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INSIDE THIS ISSUE Don’t judge a book by its cover 04 Understanding the value of peace 20 Befriending scheme 26 A world free of Polio 32 rotarygbi.org The Official Magazine of Rotary International in Great Britain & Ireland April/May 2018 DOLLY IN 4 DREAMLAND Singer’s mission to get more children reading 4 ADVERT 8 12 4 38 36 CONTENTS REGULARS ROTARY IN ACTION GLOBAL IMPACT Rotary in Great Britain Rotary Innovation 12 Dolly Parton 4 & Ireland President 6 Tree Planting Challenge 14 Peace Conference 8 Talk from the Top Rotary Grand Tour 22 Peace Fellows 20 Rotary International President 14 Community Project 24 National Immunisation Day 30 Letters to the Editor 16 RAF Fellowship 26 Michel Zaffran 32 The Rotary Foundation Trustee Chair 22 Rotaract 50th Birthday 36 RI Director 28 Champions of Change 38 It's Gone Viral 34 People of Action 40 And Finally… 50 RAF Fellowship 26 w Get in touch Follo us Enjoy Rotary anywhere Rotary in Great Britain & Ireland Kinwarton Road, Alcester, Warwickshire B49 6PB t: 01789 765 411 rotarygbi.org Editor: Dave King e: [email protected] Look for us online at PR Officer:e: [email protected] rotarygbi.org or follow us: Designer: Martin Tandy e: [email protected] Facebook: /RotaryinGBI The Official Magazine of Rotary International in Great Britain & Ireland Advertising: Media Shed (Agent for Rotary) Twitter: @RotaryGBI Contact: Dawn Tucker, Sales Manager YouTube: Rotary International t: 020 3475 6815 e: [email protected] in Great Britain & Ireland Published by Contently Limited: contentlylondon.co.uk rotarygbi.org ROTARY // 3 ROTARY IN ACTION Imagination Library LUKE ADDISON Don’t judge a book by its cover ITH her tell-tale looks icon of country music has supported something good for kids, it would be to and sweet, sultry voice, many charities through her Dollywood make sure they could read. Dolly Parton has been Foundation – particularly in areas of “I am not a person to tell people what a country and western literacy. they should do, so I thought if we could do icon for more than One of the main projects is something that inspired kids to love books Whalf a century. the Rotary-supported Dolly Parton and to love reading, then maybe we could The legendary singer has sold more Imagination Library, for which the make a difference. than 100 million records and enjoyed a inspiration came from her father, Lee. “After a year or so of figuring it out, we successful movie career. “My daddy was the smartest man I created the Imagination Library.” However, less well-known is have ever known,” she said. “But he could Dolly set up the first Imagination Dolly’s philanthropy. Since not read or write. Early on, I decided Library in 1995 in her hometown in Sevier the mid-1980s, this if I were ever in a position to do County, Tennessee. Since then, The Dollywood Foundation has sent over 100 million free books to children worldwide, with more than 1.3 million posted in the UK. The Imagination Library is a free book-giving initiative devoted to inspiring a love of reading for young children everywhere. Founder of Imagination Library, Dolly Parton Pat with Dolly Parton 4 // ROTARY rotarygbi.org Every child enrolled in the who do not get the books by the time they five years ago. Imagination Library receives a book start primary school.” As a result, Nottinghamshire City personally addressed to them in the post Rolf has worked closely with Leonard Council has produced a website called every month until their fifth birthday. Gelblum from the Rotary Club of www.dollybooksnottingham.org with All of the titles in the Imagination Nottingham – a project which coincided a voice message from the country and Library are published by Penguin Random with the Midlands club’s centenary. western star. House and carefully selected by a panel “The Rotary Club of Nottingham is Dolly Parton knows that the value of experts in early childhood literacy and one of the oldest clubs in the country,” of Rotary to the project is immense. “To reading. explained Leonard. “It was about to enter make all of this work successfully, we have A child enrolled from birth to its 100th year of operation. to have partners,” she explained. their fifth birthday will build their own “No matter how clever our idea is, home library of up to 60 books and the it takes our local sponsors to make this programme is completely free for children dream a reality for the children. and their families. “I am not a person to tell “Since day one, local Rotary clubs In June 2014, Dolly handed over her people what they should expressed an interest in what we are one millionth book to a UK child. “Every doing. However, we did not go big time time a child comes up to me and says do, so I thought if we could until I was invited to speak at the Rotary ‘Thank you for the books’, I say, I love do something that inspired International Convention in Montreal. being known as The Book Lady!”. "We created an international For Rotary, this has been a perfect kids to love books and to partnership that day which continues to project working alongside Helen Hastle, love reading, then maybe grow over the years. who is the Regional Director of The “Rotary is so strong. I don’t think you Dollywood Foundation UK. we could make a difference. need much advice or inspiration from me. With access to local schools, councils You have always dreamed big and have and youth services, alongside dynamic and done so much good for so long. I can only hard-working members, Rotary clubs have “We had a talk from the Dolly Parton say ‘thank you’ and tell you that it is always been able to deliver and successfully run Foundation who spoke about a library an honour to work together.” Imagination Libraries across the UK. to the club which ticked a big box for But Dolly is dreaming big. When The driving force of the Rotary effort us because literacy in Rotary is a major asked about her vision for the libraries has been Rolf Sperr from the Rotary Club project. At the same time, we discovered in ten years, she said: “Our hope is for Cleethorpes, who has been instrumental in the importance of early intervention in 2.5 million children to be enrolled and setting up five branches alone. education - if you can get hold of kids receiving a book each month. It’s a big Dolly, incidentally, is an Honorary before they are four or five-years-old then dream, but I am a mighty big dreamer!” l Member of the Lincolnshire club. Rolf, you can lay the foundations of education.” who has been a Rotarian since 1990, says The Nottingham Imagination Library You can find out more about Dolly “There is a big difference between the now has over 3,781 children registered and Parton’s Imagination Library here: children who get the books and children shipped over 89,000 books since starting imaginationlibrary.com/uk rotarygbi.org ROTARY // 5 ROTARY IN ACTION Rotary GBI President PRESIDENT OF ROTARY IN GREAT BRITAIN & IRELAND DENIS SPILLER Tuning into Rotary ITH the conference season The tree planting deadline is fast over, I have been treated to a approaching, and the reports are coming in tour of district councils and of some great results, my own club Strood, “Here is a new project that you project visits around Great planted 90 trees, in some new woodlands, will all wish to hear about. BritainW and Ireland. that’s three each rather than one and, on Clubs in the South East are When you get into the year as February 25th, with RI President Ian President, even as an experienced, well- Riseley and many others from Coventry, supporting the setting up of a travelled and seasoned Rotarian, you come we planted a Japanese Parasol tree in the Rotary radio station. The lead to realise that you have only seen a glimpse memorial gardens. is an experienced hospital radio of the great works that our clubs are This tree is a direct descendent of one delivering. that emerged from the ashes of the city DJ and initially as an internet It is warming to see the focus on of Hiroshima in 1945. April 24th was the radio channel, the plan is to schools from a library scheme in a planting deadline, but please don’t let this move it to a DAB frequency in conventional primary school where children stop you. Keep calm and carry on planting! come with over 20 different first languages, The polio eradication programme due course.” to a polytunnel and gardening installation moves on a pace, and at the time of writing, in a school for children with very special just three cases have been reported needs and some with the most limited this year. communication ability. The very sad, yet very happy and It has been a privilege to meet Rotarian entertaining film ‘Breathe’ has now been victims of the Cockermouth floods and to released on DVD. I encourage you to invest see the project work delivered by the local £10 on this disc. Turn the lights down and clubs to build flood defences. the surround sound up and you will remain We all know that similar great absorbed until the end, at which point you works are being delivered across all our will truly understand the reason why we districts and in many cases making use of have spent 33 years destroying this Foundation grants, both district and global, virus and why the next five because don’t forget, Global Grants can years are so critical.