Rotarian's 'making blindness history' programme is exposed in June's Rotary Today.

Gaining national and international traction for club initiatives takes time and patience, particularly for small clubs like Stevenage Grange. It is pleasing therefore that Rotary Today made space to remind us that ROI needs on-going support to build on donations which have already funded 2,750 cataract operations and provided 1,500 ophthalmoscopes to 44 developing countries through ROI's eye-care partners SightSavers International, IMPACT and others.

WHO advise that restoring sight is one of the most social and cost effective health care interventions. Some 2m people in developing countries go blind needlessly each year. Children who go blind in a developing country are twice as likely to die before they are 13. Yet 75% of avoidable blindness is curable or treatable: An individual's sight and family livelihood can be restored for as little as £4 with the support of Rotary Foundation grants!

The new emerging Club at Wendover held their first fund raising event on 20th May, when they organized a Wine and Cheese tasting at the Memorial Hall in Wendover.

The wines and cheeses were kindly provided by Waitrose and members of their staff talked about the samples offered.   

This year's Rotary Young Chef final was held at North Herts College, Hitchin on Saturday 2nd May.  Rebecca Mandall was there -  sponsored by Welwyn Garden City Rotary Club and representing Region 3 of RIBI (D1080, 1130, 1240 and 1260).

Competing against her were three other girls and four boys, and she finally finished third behind Hailey Vickers representing Region 5 and Susan Pattinson representing Region 7.

It was just 12 months ago that many of us were at the Alexander O’Neal concert and the fund raising that went with it. On the night there was great excitement on the dance floor, which was packed all evening. And then more excitement at the auction when the money kept rolling in. 

But my involvement goes back three months further when, for a reason I cannot remember, I went to a meeting with John Ashton, Bill Henderson, Alan Corkhill to talk about the concert. By the time the meeting ended I had agreed to set up a computer system to deal with ticket sales and after the concert I thought that would be it.  How wrong I was.  

Meg Salmon is an Area Events Manager for Cancer Research UK and she organises Race for Life and Run 10k events. 

These include the following:-

• Welwyn & Hatfield Race for Life – Stanborough Park, Sunday 7th June 2009
• Luton Race for Life – Stockwood Park, Sunday 5th July 2009
• Stevenage Race for Life – Fairlands Valley Park, Saturday 11th July 2009
• Stevenage Race for Life – Fairlands Valley Park, Sunday 12th July 2009
• St Albans Race for Life – Verulamium Park, Sunday 19th July 2009
• Hatfield House 10k – Saturday 17th October 2009
• Hatfield House 10k – Sunday 18th October 2009

The annual Chiltern Charity Golf Classic will be held on Thursday 24th September 2009 at the Gerrards Cross Golf Club, Chalfont Park, Gerrards Cross. SL9 0QA

The event now in its 23rd year is organised by The Rotary Club of Amersham and sponsored by the NHBC.

The main beneficiaries of the event this year will be:

• THE PEPPER FOUNDATION
• HELP FOR HEROES
• and other Rotary Charities

The technical network of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) is actively helping support the global response to the potential pandemic of H1N1 influenza.