Chipping Norton Times - Issue 25 - October 2012 (PDF)

The Rotary Club of
Kingham & Daylesford
In September our group was privileged to have an address by
Wendy Dawson CEO of the Ley Community. Wendy, in her own
words ‘a posh Geordie’, has been working in Oxford since 1997
driving various organisations in the field of drug and alcohol
addiction treatment, youth work and young offenders’ advocacy.
Everyone deserves a second chance
When Wendy Dawson took over the Ley Community in Yarnton,
Oxfordshire, in 2008 she insisted on being treated like any other
new resident for the first three days. In this residential
rehabilitation centre for drug and alcohol addicts life is no holiday.
A routine day involves an early start, lots of hard work and very
little free time as everyone in the community is accountable for the
running of the unit, for his or her actions, conversation, learning
and success. Wendy got to know a lot about herself in those three
days. At the Ley, a rigorous peer driven programme based on
therapeutic community philosophy has ensured that 100% of
residents who successfully complete the 12 month course move
out into full time employment.
Chipping Norton Rotary Club
The new team shapes up for the rotary year
The Rotary Club took the opportunity of a few minutes' dry
weather at the beginning of July to hold an 'indoor' barbeque and
celebrate the new Rotary Year – which starts at the beginning of
July – and welcome
in the new
President of Rotary
and the new Vice-
President.
President Edwin
Wilson is a retired
headmaster who
now lives in Shipton
under Wychwood
and who is an
accomplished
organist when not
busy with Rotary, the
Edwin Wilson, Rosemary Wilson, Geoff Norris
Chipping Norton Music Festival or hiking. He shares many of
these pastimes with his wife Rosemary who is one of the leading
organisers of the Music Festival. He will be supported in his year
by our new Vice President Geoff Norris. Geoff is a retired
solicitor who came to settle in the area a few years ago and lives
in Chadlington.
Chippy Jazz is here
ChippyJazz will have just
finished by the time you
read this, and we will get
some pictures to you and
the amount we have raised for charity in next month's edition.
The charities we are supporting this year are the Thames Valley
and Chiltern Air Ambulance, Riding for the Disabled – which
has been a starting block for many of our riding Paralympians –
and St Mungo's which provides support and temporary
accommodation for young homeless people in Chippy, Witney
and Oxford locally.
The Ley Community is a not-for-profit independent charity
developed in 1971, totally drug and alcohol free, relying on the
individual’s desire to break addiction and being prepared to listen
and learn. No one is interested in what you were, but passionately
interested in what you are going to be.
It was the opinion of those present that this charity deserves
and needs the attention and support of government, local
authority and the medical profession, and considered Wendy
among the most stirring speakers they have heard.
www.ley.co.uk
Next month’s speaker
On 10 October John Terry, Director of The Chipping Theatre,
will be telling us how to make the theatre pay in these times of
tight finance. 6.30pm at the Mill House Hotel, Kingham. Call Mike
Clark 01451 830684 to book a place and consider staying for a
meal afterwards.
We’re for Communities
Would you like to join us and get involved with our community
programmes throughout the Evenlode Valley and the Wychwoods
continuing the legacy of the Olympics Games Makers by
volunteering time and energy to help others?
Call Martin Dare 07733 306856 or Graham More 01451 810413.
Riding For The Disabled
We were privileged to have two members of the local Riding For
The Disabled branch to tell us all about the charity and what it
does. It was complete news to us that RDA in the Chipping
Norton area was one of the original branches set up 43 years
ago, and is now one of 500 nationwide. It meets every Thursday
at Chastleton and provides riding for those with both physical
and learning
disabilities.
Riding
improves the
core muscle
strength of the
physically handicapped and the concentration and
communication skills of the mentally disabled. Whilst children are
the main beneficiaries, handicapped adults have also been given
access to the benefits of RDA. It was clear from what our
speakers told us that we have chosen well in supporting RDA
through Chippy Jazz .
Inner wheel has a successful coffee morning and
mini-fete
The Inner Wheel Club of Chipping Norton
held their traditional coffee morning and
sale on Bank Holiday Saturday morning
at the Banbury Hill Farm Cotswold
Caravanning and Camping Site outside
Charlbury.
The rain held off until just after the last
stall had been packed away – hooray – and many contented
visitors moved away with books, plants, cakes and tasty
winnings from the tombola stall. The club made £764, all of
which will be going to charity, and a big thanks go out to
everyone who came along and gave their support.
Simon Hamilton, Communications Member,
Chipping Norton Rotary T : 01608 677156 M: 07896 326149
W: www.chippingnortonrotary.org.uk
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