Helping the work of the Wolverhampton MS Therapy Centre

Rotary has always recognised the powerful difference which can be made when local people work together -putting service before self – for the benefit of their community.

Over the years members of the City’s Rotary Clubs have translated this into action and have been involved in the foundation and operation of many local charities including the Wolverhampton MS Therapy Centre.

For over 30 years the Centre has been supplying Oxygen Therapy and other Physical and Mindful Therapies for the Wellbeing and Support of those suffering with the physical and psychological effects of both long-term debilitating conditions such as MS and short term traumas. Many of the Centre’s services can only be provided as a result of the assistance of a committed group of trained volunteers.

We greatly appreciate the help which the volunteers from the MS Centre give each year to our Christmas Santa Sleigh and with thanks for their help and in recognition of the Centre’s important work we have, thanks to the generosity of your donations, been able to make a further donation to help its work.

Celebrating Wolverhampton’s Young Musicians

Young people from all over the City will be taking part in the Wolverhampton heat of Rotary’s Young Musician competition on Sunday 4th February with winning entrants getting the chance to compete for a place in April’s national final.

Supported by the City’s four Rotary Clubs the competition offers young people the opportunity to experience performing on a public stage as they showcase their musical talent and receive feedback from experienced adjudicators.

The Wolverhampton heat takes place at 2pm (doors open 1.30pm) on Sunday, February 4th at the Music Hub, Graisley Hill, Wolverhampton WV2 4NE.

The City’s Young Musicians never disappoint and you are all welcome to come along, hear some truly talented performers and to show your support. There’s no need to book – just come along on the day, admission is only £3 payable by programme on the door.

Saluting our Army Cadets

Without the help of the Perton Detachment of the Army Cadet Force Christmas wouldn’t be quite as happy for thousands of children in Wolverhampton.

Each year the Detachment Cadets, their Officers and Adult Instructors devote hundreds of hours to helping our Rotary Santa Sleigh visit children in neighbourhoods around the City – bringing a little bit of extra Christmas magic with it.

A major part of the training for any cadet is citizenship training and through participating in community projects like our annual Santa Sleigh cadets build an understanding of how a community functions and the difference that they can make.

Membership of the Army Cadet Force gives cadets a great opportunity to learn leadership skills, discipline and self-confidence to help equip them for life. You can find out more about joining or volunteering with the Army Cadet Force here – https://armycadets.com/

We’re massively grateful for all of their help and thanks to your support we’ve been able to make a donation to the Detachment to help support their activities through the year.

Supporting The Well Food Bank

Your support for our Christmas and Grand Slam of Darts collections has enabled us to make a further donations to support the work of The Well Food Bank as part of our Club’s ongoing efforts to support local charities and good causes.

The Well is a local Christian based charity that provides food and other essential items to families and single people struggling to buy food and other essentials. Since the project started in 2006, The Well’s volunteers have delivered food and toiletry parcels to over 100,000 people and thanks to your support are delivering food parcels to over 120 homes each week.

Small Grants available for Local Groups

Wolverhampton’s four local Rotary Clubs and the James Beattie Charitable Trust have teamed up to offer small grants to local groups.

We’ve got a fund of £10,000 available to help individuals, Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise groups working in our community to overcome problems arising from deprivation, poverty, disability and lack of opportunity.

We know how small grants can have a big impact, helping individuals and groups through challenging times so we’re offering groups and individuals who are established in their communities the opportunity to apply for grants of between £250 and £500.

Applicants will be expected to demonstrate how a grant would make a difference to the well-being of local people and open up opportunities for them to develop their abilities and skills.

We’ll need to know the number of people who will benefit from the grant and the extent and duration of the impact on them and the community. People benefiting from the grant must have a connection to the Wolverhampton area in terms of living or working in the City, or receiving services from an organisation based there.

Submitting your application:

First download your Application Form here.

Complete and email your application (as a Word attachment) to rotarysmallgrants@gmail.com by no later than 25th January 2024. Please quote CGF23/24 in the subject line followed by the name of your organisation.

What happens next?

You’ll receive an email acknowledging receipt of your application. Your application will then be evaluated by an assessment team, who may need to contact you to ask for further information by email or telephone.

By 15th April you’ll be receive an email from us telling you whether or not your application has been successful – payments to successful applicants will be made very shortly afterwards

Celebrating Wolverhampton’s Young Citizens of the Year

It was a pleasure to welcome Imane Sbihi and Eva Abley – the joint winners of the 2023 Wolverhampton Young Citizens Award in the 13 – 18 age group – to our meeting on Monday.

Imane is an asylum seeker who escaped from Morocco and since settling in Wolverhampton has immersed herself in voluntary work. Eva, who has cerebral palsy uses comedy to inspire others to cope with disability and came fifth in Britain’s Got Talent.

In all ten young Wulfrunians were recognised for their outstanding community service at this year’s Wolverhampton Young Citizens of the Year Rotary Awards Ceremony – Eva Abley, Luis Enache, Harmon Kambo, Gabriella McKenzie, Dirran Mehta, Imane Sbihi, Shawna Gibbs, Karolina Jaks, Chloe Lambert and Alethea Parsons.

The Young Citizen Awards – which were devised by the City’s Rotary Clubs – are now in their tenth year and celebrate young people aged between 13 and 18 and between 19 and 25 who live, study or work within the Wolverhampton boundary and whose personal courage, care for others, achievement or contribution to the community deserves to be recognised.