Doing Good in Wolverhampton with Compton Hospice

A self-confessed weather anorak since the age of nine our guest tonight at our Compton Hospice Fundraiser was TV weatherman Simon Keeling. Simon's interest in the weather led him to provide holiday cover for the weather men at the Express & Star newspaper and Beacon Radio before he'd even left school.

Whilst he is perhaps best known for his work as a TV weatherman - having worked at GMTV, the BBC and with The Weather Channel - Simon, who lives in Wombourne, also runs a forecasting company providing weather forecasts to the City, helping to guide investment decisions, and to major high street retailers to help them decide which stock to carry in their stores.

Though self trained Simon went on to gain an MSc (Applied Meteorology & Climatology) and a Phd from the University of Birmingham - where he now teaches a “Weather Workshop” course to MSc students.

Whilst the weather is always a subject of conversation - especially given the storms of recent weeks- Simon gave us a fascinating insight into the advances made in forecasting over recent years and the role which it plays in many commercial and investment decisions which drive our economy. We're grateful to him for a very entertaining evening and for his generosity in donating his speaking fee to Compton Hospice.

Regenerating Wolverhampton

With Wolverhampton featuring as one of the top regions in the country for unemployment the need for regeneration is obvious. The decision by Jaguar Land Rover to chose Wolverhampton as the site for its Advanced Engine Facility brought £355 million of direct investment into the area and the promise of hundreds of skilled jobs but there is still much more to be done and this evening we were joined by Tim Johnson, the City's Strategic Director for Education and Enterprise to hear from him what steps are being taken to regenerate the City

The combination of Education and Enterprise Departments is unique to Wolverhampton but reflects the importance which is attached to equipping the people of the City with the skills to make them more employable and as a way of creating the right conditions for enterprise to flourish

Tim explained the work which the Council was undertaking with local schools and developers and in particular the plans for the development of the City Centre to enhance the City's retail and office offer. With the advantage of a great location, excellent communications, access to a huge market and advanced manufacturers such as JLR and an aerospace sector accounting for 12% of the country's aerospace output Tim and his colleagues are convinced that Wolverhampton has got a lot to offer businesses and a great base to build on.

Doing Good at Christmas

Christmas is a busy time for Rotary Clubs everywhere and Tettenhall is no exception as we once again took to the streets of Wolverhampton to support Santa Claus. For many of our members the opportunity to take a little Christmas magic to children in parts of the City who otherwise would be unlikely to have the opportunity to see Santa Claus really does make this one of the best times of the year.

Since the start of the Festive Season with the switch on of the Christmas Lights on Tettenhall Upper Green members of the Club have been busy working with the ladies of the Tettenhall Inner Wheel Club and the young men and women of the Army Cadet Corps accompanying Santa around Wolverhampton as well as raising money in support local good causes.

Despite the difficult economic conditions, the generosity of the people of Wolverhampton has not diminished with over £6,500 raised in aid of Compton Hospice and other Rotary Charities.

The Club's thanks go to Terminus Contract Hire in Wolverhampton, Asda in Wolverhampton, Sainsburys of Perton and the Midcounties Co-operative at Codsall for their support and to sleigh co-ordinator Chris Bowyer and his team for all of their hard work.