Charites we support
Listed below are some of the charities that the Rotary Club of Gravesend, under the leadership of our President, has supported in the last eighteen months. This has been made possible by our various fund-raising events like our annual “On Your Bike” ride, by grants from within the Rotary organisation and by our members going out with collection boxes.
With guidance from our Community Service committee, the club has provided support for the “local” charities shown below (with a resume of the work they do). In the case of national or regional charities we arrange for the funds to be used by a local branch or for local work. They are listed in no particular order:
EllenorLions Hospice
Caring for people with terminal illnesses at the Northfleet hospice and at home and supporting the patients’ relatives.
Age UK North West Kent
Looking after the health, rights and wellbeing of Gravesend’s senior citizens.
Alzheimer’s & Dementia Support Services
Working to improve the quality of life for people with dementia and of their carers in N.W.Kent.
ChYps
Part of the EllenorLions with the purpose of providing clinical care and support to Children and Young People with life-limiting and life-threatening conditions.
House of Mercy
A hostel for the homeless of N.W.Kent.
Cerebral Palsy Care (Kent)
Provides special services and educational support to people of all ages suffering from a wide range of disabilities.
Gravesend MS Society
Provides practical, emotional and financial support to people with MS.
The Simon Paul Foundation
Provides support to severely physically disabled young people of the Gravesend area who wish to live independent lives in the community.
Phab
Promotes and encourages people of all abilities to come together on equal terms.
The Waterside Centre
Provides support for disadvantaged families in the Gravesend area.
Carers Choice
Supports and helps people with learning disabilities.
Gravesend Street Pastors
Multi-denominational group who patrol town centre streets late at night to help people in difficulties.
Support Dogs Limited
A group that especially train dogs to support and help disabled people in their everyday life.
Sea Cadets
Provide young people with numerous types of outdoor activities and skills and both at an individual and team level.
Northfleet Youth Club
Provides sports and arts based activities for teenagers.
St. John Ambulance
A group that provide first aid training sessions and trained first aiders to cover local events and their ambulances provide transport for any patient they may have.
Raynet
A group of radio enthusiasts that provide voluntary radio communications to local event organisers.
MacMillan
Nurses that specialise in the care and support of cancer patients.
Other local work
In addition to helping the charities of the Gravesend area, our club works to promote children’s pride in their schools tidiness (and “Green” credentials) though our annual “Tidy Schools” competition. All Infant and junior schools in the Gravesend area are eligible to compete for the winners shield which is presented by the Mayor of Gravesham in his parlour at the Civic Centre. The winner, runner-up and “highly commended” school all get certificates and a financial prize. International Charities
Under the guidance of our International Committee the Gravesend Rotary Club has in the last twelve months provided support the following international charities.
ShelterBox
– is an international disaster relief charity that delivers emergency shelter, warmth and dignity to people affected by disaster worldwide.
Mary’s Meals
– is a simple idea, by providing daily meals in a place of education, chronically poor children of East Africa are attracted to the classroom where they can gain a basic education that is an escape route from poverty.
Send A Cow
– Aimed at areas in Uganda, poor families are trained in bovine husbandry prior to a live cow being sent to them in order for them to have their own self -supporting supply of fresh milk.
Trade Aid Box
– is a custom-made Trade Aid Box. Each box contains specially selected supplies needed to provide individuals, families, and business recovering from a disaster, or other adversity, or to start working for themselves for the first time. Current boxes are tailored individually to the trades of builders, carpenter, blacksmith, tailor/ seamstress, mechanics and teachers.
Footsteps for Africa
– is a UK based charity that makes a very real difference to poor Kenyan street children with the opportunity to reach their potential as individuals and become healthy, educated, self-sufficient and valuable members of their communities. Rotary funding of solar panels and a well will hopefully make their school/dormitory complex self-sufficient in power and water.
Mercyships
– a global charity that brings hope and healing to the forgotten poor by operating hospital ships in third world nations and by mobilizing qualified people from developed countries .
Rotary Foundation
In addition to the international charities that the Gravesend club has supported directly, we have, through Rotary’s international charity, also supported the End Polio that after 25 years is on the brink of eradicating this tenacious disease.
If you feel that you would like to help the Rotary Club of Gravesend support charities like those shown above, please feel free to contact any one of the club officers shown on this web site.