News & Events

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LATEST UPDATE ON LAPTOPS FOR FAMILIES PROJECT

How it all started : -
  • Suddenly we were all in lock down – families thrown into home schooling – often juggling, different lessons for different children with only a mobile phone 
  • I am a Dad and I can remember how hard it was to get your children to do their homework …. There were always excuses /reasons they couldn’t do it
  • Although times have changed – there are still all kinds of challenges for home learning and during this Pandemic it became apparent that not all children had the equipment / devises needed for home learning
  • This put an extra pressure on families – as for many buying a Laptop was just not possible and many families just shared a mobile phone.
  • The problems were two fold – stress, disappointment and guilt felt by the parents, frustration from the children who could not attend on line learning.
  • On- line learning was / is not just about education – but about connection with the school, the teachers and classmates.
 
How it came to be:-
  •  We heard from several people that the had laptops that they would like to donate – but did not know where to take them
  • That’s when The Rotary Club that I belong to, Westbourne Rotary –  started the project  - to give Laptops to give to children and families that need them
  • We heard that is was estimated that 1.8 million children do not have a laptop
 
Laptop Donations:
  •  We are very grateful to be included on the BBC Laptop Donation page
  • We have collected Laptops from very kind people who wished to donate their laptop to a child – and we know it has made such a difference
  • We have been told by children and families it has really helped with their school work and with their mental health
  • That it has taken a lot of stress away from parents, carers and siblings.  Making  family life so much happier
  • The Laptop Donations are helping to give all children equal opportunities
  • Also Westbourne Rotary do have a Just giving donation page on their website … for anyone who may like to donate few pennies to this project
 
What we do
  • When we receive a message that someone is willing to donate a Laptop, which must be less than five years old – one of our members contact them and make the arrangement to come and collect securely
  • We appreciate all donations – and understand concerns that the machines are wiped clean before passing on to a child
  • We are so lucky as a local company BITS based in Bournemouth – takes in the machines for us – wipes them and gets them ready for a new home!
  • We then deliver them to the school who identifies who needs them and … the child has the machine to take and use.     
 
School we are working with   
  •  We are working with St Michaels Church of England Primary School
  • Schools have been great – and the online lessons have been fun, connective and enjoyable.
 
Moving on
  •  Now children are back at school – this is not the end of online learning
  • Face to face teaching will be combined with online learning and homework projects  
  • On line virtual support will be available to ensure all children will be able to make up for lost learning.
  • Westbourne Rotary are happy to support this project. 
 
OTHER NEWS:
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​Club events and activities for 2020-2021 were all put on hold due to Covid-19 restrictions on size of groups, but the club threw its energy on helping via the local scrubs project to help the NHS and also providing daily meals for needy families - so have remained extremely busy throughout this time and received three awards from the Rotary District for our work in the last Rotary Year. Latest project - Donate a Laptop for Families - received media support via BBC and local radio stations during March.

We used to hold a weekly raffle to raise money for good causes at the Savoy Hotel which raised around £5k annually, but this has now ceased since the closure of the hotel and we will be moving to our new venue for face to face meetings on the 1st and 3rd Thursdays in the month at the Miramar Hotel, but meet via zoom on the 2nd and 4th Thursdays of the month for forseeable future.  These new arrangements will start from 24th June 2021 - but please contact the club secretary on info@westbournerotary.org.uk for latest information.  Our meetings start at 7.30am and are concluded by 8.30am on Thursday mornings.

For more information on Westbourne Rotary, please contact us on info@westbournerotary.org.uk and one of our members will be in touch.

Breaking News - Rotary Dorset Bike Ride 2021 will be taking place on Sunday 10th October, starting from Longthorns Campsite at Wareham and registrations are now open - For more information - go to - www.dorset-bike-ride.co.uk
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Santa comes to Boscombe, Springbourne & Southbourne
Westbourne Santa brought Christmas cheer to the families and children as he waved to them as he passed their homes along routes in Boscombe and Springbourne on 8th December, and in Southbourne on 15th December 2020.  

To end this difficult year, it was great to see the happy excited faces of children at the windows, or doors, or driveways as Santa passed by.
Thank you to anyone who has made a donation on-line or by text to help us help others all year round.

Thanks also to Poole Bay Rotary for letting us use their Santa Express Float again - you certainly cannot miss it with all the lights and music.

​YO HO HO - as Santa would say............

If you would still like to make a donation - it is never too late.
Text WBOURNEROTARY followed by your donation amount to
70085