As a Club, we have recently supported the following local charities and organisations with help and/or donations:  

Barnados

The Prince’s Trust

Kid’s Out, Paultons Park (link to photos)

Leven House

Young Mums’ Group at Henry Brown Centre

Elmrise Breakfast Club

Pets as Therapy

Chest Help

CP Sport Development Day

Life Education Centres, Dorset

Victoria School

Langside School

Bournemouth Scouts (Jubilee Centre, Butcher’s Coppice)

Town Centre Youth Project

CODA Fiddle Orchestra

Youth Cancer Trust

Julia’s House

Dorset Mind (Oakmead School)

Boscombe Voluntary Lifeguard Unit

Age Concern

Help and Care

Heathlands School
Bournemouth Multiple Sclerosis Centre
Citizens Advice Bureau
Bournemouth Society for the Visually Impaired
MOSAIC
Springbourne Family Centre
Alzheimer's Society
Tenovus
Young Carers
Parent Link 
Cancer Research UK
Bournemouth Guide Camp Association
Round Table’s Children’s Wish

International Committee will be concentrating in the coming year on the environment; literacy and all boxes, namely:

• Shoe boxes (to Montenegro and Tanzania);

• Emergency boxes;

• Shelter boxes;

• Aquaboxes and

• Life Straws via Lifeboxes.

We will also support the Dorset Beach Clean and may well revisit previous Rotary charities.
We will continue with our International Students' lunch from the Richard Language College; and will also take part with international Rotarians from a number of European Countries (Trappist Clubs) and with our twin Club, the Rotary Club of Deauville in Normandy, France.
 

We have also supported Rotary Foundation, Rotary’s own humanitarian and educational charity. In particular, we are currently supporting the project of Rotary International, working in conjunction with the World Health Organisation and UNICEF, to complete the eradication of polio from the world. This is made all the more exciting by a challenge from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for Rotary International to match a $100,000,000 grant.
We also support other projects financed through the Foundation Charity including:

• Group Study Exchange - an educational program designed to provide young business and professional persons opportunities for studying another country, its people, institutions and culture through an organised visit.

• Ambassadorial Scholarships - sponsoring scholars to study in a country other than their own where they will also serve as unofficial ambassadors of goodwill.

• Grants for University Teachers - designed to sponsor teachers from the UK to spend 3 to 10 months teaching in a developing country.
  

The Youth Opportunities Committee continues to promote existing Rotary programmes for young people, with the objective of discovering new talents and develop leadership and other skills.
The committee has organised the group 2 (Bournemouth, Poole and Christchurch) Young Chef competition for the last 3 years. The local finals are held at The College in January each year and last year, six schools were represented by 9 finalists. Our winner went on to come second in the District finals and reached the Regional Finals.
We nominated Talbot Heath school to represent us in the Youth Speaks competition, again held annually. 
It is the intention next year to formalise the schools' chess initiative and the make nominations for the Youth Leadership awards.
 
 

The Fundraising Committee endeavours to hold a fund-raising event broadly every quarter and, throughout 2008/09, further activities have included:-

• Shelterbox display and collection at Castlepoint Shopping Centre

• Christmas collection in Bournemouth Square in support of the Mayor's chosen Charities

• Tea Dance at the Piccadilly Hotel to raise funds towards essential roof repairs to the Dudsbury Girl Guide camp

Our plans for 2009/10 are currently being finalised.
 

See more pictures of our activities in our Photo Gallery.

For more information about joining the Rotary Club of Bournemouth, please click here and/or contact us.