Rotary Crocus in New Zealand

The Rotary Club of Whangaparaoa, NZ has led the successful initiative to bring the Rotary Crocus pin to Auckland in time for World Polio Day on October 24. President Brian Mullan persevered and was able to overcome all the perceived administrative difficulties, including dealing with the GST and import duty issues, and has taken delivery of the first 200 Rotary Crocuses, in four boxes of 50. The per crocus cost, delivered in NZ, inclusive of all costs, is less than NZ$1 and the aim will be to offer these to the general public for a minimum donation of NZ$2.

The original idea was started in the UK in 2011 by Lynn Mitchell, a former governor of District 1120, who is the inspiration behind the fabric crocus buttonhole. Lynn developed the idea after picking a purple crocus from her garden and wearing it as a buttonhole, and the idea for the Rotary Crocus pin was born. Lynn’s vision is for the crocus to become the recognisable symbol of Rotary’s work in the eradication of polio. It is hoped that, in years to come, End Polio Now won’t be needed, but the crocus will remain as the symbol of Rotary’s greatest achievement; conquering polio.

When donors wear their Rotary Crocus, they become walking adverts for Rotary and End Polio Now. Each crocus comes with an information card, which tells the story of the polio eradication programme and Rotary’s pivotal role. The information card also provides the wearer with the answer to the question, “that’s a nice flower; what’s it for?”

The purple crocus was chosen because the colour matches the dye painted on the fingers of children who have been immunised against polio.

Currently, the Rotary Crocus pins are only available from the UK, but discussions are underway, with the aim of improving availability and at lower base costs in NZ.

Proactive and positive discussions are ongoing within District 9910 in NZ on the best way to roll out the Rotary Crocus across the district and further afield across all NZ Districts. Anyone wanting clear, unambiguous information about bringing the Rotary Crocus to NZ should contact Rotary Club of Whangaparaoa President Brian Mullan via brian@mullan.com.

Bright Shirt Day

New District Governor Paul Wright found a sight for sore eyes when he made his first official visit to the Rotary Club of Rotorua.

Paul is well known around district 9930 for wearing fancy shoes and brightly coloured shirts, and the club members decided to welcome him by hunting out their own bright shirts to mark the occasion. One of the other things Paul is known for is insisting that Rotary membership should be fun, so he and his wife Tups lined up with a selection of members for a picture after the meeting.

Bright Shirt Day  pic: From left, Peter Faulkner, Barry Lane, Deborah McCarthy, Bryce Dunn, Club President Russell Dale, Tony Baker (front), Paul and Tups Wright, Margriet Theron, Peter Spurdle, Garth Wilson, Kierin Irvine, Bruce Rykers, Katrina Allison, Fergus Cumming, Ally Gibbons.

Supplied by Kevin O’Connor

Rotary helps to establish a Research Chair in Child and Adolescent Mental Health at Auckland University



Rod and Patricia Duke, Cure Kids CEO Vicki Lee and University of Auckland Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences Dean John Fraser celebrate the establishment of the Cure Kids Duke Family Chair in Child and Adolescent Mental Health.

A chain of events started 15 years ago by the Rotary Club of Downtown Auckland (RCDA) in NZ has led to the commencement of a search for a Research Chair in Child and Adolescent Mental Health.

In 1999, Downtown Auckland Rotarian Dr Bill Daniels was concerned at the lack of specialist help for children and young people with mental illnesses. He floated the idea of establishing this research position and initiated discussions with Sir Peter Gluckman, the then Dean of Auckland Medical School. Sir Peter asked for RCDA’s help in financing such an appointment. 

 

Over the next five years, the RCDA fundraised $140,000, which was inadequate to fund a permanent Chair, so it was therefore invested. By 2009, the fund had grown to $170,000 and the RCDA and the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences of the University of Auckland agreed to apply the funds to three initiatives over four years including:

 

Firstly a half-time Rotary research fellow focused on child and adolescent mental health, Dr Karolina Stasiak, who coordinated a number of important projects including: several technological innovations for use by adolescent patients; a computer-based game known as SPARX to treat depression; MEMO, a mobile phone programme to prevent depression; the evaluation of an Australian product called BRAVE to treat anxiety; and improving the delivery of mental health care through several other initiatives. SPARX was officially launched by Prime Minister John Key on April 28 and is available free online. It has been licensed by Uniservices for use in several overseas countries. SPARX has been found to be very effective in randomised trials and has received international recognition, winning the 2013 World Summit Award in the category of e-health and environment. It has also been covered in the British Medical Journal.

Secondly it funded annual visiting scholars Prof Cheryl McNeil from West Virginia University in 2011, Prof Stephen Scott from the Institute of Psychiatry, Kings College London in 2013, and Prof John Weisz of Harvard University Medical School in 2014. Thirdly it has also funded an annual research forum.

This RCDA funding is due to run out at the end of 2014.

Meanwhile, in 2012, another Downtown Auckland Rotarian Peter Crellin attended a District 9920 Rotary Foundation dinner and started a conversation about the initiatives with Cure Kids Board Chair Roy Austin, a Remuera Rotarian.

Established by Rotary in NZ in 1971 as the Child Health Research Foundation, Cure Kids has to date raised $36 million for research into child health. Roy told Peter the organization had never targeted mental health and it was high time it did.

 

Cure Kids then commenced discussions with some of its established donors and received a particularly positive response from Rod Duke, Managing Director of the Briscoes chain of stores, and his wife Patricia. Following a private multi-million dollar donation by the Duke family, Cure Kids will establish a dedicated senior researcher - known as a Chair - attached to the University of Auckland. It will be called the Cure Kids Duke Family Chair in Child and Adolescent Mental Health.

 

This long-awaited appointment is supported by the valuable developments stemming from RCDA’s initial fundraising and dedication of resources.

Cure Kids CEO Vicki Lee, a Waiheke Rotarian, emphasises it is estimated that at least one in four Kiwi children and adolescents will experience a significant mental health issue impacting on their day to day life and that of their family. Conditions affecting children may include ADHD, anxiety, depression, autism, eating disorders.

36 given a future

2013 DUX (centre) and now on a scholarship to study medicine

“These past years could not have been successful without Rotary’s help and I sincerely thank their support and the great help provided to me from the club”.  Shama Naaz was one of 36 scholarship students of the BucaLevu Secondary School on Taveuni Island who have literally been given a future thanks to Rotary sponsorship by Taveuni Island Rotary.  All these students come from very poor backgrounds and disadvantage circumstances with 80% of them only having a single parent or a parent who is very ill or crippled.  As a result they know that without performing well in their studies they have little to fall back on to succeed in life.  Of the eight students completing their secondary education in 2013, seven have achieved high enough to receive Government scholarships to university of which one student will be studying medicine. The rest remain high achievers in the school with most receiving academic awards.

Secondary education is not compulsory in Fiji and without this financial assistance for school fees, books, uniforms and boarding these students would never have been able to continue their education and create a future that positively impacts their lives, their family and the wider community.  The scholarship established by Taveuni Island Rotary is ongoing with more assistance needed to continue to sponsor the students on scholarship. 

This is a story of two halves.  In 2014 the outside support has come from the Rotary Club of Auckland who in turn doubled the funds raised by their members with a district simplified grant from District 9920.  Such a grant is of course is only possible thanks to the support of clubs for The Rotary Foundation who in turn make grant funds available to the district for use in worthy projects such as this.  To complete the cycle, grant projects are encouraged to widely publicise the good work done although this is not required by the grant reporting structure.  This in turn creates support for The Rotary Foundation and the projects they support.

Rotary responds to need for hospital beds

Minister Sharma on the bed having his pulse taken
by AG Malini and Committee Rep Bob Niranjan

Members of Rotary in Fiji are providing urgently needed relief to the patients and staff of Fiji’s many medical facilities.

As a community-based organization made up of business and professional leaders in clubs across Fiji, Rotary now extends it’s already impressive partnership with the Ministry of Health.  

• In 2012 and 2013 Rotary in Australia sent many beds to Fiji that were gratefully accepted and distributed around the hospitals and health centers.  

Early in 2014 a request was received from Minister Neil Sharma for more beds. This time his desire was to be able to receive enough to send beds not only to hospitals and health centers but out through the remote islands and interior to nursing stations.

On Tuesday 15 July 2014 the first of 330 beds and mattresses from Australia that will be distributed from the Valelevu Health Centre to 5 hospitals across Fiji.  Although most of these beds are for general ward use, there are other specialist types such as orthopedic, cardiac and baby cots.  

“Rotary in Fiji is helping as only it does best; connecting people and sharing resources for the benefit of those most in need. Rotarians give their time and money voluntarily to serve our community” said Malini Raghwan, Assistant District Governor for Suva. “We have seen the new hospitals and extensions and renovations and know how important it is to get nice beds for the patients” said Rick Eyre, Assistant District Governor for the West.

 

For more information:   Bob Niranjan +679 9992300 or bob@niranjans.com

Rotary hosts Buck Shelford



Buck Shelford with then Taumarunui Rotary President David Partis (left),
and Project organiser Simon Bradley (right)

It was a full house on March 3 when an audience of 250 people were entertained by a stirring address from former All Black Captain Wayne (Buck) Shelford. Organized by the Rotary Club of Taumarunui, NZ the theme of the evening at the Cosmopolitan Club focussed on men’s health, and there were many women present to see that their men got the message!

 

Buck was a member of the 1987 All Black team that won the inaugural World Rugby Cup in Auckland, and he became a successful All Black captain. He subsequently discovered he had cancer, the only symptom being a weeping eye, so it took some time to diagnose the problem.

 

Buck explained at length the processes he undertook to overcome the cancer, the way he dealt with losing the 40 kilograms of surplus weight he gained, and stressed how important a healthy diet, exercise and discipline is to maintaining good health. He now is an ambassador for several charities in the health field.

 

In an entertaining Q & A season, Buck talked predominantly about rugby.

 

Auctioneer Alan Hiscox successfully wheedled cash from guests by selling signed rugby balls at exorbitant prices, and with generous sponsorship from local businesses, a profit of $10,000 was raised.

 

The funds were distributed to sponsor four locals in the Sky Tower Stair Challenge (supporting Leukaemia and Blood Cancer Research), and the Taumarunui Hope Charitable Trust.

 

This is a classic example of what goes round comes round!

More information:  www.taumarunui.rotarysouthpacific.org

Beanies for Nepal - let the faces speak for themselves

Michael Scutt, from the Rotary Club of Whangarei City has done regular work at Kumbeshwar Technical School in Kathmandu and it was there that the first Beanies were donated many years ago, these being the familiar black variety with our silver fern logo.! Since then, he has delivered hundreds of hand knitted Woollies to the Children of Nepal. ! ”I have even given them out on the side of the road…just seeing the looks on their faces when you give out some of your Woollies. It seems such a small gesture on our part but to the Children it is priceless!”

Nearly every year Michael and other members of the Club have taken to the School Numerous Beanies, Jumpers,”Fish and Chip” Blankets and Scarves hand knitted by Donors. He has also helped liaise with other aide programmes sponsored by Rotary to help provide financial assistance for buildings and Course Books for the School.   

An international project of thje Rotary Club of Whangarei City - www.whangareicity.rotarysouthpacific.org

Celebrating 20 Years Of Endurance with Rotary

Garth Barfoot

It’s widely respected as New Zealand’s benchmark cycling event, and now in its 38^th year, the Contact Lake Taupo Cycle Challenge is celebrating a milestone in the events history. Since 1994 it has been owned and organised by the Rotary Club of Taupo Moana and involves over 800 local volunteers belonging to 25 groups who provide much needed support to the participants throughout the weekend.

It’s 20 years since the introduction of multiple lap enduro categories at the event. The Lake Taupo Cycle Challenge began in 1977 with just 26 participants! Today, the event has grown into NZ’s premier and largest cycling event, but it still retains a unique community feel. Best known for its one lap 160km bike ride around Lake Taupo, event organisers will be celebrating its endurance riders, and hope everyone will join with them in applauding these committed bunch of individuals.

Over the 20 years, there have been an incredible 1347 riders who have taken on 2 or more laps of Lake Taupo, covering a distance of up to 1600km.

Event Director Kay Brake says, “This year’s entrants in the Barfoot & Thompson 2 lap Enduro, 4 lap Maxi Enduro and 8 lap Extreme Enduro will all receive a special anniversary memento, with plans well underway for a an extra special Enduro breakfast showcasing the past 20 years . The Barfoot & Thompson 2 lap Enduro will again be recognised as this year’s UMCA (Ultra Marathon Cycling Associations) 200 mile World Championship event, last year won by kiwis Jim McMurray and Kim Hurst.”

Long-time supporter, enduro rider and naming rights partner to the enduro categories, 76 year old Garth Barfoot of Barfoot & Thompson fame comments “Barfoot & Thompson is proud to be behind such an iconic event and to align ourselves with the Enduro race, a race that I have raced several times in the past. We are proud to be part of the 20 years celebrations this year and we look forward to watching it grow in the years to come”

Held on the last Saturday of every November around the shores of Lake Taupo, the Contact Lake Taupo Cycle Challenge will celebrate its 38^th anniversary on Saturday the 29^th of November 2014. Proceeds from the event are returned to a range of community projects with Heart Kids NZ (http://www.heartnz.org.nz) as the official charity

Entries are available now at: www.cyclechallenge.com

Robert's story - a life transformed

Robert was born on 7 February 2007 with two club feet.  In New Zealand or Australia this would have been dealt with shortly after birth.  The problem for Robert was he was born in a small remote village on Tanna Island, Vanuatu.

Although he had his legs in plaster for 6 weeks after his birth that did not correct the deformity.  Robert had to be carried everywhere by his Parents although he could walk to a limited extent on the tops of his feet.

In April 2012 an Australian Blindness Prevention Project team visiting Robert’s village identified his condition as one that could not be treated effectively by local medical facilities and referred to him to Rotary Oceania Medical Aid for Children (ROMAC).

Robert and his dad arrived in New Zealand on 15 January 2014.  They were hosted by the Rotary Club of Waikato Sunrise and home hosted by Club member Michele Rees-Williams.  Robert and Ialulu experienced many new things while in New Zealand courtesy of Rotarians.

Robert was treated at Waikato Hospital Orthopaedic Clinic.  He had plaster casts on both legs until 28 May 2014 when surgeon Richard Willoughby and his surgical team, who volunteered their time and expertise, operated on Robert’s feet.

On 4 July 2014 the plasters came off. Richard Willoughby was happy with the result and gave the all clear for Robert to go home.  Robert was issued with special support “splints” to wear inside his first pair of shoes.                                                                                                             

When Robert and Ialulu left on 9 July 2014, Robert was able to walk through the airport departure doors unaided. 

ROMAC’s intervention has changed the lives of Robert and his family.  Robert can now look forward to the normal activities of a young boy and can grow up to be an active member of his village.  His exposure to English and formal education for the first time opens up other possibilities for him and his family.

Robert is one of the lucky ones.  There are hundreds of children identified every year in the Oceania region who could benefit from treatment through ROMAC.

By - Colin Sanderson, ROMAC D9930.

Web:  www.romac.org.au

Warm children means less hospital admissions

Sometimes the most effective and beneficial projects just require a bit of thought. In June, Ellerslie Rotary supported Middlemore Foundation’s Jammies in June campaign which is designed to help keep kids warm and decrease the rates of preventable illnesses in children, keeping them out of hospital. Thanks to the tremendous support of The Warehouse at Sylvia Park the club was able to purchase flannelette pyjamas and rubber soled slippers complete with glitter, sequins and all manner of other decorations for 2-14 years old children. In addition, the practical nature of the campaign meant that anyone, not just members were able to buy a pair of pyjamas or slippers and pass them on for the children via the club. The end result was over 237 pairs of flannelette pyjamas and 150 slippers keeping children healthier during winter.