July 29, 2022

People of Kindness (POK) passport club gets off to a flying start

A story of a new Passport Club in the South West area of our District which includes Halifax, Huddersfield, Sowerby Bridge, Hebden Bridge, Denby Dale, Todmorden, Holmfirth, Elland, Brighouse. If you would like to learn more about Passport Clubs, then see our related article. New Rotary Passport Club - The Rotary Club of Adventurers - Rotary District 1040 (ylrotary.org.uk)

President Johanna (JoJo) Coldwell shares the story behind the People of Kindness (POK): As a group we looked at ourselves, and what we felt we stood for as a club and people. The name kindness kept coming up in each conversation, one of how we are as people and one of how we want to be as a club, to each other and to all other clubs. In addition, we found out that unfortunately the Pocklington Club, within our Rotary District of Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, had closed after a fantastic 39 years of service.  We wanted to show some appreciation for their contribution to Rotary. POK also came to us after a rather sad day at another of the Rotary’s inspiring young man’s funeral: Colin had helped with getting the Rucksacks for homeless off the ground. Sowerby Bridge Rotary are using the second biggest search engine, YouTube, to help get the message about their support for the homeless - Rotary District 1040 (ylrotary.org.uk)

Before we had properly formed or knew we had a Charter we had dates in our diaries.  With great enthusiasm, we have helped out with a few events.

In May 2022 we painted three rooms, hall and stairs for St Augustine’s Centre, Halifax, this is a charitable organisation who deal with people seeking asylum and refugees as well as local people needing help. It was a “hard day’s work” as the Beatles may have sung, but also filled with lots of fun and laughter and one member wearing fancy dress. 

We also helped out with the catering for Colin the member of the Rucksacks for homeless project when he was presented with his Paul Harris Fellowship. It was a very humbling project and not a dry eye was to be seen.

June 2022 came, and we had the unveiling of the South West Group Queens Platinum Jubilee Commemorative Stone in Crow Wood park where again we helped out with serving refreshments on a very warm day. The day was well attended with over a hundred people thoroughly enjoying themselves. An inspiring commentative local heritage story of The Queen's Platinum Jubilee 2022   - Rotary District 1040 (ylrotary.org.uk)

In July 2022, we were at The Great Together again at Crow Wood Park, this time with the Men in Sheds stand and also serving the hundreds of people with food, tea/coffee and with sandwiches that we had made by hand the night before with the help from the Great Get Together committee.

One of our members took part in the Overgate Hospice Colour run to raise funds for the hospice, it was hard to recognise him in his fancy dress.

We have another couple of projects in our diary, one for another painting project in a local food bank and to accompany the Rucksacks for Homeless Project Leader, Hazel Brindle from Sowerby Bridge Rotary with talks to other Clubs both in and out of our South West area.

If you would like to learn more then please contact Hazel Brindle or Phil Poole as part of the District Support Team who really supported us in getting off the ground as People of Kindness. Support Team Contact - Rotary District 1040 (ylrotary.org.uk)

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