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Rotary Magazine for District 1210

Since the arrival in Stone of refugee families from Ukraine
began, Stone and District Rotary have been working to help
them integrate into the local community, which, as it is in a
new country with a Tettenhall Rotary has donated
different language, is not £1,000 to the Birch Thompson
easy. Memorial Fund to support work
in maintaining and developing
Working with both adults Gelliwig, a residential centre on
and children, the Rotary the edge of Snowdonia National
Club has recently provided
school uniforms for a Park close to Porthmadog in
number of primary and North Wales which offers low
secondary aged children cost residential accommodation
and language books for for young people from
adult learning. Wolverhampton and the wider
West Midlands.
For Ukrainian refugee
families arriving in Stone, Gelliwig has long been a popular
it is recognised that it is important for their school-age children destination for organisations
to be seamlessly integrated into the education system and the from Wolverhampton including
Club has provided school uniforms and stationery to help make school and youth groups. It’s a
this happen. great base for activities such as
Equally important is the need hiking, canoeing and rock
to give adults the language climbing.
skills they need to work and
live in the community. In this
respect, the Rotary Club has
worked with tutor, Andy
Babb to purchase specialist
books to help them. The
books were presented to
Andy and his students by
Club President Sandie
McQueen at a lesson at St
Michael’s Church Hall in
Stone. The Birch Thompson Memorial
Sandie said: “The Club is proud to be helping our new arrivals Fund was formed in 1981 in
here in Stone. Using a Rotary Foundation Grant, the club has tribute to Colton Hill School
been able to buy school uniforms and books so we are helping teachers Graham Birch and
at all levels. John Thompson, who both died
in 1980. It has helped
“The benefit of what the thousands of young people to
club is doing can already
be clearly seen but it is part develop their skills and talents
of a nationwide Rotary and to experience the outdoors.
programme to support The importance of the Fund’s
Ukrainian refugees.” work was recognised with the
Sandie went on to say: “It’s award of the prestigious Queens
an amazing effort where Award for Voluntary Service in
Rotary clubs throughout 2020.
the country are making a The £1,000 donation will be
significant difference to used to refurbish an external
the lives of many new paly area for the use of the
arrivals. Rotarians here in
Stone are delighted to be young people who visit Gelliwig
part of it.” each year.

4 ROTO SPRING 2023