Governor's Visit

Great to welcome our Rotary District Governor Steve Antill who visited our Club meeting this week – Steve has a long history in Rotary – first as a member of Rotaract and then as a member of Bloxwich Phoenix Rotary Club

The 55 Clubs in our District cover most of Staffordshire and Shropshire and part of the West Midlands and during his year as the head of the District Steve will make a formal visit to each Club Clubs to share ideas and offer support.

You can follow a year in the life of a Rotary District Governor and find out more about the activities of the Rotary Clubs in our District by following his facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/RotaryDG1210/?ref=page_internal

Lisa Potts visits Tettenhall Rotary

It was an honour to welcome Lisa Potts as our speaker at our recent meeting.

Lisa came to national prominence when in 1986 as a young primary school teacher she bravely protected her young pupils from a machete attack despite receiving horrific injuries to her head, arms and back.  

The attack left Lisa facing years of surgery and rehabilitation as well as overcoming post traumatic stress disorder and depression but in spite of this she found the grace to forgive her attacker.

Lisa’s bravery was recognised by the award of the George Medal from the Queen in 1997 – the medal is on display in the Mayors Parlour in the Civic Centre - and earlier this year she was the first person in the City to be awarded the title of "Free Woman of the City of Wolverhampton”

In the years following the attack Lisa founded Believe to Achieve a charity that has achieved national recognition for its work helping to enhance children’s resilience, mental health, self-esteem, personal development, educational experience and future aspirations through therapy and counselling, community and school-based workshops and programmes, and holiday clubs. The Charity’s work has benefited thousands of children and young people across Wolverhampton and the surrounding area and President Mark was pleased to be able to support the continuing work of Believe to Achieve by presenting Lisa with a donation from the Club.

You can help Lisa and the work of Believe to Achieve by donating here - https://www.b2a.org.uk/donate

Be the Inspiration in 2018-2019

District Governor Ashley Gray joins us at this evenings meeting to share Rotary International President Barry Rassin’s theme for the new 2018-19 year - Be the Inspiration.

President Barry is encouraging Rotarians to inspire change in the world and in each other and to be the inspiration to help Rotary move from reaction to action — taking a hard look at the environmental issues that affect health and welfare around the world and taking action to help solve them.

Shouting Out For Rotary

Town Criers have been shouting out the news for centuries and were the main means of communication at a time when most people could not read or write. Proclamations, local bylaws, market days, adverts, were all proclaimed by the local bellman or crier.

This evening we were joined by former Rotarian Mayor of Kidsgrove John Parsons - currently the Town Crier of Nantwich and of the Lord of the Manor of Rode - to tell us about the history of Town Crying since its introduction to England at the time of the Norman Conquests.

Whilst Mayor of Kidsgrove John was instrumental in bringing back the town's Crier after a gap of over two hundred years - the town having been banned from having a town crier after violence flared up between the former office holders.

Since becoming a Town Crier himself John, a diabetes sufferer, in addition to his duties to his Lord and Town spends much of his spare time speaking to Clubs and Societies to talk about the history of Town Crying and raising money for Diabetes UK and other charities.

Cyril Randles - Tettenhall's Local Neighbourhood Plan

Just a little over a year ago West Wolverhampton witnessed one of the UK’s first ever Neighbourhood Plan referendums with overwhelming support being given for the proposed Plan

The Plan was the result of hours of work by local volunteers  as part of the Our Place Our Plan consultation carried out by the Tettenhall Local Neighbourhood Partnership.

Following adoption of the Tettenhall Local Neighbourhood Plan future commercial, and residential, development of the area for the next generation now has to comply with the Plan.

Whilst the City Council has discontinued the Local Neighbourhood Partnerships in the City the work of the Tettenhall LNP continues thanks to the hard work of local volunteers - operating as  part of the Tettenhall & District Community Council (TDCC) – who have been active in ensuring that the Plan and the opinions of local people are properly taken account in relation to planning applications and that money lodged in support of section 106 planning agreements is properly spent for the benefit of the community.

Tonight we were joined by Cyril Randles, Chairman of the TDCC and one of the instigators of the Tettenhall Local Neighbourhood Plan.

In addition to its planning role the TDDC also acts as a forum for community issues providing networks, support and communications for local community groups and organisations.

It’s all work carried out by volunteers such as our own Club member Les Bouts and to ensure that the TDCC can continue in its work Cyril is looking for more volunteers to help with its work and if you think you can help he’d like to hear from you.

With the potential for the Greater Birmingham/West Midlands Combined Authority initiative to take decision making further away from local communities the TDDC is now exploring support in the area for the formation of a Parish Council to help ensure that Tettenhall can continue to hold onto what has kept it special .

Keep an eye on the Tettenhall blog for details of the launch of the TDCC’s new website which will feature details of its activities.

Doing Good with the ATC in Wolverhampton

The Club has worked with local Air Training Corps, 1046 Squadron, over several years following on from the initial involvement of Club Member Les Bouts. In addition to the support with Les provides, the Club has been able to provide financial assistance to help the cadets with the purchase of a new minibus and to meet the cost of field trips.

The squadron brings young men and women from all backgrounds together to help them to achieve their full potential. Cadets are given the opportunity to learn a wide range of skills through opportunities to take part in field-craft exercises, adventure training, flight lessons, first aid and marksmanship training. Many cadets take part in the Duke of Edinburgh Scheme with 19 awards been made in the past year.

The Squadron has consistently been one of the highest achieving Squadrons in Staffordshire it's achievements ranging from cadets attaining the Dacre Brooch and Dacre Sword, awarded to the best male and female cadet in the entire Air Training Corps, to the Sir Alan Lees Trophy, awarded to the best Air Training Corps Squadron.

Tonight we were joined by the Commanding Officer of the Squadron, Flight Lieutenant Colin Haynes, to share with us how he had become involved in the ATC and the importance of the work of the many civilian volunteers who give freely of their time helping to run the activities that play such an important role in the lives of the Squadron's young members. President Sammy was pleased to present Flt Lt Haynes with a further cheque for £400 to help with the squadron with its work.

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 with the Midlands Air Ambulance

The Midlands Air Ambulance is the largest and busiest of the nation's air ambulances flying 3,000 missions each year and an amazing 40,000 missions since the first launch in 1991.

Whilst the value of the service is beyond measure to the patients helped by the air ambulance each mission carries a £2,500 cost which is very much in the minds of those responsible for providing the service. We were joined this evening by CEO Hannah Sebright and Fundraising Director Jason Levy to give us an insight into the operation of the service.

The Air Ambulance receives no Government or Lottery funding and is dependant upon the support of the community it serves in order to raise its annual running costs of £6.5 million. In order to ensure that this vital service remains available a five year plan for sustainability is being implemented which has already helped them to extend the Air Ambulances flying hours with the aim of moving towards the provision of night flights.

To date Tettenhall and other Rotary Clubs with the charity's area have donated over £1,000,000 to help keep the Air Ambulance flying but its not only by donating money that we help. Working with Club member Simon Maddox the Air Ambulance has recently moved into a new headquarters building in Lye. As well as providing improved working conditions which have helped to raise staff morale the move has resulted in a reduction in operating costs of 50%.

Mostyn Mahoney - Building Schools for the Future

The Club has been a long time supporter of the Tettenhall Wood special school in Wolverhampton.

As part of the Building Schools for the Future project Wolverhampton secured £330 million funding to develop schools more suited to the needs of the new century.

Tettenhall Wood was one of the first schools in the area to benefit from the Scheme together with the Kings School  and since September they have been co-located on the redeveloped Kings site - now known as the Tettenhall Learning Campus.

Headmaster Mostyn Mahoney, an old friend of the Club, joined us tonight to give us an insight into the design process.

Tettenhall Wood is the designated School in Wolverhampton for students diagnosed as autistic. The School's teaching methods mean that pupils need larger work areas and the new classrooms are large enough for each pupil to have their own individual work area, while still providing opportunities for group working and developing social interaction.

Specific break out areas within each classroom enable staff to move pupils into a calmer environment where anxieties can be overcome before pupils are re-integrated into the classroom.

Each of the classrooms has direct access to the outside providing a further level of break out as well as enabling staff to incorporate outdoor learning into the curriculum.

It's fair to say that Mostyn and his colleagues weren't able to secure all that they had wished in the design of the new school but the facilities are a massive improvement on their former premises and are making a real difference to the education which they are able to offer to these special pupils.

Members of the Club are looking forward to having the opportunity of seeing the school themselves this week when we visit the new site.

Garry Ward - the Vicar of Claverley

Most of us were expecting to hear a pious sermon when Reverend Garry Ward - the vicar of Claverley - came to talk to us this evening.

Whilst we did hear about Revd Garry's road to Christianity it was not the road that we might have imagined as Garry took us through his life - from challenging school days to a succession of jobs which has seen Garry qualify as a nurse and as the Midlands first male mid wife before joining the prison service and coming into contact with some of the nations more notorious criminals such as Bronson and Fred West.

For Garry as he moved between jobs there was always the feeling that something was missing and this eventually led him to the understanding of his calling to the ministry.

Garry filled the room with laughter and we're sure that his experiences to date will enrich his vocation and we wish him well in his ministry - especially considering the added burden which he bears of ministering to our own Club member Ken Swash - it may be enough to make Revd Garry come to wish he'd stayed with the Prison Service.

Mac Jarvis - Crimestoppers

Founded in 1988 Crimestoppers is an independent charity which helps to find criminals and to solve crimes. The Charity was born out the recognition that often when a crime takes place many people who have information which could make sure that it was solved do not take action by reporting what they know to the police because they are too close to the criminal and  fear retribution. Through the operation of an anonymous free-phone service and websites the charity offers those with information a secure means for them to get that information to the police and to make their families and communities safer.

Local Crimestopper volunteer Mac Jarvis joined us this evening to introduce the work of the charity in and around Wolverhampton and in particular in the Scotlands - an area of the City where residents had been unwilling to come forward with information which might help police to solve crimes.

Within two months of Crimestoppers starting a campaign in the area to publicise their service, calls to the charity had tripled and arrests from information given to Crimestoppers had gone up from zero over two previous years to nine in two months. Information on Anti-social behaviour (ABS) resulted in the City Council obtaining ABS orders against four youths and the removal/eviction of their families.

The estate is now turning around with reports of ABS reduced and residents willing to speak to the police and other agencies.

Mac and other Crimestopper volunteers are also working to promote Fearless a new web based service aimed at younger members of the community, getting it into schools and youth clubs and secondary schools, within areas of the City which are considered to be the recruiting grounds for drugs and guns gangs.

Mac was named the charity's Volunteer of the Year 2012 in recognition of his work on the projects and his commitment to the work of Crimestoppers. We wish Mac and his fellow volunteers continuing success in their work.

GSE Team Presentation

Rotary’s Group Study Exchange (GSE) programme is a unique cultural and vocational exchange opportunity for businesspeople and professionals between the ages of 25 and 40 who are in the early stages of their careers.

The programme is designed to develop professional and leadership skills amongst young adults so that they can address the needs of their communities in an increasingly global workplace.

Rotary provides travel grants for teams to exchange visits in paired areas of different countries. For four to six weeks, team members experience the host country’s culture and institutions, observe how their vocations are practiced abroad, develop personal and professional relationships, and exchange ideas.

Rotarians in the host area provide meals, lodging, and group travel within their district, participants in the programme live with Rotary families during the exchange, thus learning at first hand all about living in the visited country.

In a typical four-week tour, team members participate in five full days of vocational visits, 15 to 20 club presentations, 10 to 15 formal visits and social events, two to three days at the district conference, three to four hours per day of cultural and site tours, and three to four hours per day of free time with host families.

Following a successful visit from a GSE team from Rotary District 5550 which spans Northwestern Ontario, Manitoba and Saskatchewan in Canada a team from our own District visited the prairies of Canada in May and June of this year

The team included Jayne Lawrence, a member sponsored by the Tettenhall Club and this evening she was joined by fellow team member Victoria Talbot and team leader Lorraine Boothman to tell us all about their experiences.

You can read a full account on the team’s blog but for a flavour of what they got up to here is a poem which Jayne penned at the end of the journey:

We landed in Winnipeg after a mammoth journey
It was night time in Canada but in England it was early!
Flying Manchester-Washington-Toronto-Winnipeg
We were absolutely shattered and ready for bed
A tour of Manitoba province was the place to begin
Brandon, then Neepawa and onto Dauphin
We crossed the border to Melfort along the way
And experienced rain, snow and sunshine all in one day!
That’s because we’ve toured Seskachewan too
As far north as Prince Albert and stunning Waskasieu
Saskatoon was the next place on our list
Where we stayed in a B&B for our time of rest
Next was on to Regina for lunch
Then Watrous and Weyburn – we’ve done SO much!
We finally came to our journeys last leg
A 6 hour trip back to Winnipeg
Staying for five days for District Conference
Presenting to a big audience to further boost our confidence
Never did I imagine we’d do so many wonderful things
We even tried shooting a shotgun at metal tins!
We saw museums, farms, and watched Ice Hockey games
In addition to our informative vocational days
We had lots of pot luck suppers and BBQs too
Trying waffles, maple syrup, Bison burgers and Ukrainian food
Never before have we eaten so much
Three course meals for breakfast, supper AND lunch
We’ve met mayors, MLAs and the provincial minister of health
Who all epitomise the Rotary saying “service above self”
We saw the venue of the brilliant country fest
Crikey – when we get home we’ll be glad of the rest!
We visited Wasagaming and found out it was just a name
Unlike our District Governor who thought it was a game
Dancing at a polka fest and visiting Hutterite colonies as well
Amazed at the things they manufacture, grow and sell
Whilst here we celebrated the Queens diamond jubilee
Wearing British flags, hats and feather boas for the world to see
Drinking coffee in Tim Hortons and shopping in Walmart
Our cases ending up even heavier than the start!
We saw bison, elk, deer, coyote but not the elusive Moose
We’ve been on radio, in the paper and on TV – yes, we’re famous!
What a wonderful trip, it sad it’s coming to an end
but what a fab experience and we’ve made so many Canadian friends
All of this thanks to Rotary members far and wide
All the individuals who wear their pins and badges with pride
People who help individuals and communities get a good start
All through the goodness of their own hearts
We’ve had a bearilliant time here in the Canadian Prairies
And are going home with such wonderful memories
Thank you to our hosts and especially Rotary
We’re heading home soon to have a cup of tea!

Record Signing for Club - Steve Daley

It was great for us to spend this evening in the company of former Wolves player Steve Daley.

Originally from Yorkshire Steve joined Wolves as an apprentice making his professional début with the Club in 1971 going on to establish himself as a regular in the first team and earning caps with England's B team.

1979 saw his transfer to Manchester City for a then British Record £1,437,500 - though played out of position the move did not go well leading the Observer to class it as number 1 in their top 10 list of the biggest wastes of money in football history.

Parting company with City two years later Steve crossed the Atlantic for three successful seasons as a player in the North American Soccer League.

Since leaving the game Steve has made quite a name for himself as an after dinner speaker - so much so that he was recognised as 'Soccer Speaker of the Year' in 2009.

It's easy to see why Steve won the award - his has been a career which has seen both its ups and its downs and he's got some great stories to share as a result. Steve gave the lads in the room a great nights entertainment  - he had us in stitches all evening - and we give him our thanks and wish him continued success in his speaking career and in his charitable work with other ex Wolves players raising money for local charities.

A Royal Education

Promoting education is one of the core aims of Rotary and the Tettenhall Club is proud to work with a number of local schools in Wolverhampton to help in their work.

Tonight we were joined by Mark Heywood, the Headmaster of the Royal School in Wolverhampton, to talk with us about the School's approach to the education of its pupils and his belief that education may well best be kept out of the classroom.

Mark explained that the Royal's approach was not only about delivering academic success but as importantly about developing their pupils character and ensuring that they left with the life skills necessary to ensure their success in the world.

In order to foster an atmosphere where students characters can develop they are given the opportunity and encouraged to engage in a wide range of extra curricular activities. These activities are designed to provide them with challenges which will allow them to learn by taking risks, to develop team working and leadership skills and to empower them to take responsibility and to make decisions for themselves.

Many students take part in expeditions both within the UK and internationally and Mark shared with us stories of the students achievements. An important element of these expeditions and extra curricular activities is to help students understand the importance of helping others. Recent expeditions have seen the students constructing and refurbishing classrooms in India and building a play ground for the children of a South American village. 

We've had the opportunity to witness at first hand just how successfully this approach works with the members of the Interact Club which was formed recently at the School and which is already helping to make a positive difference in its community. We wish Mark and his team at the School every success are looking forward to working with them and with the pupils in the future. 

Rotary's Future Vision

Founded in 1917 The Rotary Foundation is Rotary's own charity. The mission of the Foundation is to enable Rotarians to advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through the improvement of health, the support of education, and the alleviation of poverty.

We've always taken pride in the efficient way in which the Foundation is run which helps to ensure that all of the money that we put into the charity is used for charitable purposes rather than being gobbled up in administration fees. Money raised for Foundation is deposited with the charity for three years and the interest earned on the money during that time covers all of the cost of administering the charity.

To make sure that the Foundation continues in its mission to help more people a number of changes are going to be made in the way that the charity operates and this evening the Club was joined by Assistant District Governor Ashley Gray to explain this Future Vision Plan.

Concentrating on six main areas of focus

• Peace and conflict prevention/resolution
• Disease prevention and treatment
• Water and sanitation 
• Maternal and child health
• Basic education and literacy
• Economic and community development

the Future Vision Plan will simplify the way in which Foundation operates, reducing administration costs and making it easier for Rotary clubs to work together locally, nationally and internationally to deliver projects which realise the Foundation's mission helping to change the lives of millions for the better.

Fordhouses Air Training Corp

Tettenhall Rotary has been a long term supporter of the 1046 Air Training Corp Squadron in Fordhouses. In the past we've given financial assistance which has enabled the Squadron to purchase a minibus of its own and to undertake overseas trips to visit the battlefields of Normandy. Following the recent theft of field kitchen equipment from their base a donation of £750 from the Club has helped them to replace the stolen items. Club member Les Bouts works closely with the Squadron to assist with its activities.

The ATC aims to encourage a spirit of adventure and to develop qualities of leadership and good citizenship - aims which the Rotary movement shares and which are so evidently embodied in Cadet Warrant Officer Mia Webb who was our guest speaker at tonight's meeting.


Mia initially joined the Squadron seven years ago and since that time she has risen to attain the highest rank available to a cadet and was recognised as the best cadet in the Midlands when she was appointed the Lord Lieutenant's Cadet for the West Midlands. Membership has given her the opportunity to fly planes and gliders, to learn to shoot and to take part in expedition training camps and field trips to France - opportunities that otherwise would not have been available to her. The ATC works closely with the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme and many cadets work towards achieving these awards - Mia herself is just completing her Gold award.

Its clear that the Squadron's activities are fostering valuable life skills in the Cadets such as team working, leadership and communication skills, self discipline and self reliance and an undoubted confidence in their ability - skills which will enable them to succeed in life whether or not they choose to join the RAF.

We look forward to continuing our support for the Squadron and our thanks go to Mia for giving us an insight into its working and to Flight Lieutenant Steve Baker and the other Staff members at the Squadron for all of their work with the Cadets.

Wolverhampton's War Wounded - Roy Stallard

Local historian Roy Stallard has, as a former nurse himself, a keen interest in the history of the health services in Wolverhampton.

Roy joined us this evening to explain the role played by the Wolverhampton hospitals in treating wounded service men in the two world wars and the support which they received from community organisations and the citizens of the town to help the wounded in their recovery.

To some of the Club's older members the talk was a trip down memory lane as they recalled as boys having watched the wounded being transferred into ambulances at Tettenhall railway station for the journey to the Royal Hospital.

Following the redevelopment of the Royal Hospital site by Tesco Roy will be maintaining a display on the site showcasing the history of the hospital. Our thanks go to Roy for helping to keep the City's history alive and for sharing it with us.

Changing Wolverhampton - Simon Warren

We were joined this evening by Simon Warren, the Chief Executive of Wolverhampton City Council. A former Rotarian himself Simon comes to local Government by a somewhat unusual route. Originally an aviator with the Royal Air Force Simon's 25 years in the service saw him flying Vulcan bombers and chasing down Russian submarines and Caribbean drug smugglers in Nimrods before ending his flying career enforcing the no fly zone over Iraq shortly after 9/11. The end of his flying days brought fresh opportunities and three years spent with NATO in the USA as Head of Strategic Management.

Once he'd left the service Simon looked for a way to put the change management skills which he'd acquired during his time with the Air Force to use and served as Rugby Council's Chief Executive for four years before joining the team at Wolverhampton.

Despite the advantages of its location the Wolverhampton economy has been in decline since the mid 1970's. Simon is adamant that he hasn't joined the Council to manage decline and he and his team are focusing on promoting economic development around the City's existing strengths. Naturally with his own background Simon has a particular interest in recognising the strength of the City's existing aerospace companies and shortly after taking up his position the council took a stand at the Farnborough International Air Show in order to showcase and support our existing manufacturers and to attract other aerospace companies to the area. The City's existing strong links with the Indian sub-continent are also seen as an opportunity to encourage both inward investment and export opportunities for manufacturers and the Council will look to build on these.

Simon noted the changes which had taken place in the City's planning department and which were taking place in other parts of the Council to make departments more commercially sensitive and the important role which this played in encouraging investment into the area. He pointed to the recent decision of Jaguar Land Rover to build a new engine plant in the City as an example of how this approach was now paying dividends and with this and major retail developments by Tesco and Sainsburys about to get underway Simon is convinced that there will be a change in peoples attitudes in the City and that there will be a growing belief that things can be better.

Howard Drury - Garden Time

A couple of weeks of wonderful Spring weather has got most people thinking about what to do with their gardens this year so it was excellent timing to hear from an old friend of the Club tonight, TV gardening expert Howard Drury.

With the weather due to turn however and snow about to hit the region Howard explained the steps we should take to protect plants which had been fooled into an early start and which could be damaged by the cold snap.

Howard - who can be found at Ashwood Nurseries most Sundays - is convinced that we are in for a dry spell this summer and in years to come and he encouraged people to do their bit to conserve water by adopting traditional watering techniques and to start to change the way that they plant their gardens by introducing drought tolerant plants.

Rounding of the evening with a question and answer session Howard gave us all some great ideas to take away.