Charity Collections

 The Club undertakes public Charity collections at locations such as Shopping Centres or supermarkets in aid of local, national or international charities. We are very thankful to the shoppers who so generously give and enable us to donate these monies. The Club is also particularly grateful to all the collectors: members and their families, representatives of the charities and other Rotarians, Rotaractors and Interactors who have helped with these collections and to the management of all the venues for facilitating the collections. The Club have been delighted with the public's response and considerable sums have been donated to the charities.

In 2023 and 24 the Club concentrated on collecting for the ShelterBox Charity Emergency Appeals at Bloomfields shopping Centre, Bangor. In 2023 the funds were donated to ShelterBox's Turkey and Syria Earthquakes Disaster Appeal and the 2024 to ShelterBox's Pakistan Emergency Appeal.

No collections were made during the Covid years.

2019 - £665 - 17 April - Tesco Newtownbreda - Club Rotary Charities

During the Tree of Remembrance collections shoppers who donated were invited to write a private personal message on ribbons which were attached to the Tree. Whilst Christmas trees are usually purely decorative, these trees provided a simple, yet poignant, way of remembering, acknowledging and celebrating the lives of loved ones amid the hustle and bustle of the Christmas season. We hoped that people would take a look at the trees, with their unique ribbons and that the true spirit of Christmas would be made evident for one special moment whilst supporting local charities. The Club have been really pleased at the hundreds of ribbons which have been attached to the trees.

The ribbons, each with their own story of messages and thoughts of loved ones, from the 2012 & 13 collections were blessed by Father Michael Murtagh during mass on Sunday 15 June 2014 at the beautiful Clonard Monastery. The ribbons were presented by President Ken Morrison with his wife Gilly and Past President Brian Clements in attendance. 

President Alan Rundle and his wife, Fleur, Club members, Rotaractors and our Ambassadorial Scholar Delia Ferguson were honoured to be at the blessing of the messages of thousands of yellow ribbons from the 2011 Christmas's Park Centre Tree of Remembrance during the Choral Mass Sunday 25 November 2012 in St Peter's Cathedral. All were given a great welcome and there was inspiring music from the renowned Schola Cantorum Choir formed by Director of Music, organist and choirmaster Trevor McClintock. In particular, their Hallelujah Chorus during the offering and blessing of the ribbons was magnificent. This was an exceptional occasion in the beautifully restored Cathedral. 

The 2010 ribbons were blessed in St Anne's Cathedral by the Dean during the Club's Centenary Thanksgiving Service. Having been introduced by President Adrian Kerr the baskets of ribbons were processed by six children and grandchildren of Belfast Club members - Assistant District Governor Maurice Brooks, Past President Alastair Corscadden, Mark Davidson and Hon Treasurer Ivan McMinn. They were placed around a candle of light and hope which was lit by President Adrian's wife, Margaret, during which 12-year-old Victoria College student Alexandra Dick sang a moving solo of John Rutter's Clare Benediction (more here).  

Past President Harry Corscadden Honoured

In recognition of the huge input to the Harmony Community Trust of the late Harry Corscadden, the new Activity and Conference Centre at Glebe House was renamed after him at a special ceremony in May 2009.

Harry played the leading role in the establishment of Glebe House; he worked continually to see it and its aims come to fruition and went on to become the HCT President. After he had retired from this position he still remained very much involved and active in the work of Glebe House.

Even in his 90's he was still actively involved and would regularly visit and take a hands-on interest. His last visit was in September 2008, shortly before he died aged 101 years. Harry gave a lot of his time and expertise and asked for nothing in return.

The naming ceremony celebrated his life with Glebe House, tributes and memories were made by Helen Honeyman, Chairperson, Harmony Community Trust, Past President David Boyd, HCT Treasurer and Belfast Rotary Club, Dee Kelly, Past Co-ordinator for International Voluntary Service NI and Chairperson HCT and his grand daughter Sheila Pulham who was also a past volunteer at Glebe House.

Helen said: "Harry was one of the unsung heroes of Northern Ireland, who, through his involvement with Glebe House and its ongoing peace and reconciliation work, has given thousands of children, young people and adults opportunities of hope and a brighter future." The Plaque was then unveiled by his son Past President Alistair and Jennifer Corscadden.

Daisy Project

Typifying how Rotary supports communities, the Club, by donating funds, supported in 2014 the Rotary Ireland Daisy Lodge Project to provide a therapeutic play area at the newly built Daisy Lodge situated outside Newcastle Co. Down. (click on image left to view detail)

Daisy Lodge - a purpose built, short break centre for families in Ireland nursing a child with cancer – was built by The Cancer Fund for Children and opened its doors in April 2014. The charity does not receive Government funding and it relied on the support of many different companies, trusts and foundations, individuals and groups to build Daisy Lodge. However, there was no playground for the children to enjoy. So, when it came to the vital therapeutic play area, Rotary Ireland was delighted to raise the money to install the play equipment and safety surface.

The play area encourages children to venture outdoors and benefit from the fresh mountain air that surrounds Daisy Lodge after spending months in treatment on a hospital ward. It is a focus of activity in the garden, bringing smiles to children's faces during their short break there.

 Daisy Lodge aims to restore a family life that's been uprooted by cancer. The short breaks provide exhausted families with the chance to spend quality time together after many months spent in isolation or on the hospital ward. They are able to recharge their batteries, increase their sense of well-being and gain support from the charity's Therapeutic Specialist. They also get the chance to meet and gain support from other families in a similar situation. Cancer Fund for Children are able to provide every family affected by childhood cancer in Northern Ireland with a free therapeutic short break. This includes families nursing a child with cancer, bereaved families and families in which a parent has been diagnosed with cancer.

FASA

The Club actively supported (2011-2016) the Belfast based charity FASA - Forum Against Substance Abuse who provided specialist services in relation to prevention, education, training and intervention on issues relating to Suicide, Self- harm, Alcohol & Substance Misuse and Mental Health Crisis. Established in 1996 by a group of families and concerned residents in the Greater Shankill area it had developed significantly over the past seventeen years and provided services across Belfast, Bangor, North Down and Ards with some services provided on a NI wide basis.

However it closed in March 2016 and Extern NI now provides support services related to early and crisis intervention focusing on people who are at risk of suicide or mental ill health in Belfast. There will also be additional work which builds on Extern's existing addiction contracts, such as early family interventions and counselling provision (particularly within the Northern area), community and stakeholder support (particularly within the Belfast area) and information and support services for young people (in the Belfast and South Eastern areas).

The Club's involvement began in 2011 when FASA was selected as one of the supported charities from the Christmas Charity Collections and it has continued to receive donated funds.

The Club also decided to commemorate the Club's Centenary 2011/12 with a Centenary Project of a refurbished mobile trailer for FASA to enable them to extend their work to a much larger target audience and client base in the greater Belfast area and other hot spot locations by their being able tow the unit to the 'drug hot spots' in the city, where trained counsellors can work with drug abusers and potential drug abusers and their families to encourage them to seek further help and treatment for their problems. The Club allocated £25,000 to this venture and had the unit refurbished to FASA's specification by Brown's Coach Company, Moira with a youth-friendly outside 'wrap'. This trailer, in a strange quirk of fate, had previously been donated in 2005 by the Club as part of the Belfast Club's recognition of 100 years of Rotary to, and used by, the Education and Library Board as a Life Education Facility and was no longer being used by them. The trailer was handed over by President Alan to Chris Deconink of FASA and the YETI Programme launched by the Lord Mayor Alderman Gavin Robinson and Dame Mary Peters in the Lord Mayor's parlour at the City Hall, Belfast, 29 May 2013 (Click on picture right to enlarge). The full Centenary Project report can be seen here.

Known as the YETI Youth Hub – the trailer was self powered by a generator, had numerous on-board facilities and could accommodate seating for up to 17 young people. With its youth friendly design it was regularly being used by FASA in a variety of formats, in identified and targeted communities, engaging with marginalized young people on an outreach basis across the City of Belfast. It featured prominently at the City Hall, Belfast for the World Suicide Prevention Day, 12 September 2013 (shown right - click to enlarge).

FASA representatives Chris Deconick and Roberta Coates gave a most interesting talk 30 September 2013 to the Club about the work of FASA and thanked the Club for the donation, refurbishment and presentation of the Youth Hub – YETI Trailer. They noted that it is in permanent use and does really get to those young people who could so easily get caught up in under age drinking, substance abuse and liable to suicide.

The Club and individual members continued to support and commend the work of FASA supporting those affected by drug and solvent abuse and family suicides. They reported that the work that FASA was involved in and the help for those involved in alcohol, substance abuse and suicide was very moving and the Club's donation of the Rotary Trailer really did especially help them make contact with young drop outs who are exposed to drugs and alcohol abuse in areas of the city off the beaten track. (click on images to enlarge)

Hon. Member Dame Mary Peters and Past President Courtenay Thompson attended several of their events. Past President Courtenay Thompson attended their Spring Fair for the families and children who have lost a family member to suicide. He reported "It was a wonderful day and great just to see the smiles on the faces and the camaraderie of the family members and the team". The Garden of Remembrance at FASA Headquarters features a mural evoking - SOLACE - a place of hope and reflection and a wonderful creepy crawly head designed by Hon Member Dame Mary Peters.

FASA marked the end of World Suicide Prevention Week September 2014 with a Mad Hatters Tea Party Past President Courtenay gave the vote of thanks and helped with a collection up the Shankill Road. Hon. Member Dame Mary Peters gave a very uplifting and inspiring talk on the fantastic comfort and HOPE that the SAFE support group gives to the families that have lost a loved one.

They also visited the setting up for the FASA Halloween party at their Eden project at Millisle. After the visit Dame Mary and PP Courtenay visited the new FASA Nightingale house on the Newtownards Road which will provide a 24hr drop in and call centre for those who are experiencing mental anguish and may be thinking of suicide.

In December 2014 they attended the FASA Service of Reflection and Hope held in FASA's Memorial Garden at which Linda Bryans gave an inspirational talk to the families on her personal life through acute depression. Photo shows (left-right) Linda Bryans, a bereaved mother and child, FASA's Roberta Coats and Dame Mary.