Sri Lankan FIsherman with Donated Boat

International Committee

Contact David Kemp : International Committee Chairman (2008 - 2009)

Our Club is involved in liaison with the global Rotary network of Clubs (through our District and National and International bodies and by direct contact) to make a difference to those, internationally, who are sometimes in desperate need.

Grants and support are made available for global charities and projects such as disaster relief. In response to 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami £6,500 was raised and paid for initial emergency aid Shelter Boxes. Then two 20ft ocean fishing boats and two 15ft lagoon boats were purchased for Sri Lankans to help rebuild their local businesses. Each boat waas named after one of our Rotarians who died in recent years.
We have twinning ties with Dinant in Belgium and Torsas in Sweden (they visited us in 2005 and Dinant this year) and there are recreational and vocational fellowships for those with a wide range of interests who wish to network with others worldwide. Our international projects include:

• 5000 books collected for Book Aid
• Purchase of a Toggenburg goat for poverty-hit Ugandan farmers as part of the Rotary FARM Africa project
• Ad hoc famine/earthquake relief projects e.g. Gujarat and Sudan
• Tools for self reliance - Hoddesdon people gave a great number of used tools for Third World use
• Spectacle collections for Sightsavers India
• Aquaboxes for emergency relief : stocks held in warehouses for prompt despatch when needed by relief agencies
• Donation to Africa's Hope - to help Rwandan child victims of genocide/AIDS
• £500 to local dentist Simon Lam who volunteers services to the poor in India
• £300 donation to fund two low cost shelters in Bangladesh