​Underprivileged women and girls in a small town in India will be equipped with vital culinary skills thanks to a lasting legacy to Maidenhead Rotary Club member and restaurateur Himanshu Patel.
 
Himanshu, known to everyone as Harry, died from Covid-19 in February 2021, aged just 58. The long-serving Rotarian had run a number of restaurants in Maidenhead, most recently Gourmet Chicken in the town centre.

More than £2,500 was collected in his memory and as a fitting tribute has been used to set up Harry’s Kitchen at the Aarti Home and Women’s Centre in Kadapa, a small mining town in Andhra Pradesh, India.

The charity provides a home and education for orphaned, abandoned and abused children along with running training programmes for women in its community.

A project close to Harry’s heart, Aarti is regularly supported by Maidenhead Rotary Club, and he had met representatives from the charity when they visited Maidenhead several years ago.
 
Following delays caused by the pandemic, Harry’s Kitchen has now been formally inaugurated. 
 
A spokeswoman for the Aarti Home said: “With an aim to provide training to the women in the district, we have started training a batch of 30 women. In addition to training them in culinary skills, we are training them in various other livelihood skills like garment designing, basic computer skills, language skills, both local and English, starting a plant nursery, organic compost making, and housekeeping. 
 
“By imparting these skills, these women will be able to become micro-entrepreneurs or can seek jobs in the respective fields.”
 
In addition, part of the half-acre site around Harry’s Kitchen has become ‘Harry’s Garden’, growing organic vegetables for the kitchen and to support nutrition and education about sustainability. 


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A charity that supports people with dementia and their carers has been given a £7,500 boost by Maidenhead Rotary Club.

The money was presented to David Jannetta, founder and chairman of Alzheimers Dementia Support (ADS), when he was the guest speaker at the club on Monday (November 13).
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It was raised by club member Rotarian Yvonne Johnsson-Mullin through car boot sales and hosting summer charity lunches in her garden.
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Mr Jannetta told the club dementia is not a disease just experienced by old people.  It affects

​many who are only in their forties and fifties.  The youngest person who has been diagnosed with the illness is a three-year-old.

​He started the ADS charity 13 years ago and has helped thousands of sufferers and their carers over the years. It covers Windsor, Ascot, Maidenhead, Slough and Langley and last year offered help to 7,000 people.

There are nearly a million people living with dementia in England, but it touches twice that number if their careers are included.

Unfortunately, reliable medication is still some time off. So in the meantime David and his team, with the help of 100 volunteers, are working hard to help sufferers and their families in the area. 

Popular activities are singing and dancing, sitting exercises, tea parties, picnics and general outings including visits to Buckingham Palace.
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Mr Jannetta said: “Thanks to the Rotarians on behalf of everyone at ADS for the extremely generous donation of £7,500. This is very much appreciated and every penny will be fully utilised on the delivery of our services.”

On Saturday 28th October, Rotary in Maidenhead organised a co-ordinated planting of purple crocus corms by our three clubs across various prominent sites in Maidenhead.   

Rotary has been at the forefront of a campaign to eradicate polio and planting crocus corms is part of the 'Purple for Polio' campaign which is to draw attention to the ongoing polio vaccination efforts around the globe. Purple represents the colour each child receives on their finger to indicate they have been vaccinated.

Our Club agreed to plant the corms at the Rotary sign on the Bath Road at Thicket Corner, and by the Rotary polio sign next to the steps at Maidenhead library. 

Foundation Chair Sean Egan was happy with the results. He said “I’m immensely grateful to Frank Knowles, Pat Moore, Cathie Lodge, Pat Lattimer, Matthew Burdett and his daughter Isabella, for volunteering to help plant the 4,000 corms! As they say: ‘Many hands make light work’, and the glorious October sunshine and soft ground made the occasion really pleasant.  

“We hope that we’ll see a fantastic display of purple crocuses next Spring, and remind the public of Rotary’s ongoing efforts to eradicate polio.”

A charity golf day organised by Maidenhead Rotary Club has raised an estimated £5,500 for good causes.

The event, held at Maidenhead Golf Club in Shoppenhangers Road, on Wednesday last week (September 13), saw 17 teams of four battling it out for three team prizes, plus competition holes for nearest the pin and a putting competition.

The overall winning team was The Mavericks captained by Eric Rolfe, with Jan Robinson, and Dale and Vaughan Mizon, who scored 96 points.

Half-way around the course competitors stopped for refreshments provided by Rotarians and other friends of the club.

​The day of golf on the course was followed by dinner in the evening at the clubhouse attended by 97 people during which a ‘heads and tails' competition raised £410 and an auction of prizes which raised another £1,551.
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The event was organised by a committee made up of Eileen Clarke, Janet Perry, Julia Foulds and Sue Dutton.

Committee chairman Eddie Clarke said: “We have been running the Golf Day since 2007 and with 68 golfers in 17 teams this was the largest field we have had. 

"The weather was kind and all had a great day. We are delighted with an overall total of £5,500, which is a fantastic amount to have raised.”

The start of this year’s Maidenhead Rotary Club President’s lunch was slightly delayed so members could watch the thrilling Women’s World Cup Final.

But the Lionesses disappointing defeat didn’t dampen spirits at the event, as more than 40 members, their partners, friends and family enjoyed pre-lunch drinks in the gardens at Stirrups Hotel, in Maidens Green, followed by a traditional Sunday roast.

The event, hosted by this year’s President John Hudson and his wife Linda, is a great opportunity to enjoy fellowship and build friendships, two of the key pillars of being a Rotarian.
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President John made a humorous speech, telling members that after 10 years in the club it was probably about time he served as president, and he hoped members would enjoy his year at the helm.

​Thanking Linda for her support and encouragement he said: “I will be giving my very best efforts to fulfilling this challenging role.

“It is both an honour and a privilege to be serving you as your President for the coming Rotary year. Looking at the illustrious names of the past Presidents on the chain of office this will clearly be a challenge, with a lot to live up to. 

“Currently the name bars only go back to 1980. However, Mike Holness has in his garage every name bar going back to the founding of our club in 1926, which is all rather humbling.”

President John paid special tribute to Rotarian Tony Lodge, who had organised this year’s lunch. He thanked Tony, who has just stepped down as the club’s social events secretary after 17 years, for all of his hard work.
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He concluded: “I very much look forward to the challenges of serving as your President for the year ahead.”  

Maidenhead Rotary Club has been awarded a Bronze Partner Club certificate in recognition of its support for the Rotary disaster relief charity ShelterBox.
 
ShelterBox specialises in providing vital assistance in the immediate aftermath of natural disasters by flying in specialist containers packed with emergency equipment to aid families who have lost their homes, including tents and shelter kits with stoves, thermal blankets and clothing – everything people will need to survive.

Over the last year Maidenhead Rotary Club has donated a total of £3,909 to the charity which has paid for shelterboxes to be sent to help people suffering from disasters and humanitarian crises across the world. These have included victims of the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria, and previously the huge explosion in Beirut and the famine in Yemen. 
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​The Partner Clubs scheme is a new initiative by ShelterBox to say thank you and recognise the support from Rotary Clubs across the country.
 
Shelterbox spokesman John Cleverley said: “As a celebration of your club’s activities in the past Rotary year, I wanted to offer my thanks on behalf of ShelterBox for the amazing fundraising that you have carried out with your community and as a club.
 
“We have been bowled over by the support from clubs fundraising in response to the terrible earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria in February. 
 
“Your continued support of our vital work ensures no-one is left without shelter after disaster. It’s only thanks to generous individuals and clubs such as yourselves that we can make the necessary commitment to supporting communities as they recover and rebuild their lives.”

​Maidenhead Rotary Club President John Hudson has presented a donation of £1,000 to Maidenhead Foodshare to help fund its Schools Out programme. The initiative provides struggling families with extra food to make up for the loss of school meals during the holidays – a situation made even worse by the cost of living crisis. 
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The money was raised at this year’s Open Gardens Weekend run by the Rotary Club in June that saw hundreds of people visit more than 20 gardens which had opened their gates to the public in aid of charity.

​The donation follows a previous contribution of £2,200 to Foodshare from the club.

​President John visited Foodshare’s base of operation in the former Tesco store in the Nicholsons Centre to hand over the donation to manager Debbie Gee and volunteer Eddie Clarke, who is also a Rotarian.

​Foodshare is one of the biggest independent foodbanks in the country. It helps hundreds of individuals and families each week with a range of services including distributing food and providing meals for the homeless and vulnerable.

Debbie said: “This donation is most valuable and adds to the previous donations from Maidenhead Rotary club. The money will go towards supporting the Schools Out programme, which Foodshare has set up to provide extra food for schoolchildren during the summer holidays.”

President John added: “Foodshare fulfils a very useful function in Maidenhead, by providing a wide range of foodstuffs for families and individuals in our town struggling in the cost of living crisis.
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“The Rotary Club of Maidenhead sees FoodShare as a very valuable asset to our community, and we are pleased to make this donation to assist them with their activities.”

​Members of Maidenhead Rotary Club welcomed a pair of visiting Rotarians from India to their latest meeting.
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Husband and wife Ashok and Neena Vasudeva are members of the Rotary Club of Delhi Qutab, India, and are visiting their son who lives in Maidenhead.

​As part of a worldwide humanitarian organisation with more than 1.2 million members that promotes friendship and fellowship, Rotarians are able to visit clubs wherever they may be in the world, and always be assured of a warm welcome.

Club president John Hudson said: “We were delighted to have two visiting Rotarians today from India. They will be in Maidenhead for a couple of months and would like to come to more meetings, which of course we readily agreed!”

Also at the meeting a cheque for £500 was donated to the Alzheimer’s Dementia Support (ADS) charity from funds raised at the recent Rotary Open Gardens Weekend.

While Covid-19 prevented new club President John Hudson from outlining his plans for the year ahead at the official handover meeting, he was able to make his incoming president’s address at a zoom meeting of the club council a couple of days later.
 
His speech is reproduced in full below:
 
“As incoming President, I’d like to briefly outline some of the ideas and projects I have in mind for the year ahead.
 
“It has been agreed by the four incoming presidents in Maidenhead that we will re-instate the Presidents’ Quarterly Meetings, the first of which will be held in August. The intention is to build on the existing co-operation and contact between all four clubs, and to present a ‘Rotary in Maidenhead’ image to the public.
 
“Via Club Council I would like to undertake a review of some of our club’s procedures and policies which may have remained unchanged for many years. If a simpler or more straightforward way can be found to do something, I think we should at least try it out.
 
“At the President Elect’s training course I went to in March, we were encouraged to engage our clubs more with local community groups. I am therefore planning to approach the Maidenhead Sikh Temple, the Mosque, and the Synagogue, both in terms of trying to recruit new members, but also to explore any common ground and opportunities for co-operation with these groups.
 
“Finally, a project that I am passionate about is the funding of a new toilet block for a rural primary school in Mazowe, in Zimbabwe. It has been a very slow process getting quotes for all the materials and services required, but this is finally coming together, bearing in mind that things happen at a very different pace in Africa. 

“The intention is to apply for a Global Grant from the Rotary Foundation via our District, who have been very encouraging and supportive about this project.
 
“I will always be available for a chat over the phone, or to meet for coffee if any of our members have any issues or grievances they wish to discuss. I very soon learnt in the civil engineering and construction industry, initially working with an Irish, and later, a Scottish labour force, that issues or differences are best dealt with and resolved at an early stage, and that will be my approach as President.
 
“I am very much looking forward to a challenging and busy year ahead as your President.”
 
John Hudson
President
Maidenhead Rotary Club

One of the last duties of outgoing Maidenhead Rotary Club president Mary Spinks has been to award a member of the club the highest honour that can be conferred on a Rotarian.

She presented long-serving club secretary Frank Knowles with a Paul Harris Fellowship, named after the founder of Rotary, that recognises outstanding commitment to Rotary and its principle of ‘Service Above Self’.

Frank, who celebrates four decades as a Rotarian this year, joined the club 16 years ago from the Rotary Club of High Wycombe, of which he had been a member since 1983.

He has been secretary of Maidenhead Rotary Club for the past six years and also serves tirelessly on a range of other committees within the club.
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Frank initially took an interest in the Rotary Foundation (Rotary’s own charity) and was also club president in 2014-15, before becoming secretary.

​Presenting him with his award, Mary said: “The role of club secretary is both demanding and rewarding – there is no time off for good

​behaviour and when there is a club issue to resolve all eyes turn to the secretary. The role, properly served, is the foundation for the successful operation of the club.

“It requires someone who is personally well-organised and radiates confidence and support when the going gets tough – and Frank is just such a man.

“Inevitably, each succeeding president relies on their secretary to ensure the people and processes are there for the smooth running of the club and the delivery of our services to the community. I thank Frank on behalf of the club for all he has done for us this last 16 years and what we hope he will continue to do in the years to come. We are blessed to have his support and friendship.”
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During his career Frank served for 32 years in the fire and rescue services, rising to the rank of assistant chief officer. He served as senior course director at the Fire Service College and was regional chairman of the Football Safety Officers' Association. His expertise later took him around the world as a health and safety inspector of hotels for a number of leading tour operators.