Birmingham Lifetime Achievement Award


As members of Tettenhall Inner Wheel, we are tremendously proud to announce that one of our members, Rosemary Cox, has been awarded the Birmingham Lifetime Achievement Award for successfully campaigning to set up the first Organ Donor Register in the UK, helping to save thousands of lives.


After their 24-year-old son, Peter, died following a brain tumour, Rosemary and John Cox saw the need for a Register for people who wished to donate their organs, as Peter had requested before his death. They were shocked to find that there was no Donor Register. So, over the years, they and their daughter Christine, worked tirelessly to promote the need for a Register, lobbying politicians, fund raising and creating awareness. Today the number of people registered has reached more than 25 million.


Rosemary's husband, John, passed away in 2007 but their family legacy lives on. Since their campaign, 18,000 lifesaving and life improving transplants have been carried out.


As you can imagine, Rosemary Cox's remarkable achievements are an inspiration to us all.


Margarette Golding


award for Jane Peak Chairman District 10


Jane Peak, our newly installed District 10 Chairman, had a big surprise when it was announced at the Gloucester Club meeting the day before the Summer Rally, that she was to receive the Margarette Golding Award for outstanding service to the Gloucestershire Community.


Jean Toy, outgoing Club President (pictured here on the left), presented Jane with her Award and medal. Jane has been an active volunteer for different organisations since the late 1960s, most notably with the WRVS, the County Council Emergency Services in various roles, her church and other charities. Besides this, Jane has been a motivating force for service, membership and inclusion within Inner Wheel. We were all delighted for her when in 2016 - in recognition for her longstanding service to the community - Jane received the British Empire Medal and this latest award is the "cream on the cake". Many congratulations and best wishes for her year as District 10 Chairman.


Jo Hill - Tettenhall


We are delighted that Rosemary is to receive a Margarette Golding Award which will be presented to her on September 17th.


The Margarette Golding Award A Little Background


I was so pleased to see the presentation of this award to Rita Evans in the summer issue of the Association magazine. It is, of course, an award for all members world-wide. It was instigated at the Stockholm Convention and the search began for a design. Eventually the one chosen was a Marguerite Daisy, an emblem to reflect Mrs Golding’s first name, Margarette. In 2003, I was honoured to receive this award. All recipients in GB and I wear it with pride as of course do all IIW members who have been honoured in this way.


Helen Mills – Walton -on-Thames


Grenfell An Update


On 15th June 2017, I woke up to find that a tragedy had happened in my District and that I needed to step up and assist Warwick Square. I asked for a notice to go out about Grenfell and if anyone would like to donate, then I was willing to receive donations. Little did I realise the generosity of Inner Wheel members. The message went out on the Friday and on Monday the money poured in! It became a cottage industry for John and me; after breakfast we would open the envelopes. He would write in a cash book and I would enter on the computer and then check the balances. I then sent an acknowledgement for each and every donation either to the Treasurer, if they had sent an email address or to the secretary of each club or district.


We opened an account especially for Grenfell and then we started looking for ways to spend this money. Margaret Fairley, our District Chairman at the time, is also a member of the Salvation Army and she was at Grenfell every day helping people in need. Her daughter is an opera singer and she organised a concert at one of the restaurants in Covent Garden and also one at a club in Covent Garden, which raised over £2,500.00. I was able to ask Margaret about the money and where the donations should go. I know that many people who donated wanted us to give it for food, clothes and also housing, but Margaret told us that so much had been donated in food and clothes that they had to be given away elsewhere.


We decided to hold onto the money and look for a worthwhile project. In September there was an article in The Guardian about the school in the shadow of the tower. The school had lost 5 children in the fire and others were badly affected, as friends and loved ones had been lost. The school had to be relocated to a temporary school that was built in 10 weeks so they were able to carry on as normally as possible.


I approached the Headmaster, David Benson and talked about what had happened and was happening. He stated that he wanted to make a garden for the children. He had already made a room available for the children to go and reflect on their loss. We offered him money towards this and he was very pleased, as he said with our donation agreed, he could approach others to donate. We could do nothing more until they returned to their school and could start the garden.


This was going to be put on the roof playground, as they did not have any space round the school. We agreed to pay for seats that were to be made personal for the children lost, with their names and something for which they were remembered on them. We were put in touch with Eleni Gouladis who was to co-ordinate the garden. We went to see where the garden was to be, but were a little concerned as it was only 100 yards from the Tower. The Hammersmith Overground train was also close by.


We were invited to the opening and we were amazed at the wonderful garden that had been made. There are 5 chairs for the 5 children lost, with tubs of lovely plants and artificial grass. A tree stands in a planter in the middle and there they can tie messages. It is very peaceful and, according to the teachers, is well used. The glass panels round the garden have been etched and 72 small hearts put in for the 72 people who died, with 5 large named hearts for the children lost. There were relatives of the children at the opening and they thought it was a wonderful memory of their children as somewhere personal to them.


We also spoke to the Head of Music, especially after the Gareth Malone concert and asked whether we could help the music department. He said that many of the children were unable to pay for music exams and only 8 pupils out of the school were taking them. We gave a donation which they will hold in trust. They will offer half to the pupils, so that parents would have to pay the other half.


I am pleased to have had this opportunity to help others and I can now sit back and not have to worry that I have done the best with the money that you all donated. I would like to thank June Nathan, our District Treasurer for all her patience with me and for helping me sort this.


A big thank you to all of you who donated and to the school for all their help with this project. We will be keeping in touch as the Music Head will inform us of the exam results and they want to do an article on Inner Wheel in their next magazine!


Christine Ellson - Club Correspondent, Gloucester Rosemary Cone


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Innerwheel


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