Rotary Club of Brunswick Tullamarine

You can't keep a good man down. PP Kevin Dale was notified by his watch that his heart rate was a little low (32 bpm) and went into hospital on Monday night. But as he was feeling a little bored, he joined us virtually at our weekly lunch meeting. And PP Greg Sewell popped in to visit Kevin and so attended our meeting as well. PP Kevin will be getting a pacemaker to help keep his heart rate up on Sat so your best wishes are welcome.

Today, the club met at Royal Talbot to continue our support of the work of the Spinal Research Institute. We have been working with them since 2016 and have donated $37000+ over that period. Morning tea was laid on and we enjoyed a discussion about what the SRI is doing, working with researchers and projects all around the world.

National Tree Day with the Rotary Community Group at Fairbairn Park in Ascot Vale. Hosted by Rotary Club of Flemington Kensington and Keilor East Rotary Club Inc., we had fellow community Rotary clubs of North Melbourne, Footscray and Brunswick Tullamarine attend with Presidents gathering to have a chat and serve a sausage. DG Michael Lapina and DGE Peter Shepheard came to celebrate in the morning as we planted and nature watered our efforts.

5 year old Elina went into hospital to have her 4 week old cast removed and an operation to correct her ankle performed today. She has just gone into theatre for the surgery so your thoughts, wishes and prayers are appreciated.

*** Update: Elina is out of surgery and into recovery. She is doing well.

Yesterday, we celebrated the District Changeover at the Ultima Receptions and welcomed District Governor Michael Lapina. Thanks to President-Elect Ronald Moss (Caroline Springs) for taking the photo with President Peter Boudville and the DG on the right.

Went along to Flemington Kensington Rotary's 2024 Changeover at the Mercure North Melbourne. They have had a wonderful year with President Shraddha Sharma, with a list of projects of which they can be proud. We are a part of the same Community Group (formerly Supercluster) and with Presidents-Elect Deb Sloggett (Keilor East), Larry Robb (North Melbourne), Peter Boudville (Brunswick Tullamarine) and President David Dippie (Keilor East and also the new Community Leader), we came to celebrate President Lesley McCarthy's assumption of the club Presidency.

Last Thursday we welcomed our ROMAC patient and her mum (and her Aunt) to the club meeting. We were a little down on numbers because of various medical visits of our members but we enjoyed hearing about Enneth's medical background (midwife) and volunteer work (self funded with savings and produce sold at the local market). Both Elina's mum and her grandaunt are called Enneth.

L-R Enneth (mum), Elina, Enneth (grandaunt and midwife), PP Kevin, PP Terry and Treasurer Peter

The club is working with ROMAC to sponsor young Elina (5 years old) to come to Melbourne to undergo treatment for her ankle. Together with Rtn Minh (Keilor East) who is the Southern ROMAC chair and his wife Kim, we have gathered with a couple of other Vanuatuan ladies (hosted by Randall and his wife Heather - Uniting Church) in Attwood for a bit of afternoon tea. Elina is accompanied by her mother Enneth and her aunt (also Enneth) who is acting as a chaperone and interpreter. Elina's ankle is in a cast and she is likely to have surgery to complete her treatment.

(L-R Enneth (Mum), Elina, Becky, Lorraine, Enneth (Aunt), Kim, Rtn Minh, PP Peter and Heather)

Yesterday, we gathered at the Coburg Civic Centre to welcome the new car (4th time our club has contributed) to the L2P program in Merri-bek Council. Present were Deborah from Sutton Tools (a long time fellow corporate contributor), David Kennedy from INLLEN, Janelle Barnard (L2P coordinator), Mayor Adam Pulford and PP Kevin Dale and Treasurer Peter Boudville. We missed PP Terry O'Meara who was taking his new L2P mentee driving that very morning. The new car is an automatic transmission Toyota Hybrid which will help a new generation of under 21s gain their driving licenses to expand their travel, study and work opportunities.

Inner North Jobs for Youth Transport Accident Commission (TAC) VicRoads Merri-bek City Council

PP Terry O'Meara missed our SRI morning tea last week because he was with his L2P learner. He continues to produce an excellent result with his mentoring in the car. Congratulations to the two new Probationary drivers on their successful result.

Today, the club attended the Future Leaders Spinal Research Institute event at Cranlana for morning tea. Present were PP Giuseppe DeSimone, PP Peter Boudville, PP Kevin Dale, PP Karin Penttila, PP Greg Sewell and Glynyce Sewell

Here is a chance to experience what you can do for a few hours a week in helping the community

Our next Community Volunteer Day is coming up & we need your help!

Join us on Saturday the 4th Of May for our community day from 10AM - 12PM. By lending a hand you'll be making a real difference in our community.

Register via https://wayvolunteer.org/ or contact us for more details.

On Sat, Hume City Council held a volunteers' expo from 11 am to 3 pm at the BroadMeadows Town Hall. PPs Kevin and Peter turned up to man a table and promote the club and Rotary. It is always hard to work out what to say because some will come for a chance to volunteer a few hours a week but it is the smaller part of what Rotary can do. We plugged Donations in Kind and WERN (WESTERN EMERGENCY RELIEF NETWORK) as opportunities to do some immediate work and at least 6 people took the address and phone no. But we also talked about Rotary's work and said that if you wanted to use your talents and experience plus gain new ones, Rotary is an opportunity to volunteer differently. We had a church group, an educational related exhibitor and individuals express interest in engaging with us. At least, we expanded people's knowledge of how much Rotary can do with a few of them being amazed at the breadth and depth of our projects. They also said that we don't advertise enough about the good that we do. I am energized by the multiple chats we had and the day went quickly.

This week, our club had the distinct pleasure of participating in the District 9800 Conference held in the vibrant city of Bendigo. The event proved to be an exceptional blend of communication, networking, and entertainment, offering a multitude of opportunities for growth and collaboration.

We were thrilled to present three of our key projects at the conference showcase, each embodying our commitment to community service and innovation. It was incredibly rewarding to share our initiatives and the positive impacts they've had.

Equally important was the chance to observe and learn from the diverse array of projects presented by other clubs. The creativity and passion displayed were truly inspiring, underscoring the power of collective effort in making a meaningful difference.

This experience not only reinforced our dedication to our causes but also broadened our horizons, sparking new ideas and potential partnerships. We left the conference energized and more connected than ever to our fellow Rotary members and our shared mission.

Thank you to everyone involved for making it such a memorable and fruitful event!

The Community Employment Partnership is an initiative created by Rotarians over 20 years ago in Alberta Canada, to change the poor employment outcomes for people with Intellectual disability and Autism. Rotarians tap into their networks to find businesses who may be interested in employing a jobseeker with great skills and enthusiasm into their workplace. Check out the website: www.communityemploymentpartnership.org for further information.

To all the powerful women on this platform and in the universe, we celebrate you.

Happy Birthday to our energetic President, Vera Vasilchenko.

Happy Valentine’s Day people.

Are you interested in becoming a mentor and sharing your skills and knowledge?

Here's an exciting opportunity to do so with the Inner Northern Local Learning and Employment Network (INLLEN), one of our supported organizations dedicated to empowering youth in our community.

INLLEN provides valuable resources and support to young people, helping them navigate education, training, and employment opportunities. By becoming a mentor with INLLEN, you can make a real difference in the lives of young individuals, guiding them towards success.

Visit the INLLEN website for application details and more information: www.inllen.org.au/vme

Don't miss out on this chance to inspire and support the next generation!

A small amount of time can make a big difference in the life of a young person.

Become a VOLUNTEER MENTOR and share your knowledge and life lessons with students as they explore their career aspirations.

No need to have mentored before as comprehensive training, resources and ongoing support will be provided.

For more information or to apply now, see www.inllen.org.au/vme

The club turned out at the Belgravia Foundation Inspiration Breakfast where we listened to a number of speakers from various Belgravia-run sites / centres and programs. We heard some innovative ideas, result based research and partnerships across the community. We saw Belgravia's commitment to ensuring that the disadvantaged members of the community don't miss out on having access to their centres for recreation, enjoyment, engagement, learning and employment. And we watched how Immersion Therapy is giving spinal cord injury sufferers, multiple sclerosis, stroke and other mobility restricted people a chance to move and exercise their legs and limbs in a near weightless environment.

A great outcome for Rachel. And if you didn't know, the Rotarian comes from our club.
We are also attending the Belgravia Inspiration breakfast on Thursday at Zinc Fed Square to continue our partnership.

Happy New Year y’all. Hope everyone is doing great? Temi here just reaching out 😎

Hey everyone, guess what? It's our club's 71st birthday today! 🎉 71 years ago, we officially chartered this awesome journey. Big shoutout to all the club members, volunteers, and supporters for rocking our community! 🙌 Cheers to many more years of fun and impact together! 🥳

Our inaugural Harrods bear 2023 $10 raffle which was won by Jiawen Boudville. Our Christmas function in aid of the Rotary Foundation was hosted by PP Kevin Dale at his Mt Macedon home and has raised about $700

Well done to Elham for getting your P plates and Jenny for helping you on your journey!

We have just funded the next car with a contribution of $8000.

Congrats to Merri-bek driver Elham, who just obtained her P's.
Elham successfully gained her license after completing 120+ hours of supervised practice with her dedicated and supportive mentor, Jenny. Well done to you both!

If you, too, want to make a difference in a young person's life. Volunteer to be a mentor driver in the Merri-bek L2P program. 1-2 hours a week is all it will take!
Contact Mohamed at [email protected] to learn more.
Victoria Police Transport Accident Commission (TAC) VicRoads Merri-bek City Council Merri-bek Youth Rotary Club of Brunswick Tullamarine IntoWork Australia AGA

This evening our club was attended “Inside Story” hosting by Victoria Police Blue Ribbon Foundation - Northern Metro Branch

How can you use your contacts to help someone with an intellectual disability get a job? This is how you can do it.

About the Community Employment Partnership

Yesterday, our club had the privilege of visiting INLLEN, a cause we've been connected with for a long time. We're proud to contribute not just financially, but through volunteering on various projects. During this event, we celebrated our involvement in the programs and presented a check for the L2P program, aiding in the purchase of a new car. 🚗