Support for Charities
Rotary is not just about business networking and building friendships. One of our key aims is to get involved in our local communities and support local charities, helping those most in need. It is a very fulfilling role and Rotarians can get involved as much or as little as their time will allow.
In addition to clubs being active at a local level, Rotary International has created a charitable trust fund - the Rotary Foundation. The objective of the Foundation is to achieve world understanding and peace through international charitable and educational programmes. One of its most well known and ambitious projects has been PolioPlus, a global effort to rid the world of this crippling disease. Rotary has played a key part in immunization campaigns throughout the world, and polio is now very close to being eradicated.
The Bristol Bridge club will be supporting numerous charitable events throughout the year, but has also chosen three main charities (in addition to the Foundation) for which we will be organising special fundraising activities. We will be focusing on these charities in the coming year while our club gets more established, but we are aiming to expand our range of supported charities in the future. Please have a look at our Events pages to find out about some of our upcoming charitable activities.
We are also currently looking into volunteering opportunities in Bristol and will be posting further information about these on our website soon.
If you have any charities or volunteering opportunities that you would like our club to get involved in, please contact our Charities officer.
Our Current Charities
The Womens Project
The Womens Project was established in 1993 and aims to empower women to develop and improve service provision for women experiencing domestic abuse in North Somerset. Since 1997 it has worked to promote awareness of the issues of domestic abuse as they affect women in North Somerset and to create services to meet their needs.The project has also established a subsidised and reduced rate counselling service for those affected by domestic abuse.
In 2000 the Women's Project joined partnership with the Bristol Cyrennians to form NADA - North Somerset Against Domestic Abuse. Two part-time workers are employed: one to look at services in existence and to help with their improvement; the second to work directly with survivors so that they can be heard and influence existing and future services.
In 2001 the Women's Project joined forces with Victim Support to create the STAR Project (Survival Through Abusive Relationships) to provide emotional support and practical help for those affected by domestic abuse. That service can be accessed by telephoning 01934 638179. It is not a 24 hour service yet, but calls will be responded to as quickly as possible.
FareShare South West
FareShare is a national charity which has hit upon the idea of collecting surplus food and drink from supermarkets, manufacturers and distributors, and redistributing these to those who need them most, such as homeless shelters and youth centres. This helps save the environment from unnecessary pollution, as well as providing essential food to those who are most at risk of malnourishment and enabling member organisations to divert their valuable funds into improving services for their clients such as housing advice and medical services.
FareShare South West is the local franchise and has only recently been set up to cover Bristol and surrounding regions. As this is such a new organisation, Bristol Bridge Rotary Club is very keen on helping to make a success of it for the benefit of our local communities. The money we raise will go directly for the benefit of FareShare South West. In its first year of operation, FareShare South West aims to deliver food and related support services to 50 local organisations. It already has established links with Fairbridge West, Emmaus House and Redwood House (Places for People).
In addition, FareShare South West provides volunteering and training opportunities to those who wish to help with the collection and redistribution of food. People from disadvantaged backgrounds can receive training around health & safety, food safety and other key skills, thus enabling them to build up their work experience and helping them into active employment.
Jessie May Trust
Jessie May Trust is a charity which provides help and support for children with terminal illnesses and their families in the Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire areas. The Trust provides a free Palliative Care Service and offers support at home for all stages of a child's illness, from diagnosis to terminal care, into death and bereavement. The Jessie May nurses give practical and emotional support by befriending, listening and advising on all aspects of palliative care.
At the moment, there are as many as 20 families who could benefit from the Trust's services if there were more resources. It would take only £9,500 to support another family for one year, and only £750 could give a family an extra four desperately needed respite visits.
The Trust is currently running its "Precious Time Appeal", which highlights how every moment spent with their child is precious for families supported by Jessie May, so those of us who are lucky enough not to need their services are encouraged to give up some of their time in order to support this wonderful charity.