Burns Night Fundraiser

Burns Night Fundraiser

The famous Scottish Bard, Robert Burns, was born 260 years ago on 25th January 1759. His legacy still lives on and is celebrated by Scots the world over each year.

As a fundraiser for their 2 flagship projects, The Chris Hani Baragwanath Paediatric Burns Unit and the Bethany Home for Abused Women, the Rotary Club of Knights Pendragon hosted a formal Burns Night Supper for some 100 guests at the spectacular Johannesburg Country Club, Auckland Park, venue.

The Marquis of Tullibardine, Mike Murray

Mike Murray, Marquis of Tullibardine, and guest of honour, travelled from the UK for the event and spoke eloquently about Clan Murray and Blair Castle, the traditional residence of the Duke of Athol and head of the Murray clan, as well as the Dukes private army, the Athol Highlanders.

Ian Ruickbie leads the singing of “Auld Lang Syne”

The entertainment was provided by accomplished Robbie Burns Reciter, Ian Ruickbie and his wife, Elizabeth, and music by pipers and a drummer from the Jeppe High School pipe band.

As with all good Scottish evenings, traditional haggis was served with neeps and tatties, the malt whisky and good humour flowed and the evening was rounded off with the gusty singing of ‘Auld lang syne”.

Wed 24th January 2018 – Burns Night

Wed 24th January 2018 – Burns Night

Burns Night Supper Fundraising Evening

The Rotary Club of Knights Pendragon invites friends and supporters of our charities to attend this gala fundraising event on Wednesday, 24th January 2018, at 6:30pm for 7:00pm, at The Belgravia Bowling Club, 56 Florence Road, Bedfordview. 

TICKETS: R300 per head for the event which includes Dinner, Pipers, a Robbie Burns poetry recital, Haggis, a Whisky Tasting and the Charity Auction.

DRESS CODE: Formal with a touch of tartan.

BOOKING ESSENTIAL: Please email your enquiry to  Bill Brunjes, email: billbrn@tiscali.co.za tel: 082 443 1519 or Andy Stevenson

SUPPORTED CHARITIES: 

Baragwanath Hospital Paediatric Burns Unit upgrade to world class standards which will drastically reduce current rates of mortality: The club is striving to raise R2 million for the upgrading of essential equipment and facilities used in the rehabilitation of young burns patients of which some 400 are admitted to the unit each year.

Bethany Home for abused women and their children: A rehabilitation home to 54 women and their children in Bertrams, Johannesburg. The club provides basic groceries, cleaning materials and basic health care products on an ongoing monthly basis and has recently undertaken a R600 000 essential maintenance project on the buildings.

Rotary Foundation: Rotary Foundation is a public charity operated exclusively for charitable purposes and governed by a Board of Trustees. Funds raised through contributions by Rotary clubs and other donors are channelled through strictly controlled Global and District grants to do club projects, both locally and with Rotary clubs beyond our borders. Polio Plus is such a project, carried out in partnership with the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation, which is focussed on eradicating Polio from the world.

Youth Leadership Training: This annual 3 day training camp for grade 11 pupils with leadership potential who are drawn from some 20 schools and a diverse socioeconomic spectrum, is fully funded by the club at the cost of some R80,000/annum. Sponsorship of this project, now in its 26th year, is being sought.

Eliminating the Poliomylitis Virus

Eliminating the Poliomylitis Virus

PolioPlus – A Rotary Foundation Project

Poliomyelitis is a highly infectious disease that most commonly affects children under the age of 5. Most know it as the poliovirus which is spread from person to person, typically through contaminated water. It can attack the nervous system, and in some instances, lead to paralysis. Although there is no cure, there is a safe and effective vaccine – one which Rotary and our partners use to immunize over 2.5 billion children worldwide.

Polio Plus is a Rotary Foundation project aimed at vaccinating vulnerable children globally, to immunize them from contracting the Poliomylitis virus. The Rotary effort to eradicate the Poliovirus started in 1979 with a project to immunize 6 million children in the Phillipines, the project rook on global proportions and became known as PolioPlus when in 1985 a target of Million was set to raise funds for this eradication effort. Progress has been significant and since 1988 the project has successfully reduced the global incidence of Poliovirus cases by 99.9%.

By 2009 Rotary’s overall contribution to this Poliovirus eradication effort nears the million mark In January, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation pledged million to PolioPlus and issued Rotary a challenge grant of million i.e. Rotary needed to raise the million to receive the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation monies and secure a combined million in support of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative. Rotary achieved their million fundraising target in 2012, some 5 months ahead of the target date.

In 2017, there are only 3 countries from which the Poliovirus is yet to be eliminated. The Rotary Club of Knights Pendragon supports the PolioPlus with annual contributions towards the costs of this significant immunization project.  Knights Pendragon seeks community minded donors to assist us in contributing this global effort.

If you are able to assist Knights Pendragon with a donation to assist this project achieve its aim, please contact our Fundraising Director.

Charity Feature – Cresset House

Charity Feature – Cresset House

The Rotary Club of Knights Pendragon supports many charities, not necessarily chosen due to their proximity to our Edenvale/Bedfordview meeting place, but on the fit between the needs of the Charity with the club member’s skills and resources that can be applied in making a positive contribution.  

Cresset House, based in Glen Austin, Midrand, Gauteng, is a community which provides a ‘home away from home’ for adults living with intellectual disabilities. Founded in 1961, both residential and day facilities are provided in a safe, nurturing and stimulating environment with the vision of enabling the highest possible degree of fulfillment for every villager, both as an individual and as a member of our community while upholding integrity towards our villagers, their families and the greater communities.

There are approximately 50 villagers at Cresset House who live in 6 houses on the property.   In each house there is a house parent, a co-worker and a domestic worker.   There is a workshop where the villagers work on contracts such as packing shower caps, soaps etc. into boxes for hotels, these both stimulate the villagers and bring a small amount of income into the village.   Those who can’t manage the contract work are included in another stimulation group where they colour in pictures or do puzzles under supervision.   Cresset House did have a large organic vegetable garden under agricultural tunnels which they helped the villagers take care of, but due to the 2016 drought and an influx of rabbits these are no longer viable.   Some villagers work outside of the village and there is also a woodworking area where some of the villagers can make simple items such as bread boards.

The Rotary Club of Knights Pendragon supports Cresset House through the purchase of “Casual Day” stickers and occasional meeting of particular needs.  The Casual Day sticker income is shared between 12 national beneficiary organisations, including the SA Federation for Mental Health, of which Cresset House is a member. In addition to the funds that flow from Casual Day, the Cresset House Support Group, consisting of parents, siblings and friends of the villagers also raise funds towards whatever is needed for the village. Last year water bottles were acquired for each house and the workshops, however, over the years the Casual Day income has also been used towards LED emergency lights for the houses, Christmas presents, a Christmas in July lunch, smoke alarms in the houses, mattress cleaning, a dishwasher in the Coffee Bar where a lot of functions take place, trips to the zoo etc.  With no official fundraiser, meeting the needs of the village are largely dependent on what the Cresset House Support Group secure from fundraising.

To learn more about Cresset House, offer assistance or make a donation, please go to “Contact Us” at http://cresset.org.za/

Knights Pendragon Supports Casual Day
Knights Pendragon Supports Casual Day
20th April 2017 – Bethany Home Charity Golf Day
Bethany Home Maintenance Project Fundraising

Bethany Home Maintenance Project Fundraising

Bethany Home (Reg.001-362-NPO), founded in 1989 and located in Bertrams, Johannesburg, is a shelter and place of rehabilitation for abused women and their children housing about 55 women and their children, at any one time. Each woman is provided with legal assistance, rehabilitation of self-esteem, training for employment and education for her children during the period of her stay of typically 12 months. Bethany Home residents are also offered counselling, art and craft activities for therapy and income generation, work and accommodation placements. More information at Bethany Home
The Bethany Home premises, built in the mid-1900’s, are in need of substantial maintenance for which the Rotary Club of Knights Pendragon is raising R150,000 for the following projects:
1. Bathrooms: Replacement of corroded piping, worn facilities and tiling in 4 bathrooms.
2. Electrical wiring: Rewiring of the building. The faulty and hazardous old wiring being a health and fire hazard.
3. Painting: Both the outside and inside of the building are in need of painting.
Securing the R150,000 needed for this project will require a combination of donations from companies and individuals, Rotary Global and District Grants and the execution of a successful fundraising golf day on 20th April 2017 at the Modderfontein golf course.
Corporate donors are invited to contribute funds, services and materials to this worthy project, as well as participate in the fundraising golf day. In return, donors are offered the following benefits, as appropriate:
1. Corporate Social Investment (CSI) tax deductibility of donations (excluding 4 ball entry fees) via the issue of section 18A certificates.
2. Corporate BBBEE scorecard points: Beneficiaries in Bethany Home are more than 75% Black South Africans.
3. Project photographs and reports for use on corporate websites and newsletters.
4. Advertising at the fundraising golf day of 20th April 2017. See the advertising options below.
Donations can be paid directly to the Rotary Club of Knights Pendragon, Bethany Home Maintenance Project, Standard Bank, Greenstone Branch, Account No.02 279 668 1 with proof of payment and contact details of the donor being emailed to Bill Brunjes at billbrn@tiscali.co.za
The Rotary Club of Knights Pendragon is a member club of Rotary International, a global organisation of 1.2 million professional and business people united in service of those less fortunate. Founded in 1905, in Chicago, USA, the Rotary International organisation, through its Rotary Foundation and its members, has made significant, meaningful and lasting positive real change to improve the lives of ordinary people around the world. These changes are sometimes incredibly large such as the eradication of Poliomyelitis from the face of this earth to smaller projects which are locally focused within our communities enabling us to leverage the full benefits of our membership of Rotary International. Rotary is defined not by who we are but rather by the work we do and the potential that Rotary gives us.
To participate in the fundraising golf day on 20th April 2017, please complete the form below and email it to Bill Brunjes on fax 011 450-3512 or email billbrn@tiscali.co.za Call 082 443-1519 for further information.

For further information please see the event page or download the pamphlet and form below.

RCKP 2017 Bethany Home Maintenance Project Fundraising Brief