted and bids have already been received from Slazengers Junior Hockey, and Wakefield Harriers Junior Section. The Wakefield Express can assist us by publishing details in editions covering Horbury, Ossett and surrounding districts where young people from Horbury and Ossett area are involved in sport.
Application forms can be obtained from This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
President Mike said "We are encouraging all clubs to get their applications in by the 7 December so that we may distribute the money as soon as possible"
Olympic bronze medallist Norman Hughes (left)
Olympic Torchbearer Karen Townend, and British Lion Tim Stimpson (right) pictured at the Sporting Supper.
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Supper Fund Raiser Thursday 15th November 7.30pm Horbury Working Mens Club
Press Release:
Olympic Hockey Medallist and former GB Olympic Captain Norman Hughes, and England and British Lions Full back Tim Stimpson will be the main speakers at a Sporting Supper Evening on Thursday 15 November at Horbury Working Mens Club, Cluntergate, Horbury. The evening is being organised by the Rotary Club of Horbury and Ossett Phoenix to raise funds which will be used to support Junior Sporting Activities in the area. Club President Mike Gill said, “Over the last 19 years we have supported many of our local junior hockey, cricket, football teams and youth clubs with the provision of equipment or financial support. The first part of the 2012 Olympic legacy was said to be “harnessing the United Kingdom’s passion for sport to increase grass roots participation, particularly by young people”. Phoenix Rotary Club want to encourage young people to take part in sport and support those many volunteers who work so hard as coaches and organisers of local teams, clubs and individual sports. To that end we are holding the Supper and also promise to match the amount raised from that event with funds we have already raised”.
This will not be a black tie affair; it will be less formal - smart casual, with a single course steak pie meal and an inclusive drink (wine, beer, lager or soft drink), two excellent after dinner speakers, and a first class MC/Comic in the shape of Malcolm Lord. All for a price of £15 with the profits going straight into those grass roots. There will also be a Q and A session with Wildcats Coach Richard Agar and West Riding FA Development Officer Bobby Madley taking part.
Phoenix Rotary Club are keen to support local junior sports activities (although obviously other commitments may restrict that support from time to time). We are hoping to put together a list of all sports clubs in the Ossett, Horbury, Netherton, and Middlestown areas that provide junior teams or facilities. This will include clubs based outside the area but which enable youngsters from within to take part e.g. Wakefield Harriers. Phoenix Rotary club will be pleased to hear from any Junior Sports Teams that wish to be included in our list (and if they would like their details putting on our webpages) and also any who have a particular project that requires some support.
Tickets for the Sporting Supper and applications forms for support are available from Rotarian Roger Parkinson at 01924 277760, or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Rosemary and Jim Donnan chair the Emley African Educational Project which has brought a new school to children in Mzambweni in Kenya. Their efforts over the years has enabled the building of 8 new classrooms, a library, headmasters study and teachers room together with improved cooking and recreational facilities. A new toilet block was installed last year and as a continuance of this President Mike of Phoenix Rotary was pleased to make a donation to Jim and Rosemary for the providing of clean running water and the installation of a septic tank.
Clean water and a good education will together enhance the lives of these young children.
Karen Townend visited Horbury & Ossett Phoenix on a special Ladies Evening organised by club member Mike Robb. Members and guests were surprised by the Chariots of Fire theme tune as Karen entered the room wearing her Olympic Games uniform and carrying the Olympic Torch.
Karen is from a well known Wakefield sporting family and has herself achieved excellence in swimming and netball and is now a keen golfer. Karen has worked in the NHS for many years and is currently a Practice Nurse.
Karen gave a very emotive talk on the lead up to the big day and her experiences as she carried the Olympic Torch through Wakefield towards the Chantry Bridge surrounded by cheering crowds and the well organised Olympic Support Team
Karen will be visiting Phoenix again in November at our Sporting Supper
