Long Service Awards

Our meeting at Harmony Hill was an opportunity to present a number of long service awards to a number of our members on behalf of KR Ravindran, 2015-16 President, Rotary International.

It is a gift to be a Rotarian, to be able to join with others to educate our children, rid the world of polio, feed the hungry, and bring peace and hope to areas of conflict.

Harmony Hill with John Pinkerton

Super location, super speaker and super meal.

President Richard presented a number of long term awards

Buddy Hughes - A Tribute

George (Buddy) Hughes 1935 - 2016

George (Buddy) Hughes was president of Ballymoney Rotary Club during a golden era in the mid ‘80s.

During a ‘business’ meeting at Ballymoney Rugby Club one Saturday afternoon in early 1983 the Rotary Club hierarchy for the following 4 years was sorted. Sam Moore started the presidential run in 1983 followed by John McElderry, Buddy Hughes and Hugh Clarke. The Club’s reputation for diligence, friendliness and fellowship grew immensely during that time. Under Buddy’s influence and as a result of his year as president the Club was awarded Rotary Ireland’s Dennis Duggan trophy for Fellowship. The award was a surprise and was announced during the Annual Conference in Galway. The Ballymoney Club members were so busy elsewhere, extending fellowship to others that evening that none of them thought they should be at the ceremony. What a brilliant reputation to have – fellowship coming first! Ballymoney collected the Trophy the next day - Sunday morning from none other than Galway’s Bishop Casey who incidentally, subsequently got himself into a spot of hot water over his liaison with a lady called Annie Murphy.

The seeds sown in Ballymoney Rotary Club by Buddy Hughes resulted in a series of District awards including the Route Salver for entertaining Foundation Scholars and the memories of the 1986 conference were almost certainly the reason the Club carried off the highest club attendance award when the conference returned to Galway in 1990.

Buddy had a huge influence on the growth and reputation of Ballymoney Rotary Club, indeed he had an enormous positive influence in all who encountered him. Buddy and Joan’s catering background ensured that any event involving the Club providing food was in expert hands.

He and Joan were a tremendous double-act and encouraged all with whom they came in contact. 

The Club was honoured to have him as a guest last November when it celebrated its 50^th birthday.

He made a difference and will be sadly missed by so many.

Business Networking lunch

President Richard welcomed SamConnolly and his wife Mary.
Sam is a member of Limavady and Mary a member of Clonmel.

President Richard exchanged pennants with Mary

One of this years objectives is
1. To engage with local business and host at least 3 networking events
2. To host a "Young Employee of the Year" award
3. To work collaboratively in common projects and activities

This lunch meeting was an opportunity to discuss and see how we can move forward

http://www.rotarygbi.org/business-networking-groups/

How Can Rotary Help with Business Networking?

Because Rotary consists of a cross-section from every business community and its members come from all walks of life you will be interacting and striking up friendships with a diverse cross section of people, giving you the opportunity to share in business networking groups and networking events.

 Join Networking Groups with Rotary

There is no better way to meet such a group of contrasting people, allowing you to take advantage of unique business networking opportunities or joining bespoke business networking groups. By taking part in local, regional and national Rotary initiatives, you will meet a wealth of other professionals that could help your business.

Businesses often encourage their staff to become involved with Rotary to capitalise on business networking opportunities to improve skills such as networking event management, organisation, time management, teamwork and leadership.

If you feel that you could benefit from the business networking opportunities that Rotary can offer you, we’d like to hear from you! Simply fill in the form that can be found by clicking here and we shall get back to you concerning your business networking enquiry.

Rotary Quadrangle Golf at Castlerock

This years quadrangle was organised Limavady and held at Castlerock.

The event now involves 5 clubs, Londonderry, Limavady, Coleraine, Ballymoney & Ballycastle.

Building Communities Resource Centre

President Richard welcomed Angela Mulholland & Shauna Irons from the BCRC.

Building Communities Resource Centre (BCRC) employs a full-time Co-ordinator and an Administrator to provide support to a network for community and voluntary organisations; advice, guidance and information on community development issues, projects and funding; focussed support to areas identified as having weak community infrastructure.

We deliver information and support for fundraising activities; community education and training for personal and group capacity development; governance and management support for community associations; support with strategic and action planning; research and evaluation; facilitation of cultural awareness sessions, and community dialogue facilitation.

If any further areas of need are identified by members from within the local community we will endeavour to address that need as quickly and as efficiently as possible or signpost to specialist organisations.

The Rooting for Change Together programme and our wider work on building relationships and promoting community cohesion is currently being supported by the Community Relations Council.

BCRC also operates and manages an Ethnic Minority and Migrant Workers Support Project as well as a Disability Development Programme each having two staff members who are dedicated to the advancement and social inclusion of those who feel either marginalised by society or who are simply new to the area and wish to learn more. Both of these programmes conduct significant work with local schools associated with the global citizenship and community relations, equity and diversity in education elements of the curriculum.

BCRC is lead partner for the Causeway Older and Active Strategic Team Reaching Out: Connecting Older People project – COAST Older and Active. We also host the Community Navigator for Older People – Causeway Locality, a post designed by the Northern Trust and PHA to act as a bridge between health professionals, service providers for older people in the community and voluntary sector and older people in the Ballymoney, Coleraine and Moyle areas.

Fellowship & Business

Farm Visit & Barbacue

Jimmy arranged our summer farm visit with well known Kilrea farmer Mr David Laughlin, his
wife Anne and son Andrew  to visit his diverse and picturesque farm at Culmore House Bann Road Kilrea BT515RY

David ,Anne and Andrew run a successful Organic Dairy and beef enterprise . They sell their own organic beef which was used for the Barbecue after the farm walk . A new enterprise started this year
is organic vegetables and they hope to have them available to eat as

The farm has also diversified into renewable energy with the construction of a large wind turbine and the dairy herd is milked through a robotic milking machine which is fascinating to watch in
operation .

Set beside the River Bann the farm has lovely walks and is full of wildlife This is proved to be a very successful and interesting evening.

http://culmoreorganicfarm.com/

http://culmoreorganicfarm.com/