This year the Rotary 1110 District Conference was held near Thame, about 12 miles from Oxford, where we were warmly welcomed by District Governor Debbie Dunford.
On the first evening, after dinner we were entertained by Grace Lovelass – an opera singer with a difference, and had the opportunity to chat with fellow delegates and settle in.
Socialising on the second evening included the gala dinner followed by entertainment by The Fifinellas.
End Polio Now – Rotary International’s most important and far-reaching project – is District Governor Debbie Dunford choice of charity for her year. She demonstrated her deep commitment to this global Rotary initiative by having all her hair, (coloured purple for the occasion), shaved off in full view of those attending the Conference, and inviting sponsorship – raising £1,600 with more coming in. Donations to Debbie’s initiative can be made here:
Debbie Dunford – End Polio Now
Video of Debbie’s head shave here
Winchester Rotary was recognised along with several other clubs for the highest amount of money raised during the year for End Polio Now.
We were promised ‘An inspirational weekend of fun and Motivational Speakers’ – a promise well and truly kept. There were those who made us laugh, some made us cry and several did both.
Presentations included:
Alice Leaper – The Butterfly Project – whose 17 years work in Malawi has established a whole new world of education, healthcare, prison rehabilitation, plus small business opportunities. Rotary has supported her work.
Steve Whitton OBE – Border Force Maritime Command – commands a large team of officers who endeavour to keep our borders safe from drugs and arms dealers, and people smugglers. Their large and varied fleet carry our search and rescue operations and do ‘wash ups’ where drug collections have failed at sea.
Vicky Baird – Spurgeons – a family hub at HMP (male prison), which supports prisoners and their families. Children are made particularly welcome – activities are provided during visiting periods and family days are organised. Having a dad in prison is very traumatic and sad for children. Spurgeon helps families to reconnect.
Dr Lynne Baird MBE – Lynne set up the Daniel Baird Foundation after her son Daniel was fatally stabbed ob 8 July 2017 outside The Forge Tavern, in Birmingham. Her emotional presentation followed her determination to ensure that bleed control kits are available in a similar way to defibrillators.
Dan Biddle – Achieving Against the Odds – a truly motivational speaker. We laughed with him, we cried for him. Suffering and surviving unimaginable, life threatening injuries in the July 7th 2005 terrorist attack on a London tube train, he found himself bleeding to death in a dark, damp, filthy underground tunnel on the Edgware line.His life saved by an incredibly brave and quick thinking passenger, Dan became the most seriously injured survivor of all 4 terrorist attacks on that day. Today, after months in hospital, years of treatment, physical and mental setbacks, he is now married, has a daughter, runs his own company to help those with disabilities, and motivates thousands who have suffered severe adversity.
It took us to time to recover from the intensity of Dan’s emotive presentation.
The free afternoon gave us an opportunity to wander around the many Rotary and charity stalls and also to take the opportunity to meet old friends and enjoy introductions to other Rotary club members.
On Sunday we enjoyed further speakers
Martin Parnell – The Secret Marathon – an international keynote speaker and author of several books, a prolific marathon runner, (250 marathons in 2010), a climber of Mount Kilimanjaro in 2013, raising $1.3 million for ‘Right to Play’, a humanitarian organisation which has helped over 27,000 children worldwide.
After recovering from a rare, life threatening brain incident, Martin supported and ran with the first Afghan woman to run a marathon in her country where women runners were being persecuted for running free in the countryside and on the roads. Martin ran with her at the next ‘Marathon of Afghanistan’ in support of the rights for girls and women who are striving for freedom and equality for themselves and their fellow citizens.
Martin took us into his private world of his struggles with loneliness and physical frailty when he had always been so fit and resilient. We laughed and cried with him, but above all we admired his generosity of spirit together with his determination to recover and continue with his work for children. The Taliban have made his work in Afghanistan impossible at present.
We enjoyed several other talks in the morning, including learning from Amy Belcher the enormous importance of bees within our environment, and from Jane Walker, well known in our District, on the work of the Purple Community Fund which helps families in the Philippines living in poverty become financially independent.
Finally, we enjoyed hearing from Ken Wharfe MVO, bodyguard to Princes William and Harry, and subsequently to Princess Diana.
District Conference closed on Sunday at lunchtime. Once again, a weekend well spent and much enjoyed.
Photos taken over the weekend here
Diana Brooks