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.  

Commissioner for St Vincent and the Grenadines; the Presidents of the three Rotary Clubs in St Vincent and the Grenadines; the Mayor of Luton; Assistant Governor District 7030; District 1260 Grants Sub Committee Chairman; District 1260 International and Foundation Chairmen; and of course many Club Members. And yesterday I had the pleasure of meeting Hon Sir Louis Straker, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines.

The meeting was at terminal 5 Heathrow Airport where he was changing planes on his way home from the Prague Conference. He pledged his full support for our project and will see it through to its conclusion. We agreed that some of the wheelchairs should be held as ‘stock’ at the hospitals and I have written to the Presidents of the Rotary Clubs involved so that they can decide the sizes required. As soon as this is done the order can be placed.  

I prepared a Briefing Note for the meeting and Leslie is including a copy in the bulletin. It gives the up to date position with the project. On a personal note it has taken up a lot of my time over the past year but it has been interesting and worthwhile. We are now on the brink of ordering the wheelchairs and just a few months away from delivery.

The Minister wished me to thank the Club and the Rotary Foundation for the interest we are taking in his country.  He said we would be putting smiles on the faces of some very needy people, and changing their lives too. We can be proud of what you are doing.

Eva Brook, Regional Director of Operations, Latin America and Caribbean, Wheelchairs Foundation USA is aware that many of us wish to be present for the Donation Ceremony in St Vincent and she knows we have November in mind.

Paul Denton

Rotary Club of Luton North