The Amazing Sound of Toccata Concert

Glebe House is a unique and special shared and safe cross-community centre for people of all ages, from Ireland, north and south, and all over the world situated 3 miles from Strangford village in Co Down. For 40 years Glebe House, has facilitated groups of people from different backgrounds to come together in a unique residential setting, in contrast to their home environment, where they live, play, work and relax together, and cooperate in creating an environment in which differences and distinctiveness are acknowledged, accepted, respected, explored and valued. They cater for people of all ages but have a particular focus on meeting the needs of children and young people from disadvantaged and segregated areas of Northern Ireland. Children, young people and adults don't have to be victims of history but can be agents of change.

Its facilities have developed greatly over the years and comprise residential and activity areas based around a fully modernised 19th centaury rectory with purpose built extensions. Activities enjoyed include barbecues, arts and crafts, games plus community relations, cultural heritage, team building and nature studies. There is a Playground, Sensory Garden, donkeys for riding and a picnic area; a wildlife area and beaches and other nature and wild life areas are within easy reach.

However despite recent political developments the need for Glebe House's activities, whilst changing in emphasis, is almost greater than ever in those communities which have not yet seen significant benefits from the normalisation of life in the province. Ours is still a deeply divided society, where politics is organised along the fault-line; where individual's choices are limited too much by their background, and where identity and cultural differences give rise to suspicion rather than respect and celebration. We have really only started work on the job of creating a society that is peaceful, fair, cohesive, at ease with itself, outward-looking and optimistic.

Glebe makes a huge difference to people's lives its challenge now is to find the funding necessary to sustain and extend this work in the future.

Glebe House is owned and operated by Harmony Community Trust and was established by The Rotary Club of Belfast and International Voluntary Service UK in 1971.

Rotary clubs across Ireland change lives in Africa by providing, through Rotary Ireland Project H2O, safe, clean and disease free sources of drinking water even in the dry season.

Water is the key to life, everything starts with water but in many parts of the world it does not simply come out of a tap. In areas of Africa women and children have to walk up to eight hours a day to collect water for their families frequently in 20litre containers.

This water is often from unclean rivers or unsafe sources, contaminated by animals, parasites and waste from industries. The children in many cases are unable to go to school so their education suffers and the women do not have time to work in their communities.

Drinking contaminated water kills more people than all forms of violence including wars, several million people go blind each year by washing with dirty water and over 50% of all diseases in Africa are as a result of dirty water.

However "water harvesting" through wells, dams and rain catchment systems are a cost effective and innovative way of capturing and storing the annual rainfall to provide clean water all year round.

Rotary Ireland are partnering Gorta (the oldest overseas development agency in Ireland) to solve the water problems in the area to provide water harvesting through guttering and large water tanks for schools and smaller tanks and guttering for families. We are also securing and protecting existing water springs and providing hygiene and sanitation training.

With clean water communities become far better able to grow themselves out of poverty as health, school performance and agricultural productivity all improve.

Elaine Bannon, who for the last 10 years has lived and worked with the Maasai community in Rombo says: "Without Rotary, the people of my village would continue to suffer difficult lives, while they work long hours in the fields praying for rain for their crops. Now, thanks to Rotary clubs in Ireland, they have water security. Rotary has breathed life into these people and this area. From this helping hand, the people here will be able to support themselves now".