On Going Projects
- Bush Fire Relief
- Professional Aboriginal Interpreter
- BayCISS
- Highett Community Neighbourhood House
- GordonCare Family Resource Centres
- Mothers Day Hampers for the Salvation Army Welfare Service
- Christmas Food Bank Project
Local Community
Hampton was involved in several projects to aid those who suffered from Victoria’s terrible Bushfires in January: We provided 2 Shelter Boxes as well as 2 provided by the Rotary Club of Thuringowa Central. This very generous Club from Queensland donated $5000.00 towards Fire relief. Members helped erect some of the small city of tents and are photographed here with Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, Premier John Brumby and Police Commissioner, Christine Nixon. We also raised the cost of a stand at our Over 50s Expo which was held in May. We measured entry numbers at St.Leonards’ College Community Day and had buckets for left over loose change. This stand was donated to an Upper Yarra Valley business that needs help in recovering from the Fires. We were lucky enough to receive a generous donation towards Fire Relief from the Bayside City Council. Hampton and RC Beaumaris combined their $2500.00 each with further funds donated by generous Tasmanians and RC Healesville towards a children’s playground at Marysville. In June, a stalwart group of Rotarians from these 3 Clubs and a few other keen volunteers spent a day in the newly built village, watched by excited children, building this playground. Many thanks to the foresight of our local Council. By Jennifer Newton and Lorraine Huddle 14 September 2008. The power of Rotary is amazing. I have a little story to tell you which demonstrates clearly how the networking and pro bono expertise of Rotarians can achieve so much. Our small club of 24 members has facilitated an historical event over 4000 kilometres away. It is a project which meets the fundamental mission of Rotary which is to enable Rotarians to advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through the improvement of health, the support of education, and the alleviation of poverty. It is the beginning of a long overdue upgrade of educational opportunities for interpreters of Aboriginal languages to professional level. This will facilitate greater understanding between the cultures of all aboriginal Australians and the legal, health and education systems in Australia. It all started when a mother and daughter were talking. The daughter was a Public Prosecutor in Darwin, and the mother an incoming President of our Club. The daughter mentioned that there were no Aboriginal language interpreters with professional accreditation and what was more there was no facility for anyone to become accredited. Current formal qualifications for interpreters of aboriginal languages are only at the paraprofessional level however the interpreters are required to interpret at a much higher level in many situations, for example in court or hospital interpreting, without the minimum qualifications for these tasks. The National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters provides training and examinations for over 25 languages, but despite repeated requests has not provided training or testing in any aboriginal language. The Aboriginal Interpreter Service is responsible for all training and testing for the 200 or so paraprofessional interpreters registered with them. The President contacted the aboriginal interpreter's service in Darwin to find out more. She discovered that about 4 years ago a feasibility study had been undertaken by Dr Michael Cooke, but funding to implement it had been rejected by the National Accreditation board. The Aboriginal Interpreter Service was very interested in developing a pilot study and provided a costing to train 6 paraprofessional interpreters to professional level. This came to $31,000 of which they could give $11,000. The Rotary Club of Darwin was contacted; they were delighted, and offered $1000. The remaining money was raised by members of our club with contacts through corporate sponsors, and our club donation of $5000. A problem arose as the corporate sponsors governance needed tax deductibility, and as we are an incorporated entity in Victoria, a third party in the NT was needed for the project. This involved lengthy legal and financial paperwork, which was undertaken pro bono by one two of our members. It was very encouraging to see the enthusiastic support of our corporate donors Trust Company Ltd, Russell Investment Group, MLC Implemented Consulting for this project. The president was introduced to a member of the Rotary Club of Darwin, the former Chief Justice of the Northern Territory, who was impressed with the project and suggested the Arnhem Land Progress Association Inc as the third party. The funds were used to fly the candidates to Darwin, accommodation and food costs for the two week training and examination, the National Accreditation Board fees for each candidate and to engage linguists from the Charles Darwin University to write examinations and tests which were also approved by the National Accreditation Authority. The tests and examination have been written in template form so they can be used for other aboriginal languages in the near future. The project has been 1 year in coming to fruition. The interpreter service in Darwin advertised for 6 places, and 15 suitable people applied. On the 1st September, eleven people from East Arnhem Land have enthusiastically attended the training session and they are currently undergoing the examination. The language chosen for the initial program is an East Arnhem Djambarrpuyngu language which is understood by several dialects. The project won the Rotary District 9810 Vocational Service Award for 2007-8 and it is hoped that the relevant Governments throughout Australia will view this pilot project as worthy of continuing, and more languages will be represented by accredited interpreters. The Aboriginal Interpreters already demonstrate and provide a professional approach to their work. The opportunity to gain accreditation at the professional level will give them the recognition that has until now been denied them, not as a result of their inability to reach such a level but due to the fact that there was no way to do so. Such things can happen from a little chat; when the power of Rotary is brought into action.Bush Fire Relief
Professional Aboriginal Interpreter Accreditation Project. PAIAP
BayCISS is a not for profit organization funded by the Bayside City Council, the State and Commonwealth Governments, and donors. It operates information centres which provide information, referrals, counseling and emergency relief to individuals and families in difficult personal circumstances. BayCISS is also establishing an Educational Support Project to fund assistance for local students and families who are having difficulty in funding essential school expenses. The Rotary Club of Hampton has provided funds and bought non-perishable food and basic household items, and plan to help keep their cupboards stocked as required. This is a drop-in community centre for mothers and disabled people in our community. They provide a qualified teacher and internet access for approximately 1200 families -60% of the area's families have no access to a computer. The Rotary Club of Hampton has provided office chairs and tables, and paid for internet access for 12 months. The Rotary Club of Hampton has undertaken a project to provide a Resource Centre at each of the local GordonCare Homes. These centres are now equipped with computers and library resources usually found in every family home. for some mums, Mothers Day doesn't mean anything much. They don't receive breakfast in bed - or flowers - or chocolates. There are children who love them, but noone else to say that with a small present. We work with the local Salvation Army to distribute a small gift to those single and alone mums who need a little lift and need to know that there are people who care. We collect and pack suitable goodies in May each year. Most of us complain about excess and overeating at Christmas. For some people, the Christmas season doesn't mean any change to their circumstances of always being short of the basics. Using Foodbank Victoria, we supply lots of basics and then, some Christmas cheer as well to local disadvantaged families and individuals. Our last meeting in December is the time we put this all together. Rotarians Against Malaria aims to provide mosquito nets to as many as possible people in those areas around the Pacific Rim which are heavily infested with mosquitoes and thus Malaria. This is an essential project to save lives, particularly babies, of an increasing problem. The Rotary Club of Hampton has donated funds to this cause, which is of special interest to Hampton Honorary Rotarian Sue Garner. A combined initiative with St. Leonard's College - Brighton Background: What does being a friend mean when you are ten? Well, a project of the Rotary Club of Hampton focusses on this very question with our 'Friendship Awards'. The Siemens Science Experience is a fun three days of science activities for students in Year 9 in 2008 who will be entering Year 10 in 2009. The programs take place in university laboratories and lecture theatres in thirty-six universities around Australia. Participants perform experiments in the laboratories, hear university lecturers, and experience what it is like to be on a university campus. More than 40,000 Year 9 students have taken this rare opportunity, which highlights the wide range of careers available to students fascinated by the sciences. RCOHampton supports 2 students each year to attend this wonderful experience. This year the students came from St. Leonards College, E Brighton. Wheelchairs are needed for many children who have lost legs from landmines in SE Asian countries. Old bicycles are converted into these lightweight wheelchairs. Hampton Rotary donate funds towards the manufacture and distribution of these.BayCISS
Highett Community Neighbourhood House
GordonCare Family Resource Centres
Mothers Day Hampers for the Salvation Army Welfare Service
Christmas Food Bank Project
International Community
RAM
Wellness Centre in Metacawalevu Village - Yasawa Islands - Fiji
Youth
Friendship Awards
Siemens Science Experience
Wheelchairs for Kids
