Feb 2012: The Rotary Club of Gros Islet Now Meets at Harmony Suites

Please note that our weekly meeting is now held at the Bistro restaurant at Harmony Suites in Rodney Bay. The time remains 12:30-1:45, with 15 minutes for fellowship followed by one hour for the meeting.

Nov 2011: Guardsman team wins 19th Annual Rotary Golf Tournament

Please note that the website is currently being updated, and a full write-up of the Tournament will be published shortly.

Nov 2010: Relief Efforts Intensify in the Aftermath of Hurricane Tomas

Almost a week after Saint Lucia was first hit by Hurricane Tomas the full extent of the loss of life and property is still unfurling. Many parts of the island remain without electricity and telecommunications, and the destruction of six miles of pipe at the John Compton Dam could mean the lack of a water supply for two to three months.

The southern half of the island received the worst of the impact, with the towns of Soufriere and Dennery, on the west and east coast respectively, experiencing intense flooding and landslides. Many homes have been completely swept away, while others remain buried under mudslides.

The Rotary Club is working closely with the Red Cross and NEMO, as well as other local and international aid organisations, to ensure items that are needed the most are delivered to those in the most desperate need as soon as possible. Individuals or organisations wishing to make donations can do so either by transferring funds to the Club's local bank account (details below) or by contacting Lisle Chase, District Governor for Saint Lucia, on 1-758-713-6300. Details on specific initiatives in which the Club is involved will appear below as and when information becomes available, so please check this page regularly.

The Club wishes to inform the general public that our Annual Charity Golf Tournament will proceed as scheduled on Saturday November 13th at the Saint Lucia Golf Club. The majority of the funds raised from this Tournament will immediately be put to use in bringing aid to the south of the island, while a percentage has also been earmarked for Haiti.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank our sponsors, listed to the left, who continue to demonstrate their commitment to the wellbeing of the community through participation in the Tournament.

Bank Account Details for Donations:

Bank of St. Lucia, A/C No. 510753056 Rotary Club of Gros Islet Charity Account, Rodney Bay, St. Lucia, West Indies.
Swift Code: BOSLLCLC

Please follow up any donations with an email to Club Treasurer Bernard Rattray - brattray@promail.com indicating amount and donor details.

Rotary Provides AQUABOXES and AQUAFILTERS to Hurricane Victims

The Rotary Club of Gros Islet is today (Friday November 5th) coordinating the delivery of five AQUAFILTERS and fifty-five AQUABOXES to victims of Hurricane Tomas in Soufriere and other badly affected communities in Saint Lucia. The equipment has been provided by the Rotary Club of Wirksworth in the UK, and freight has been donated by Virgin Atlantic. Local transportation has been donated by the Windward & Leeward Brewery in Vieux Fort.

A standard AQUABOX comprises a rigid plastic container and has a single filter and enough purification tablets to provide 1100 litres of clean drinking water. The AQUAFILTER was developed for schools and other organisations, operates by a hand pump, and delivers up to 300 litres of drinking water an hour. It has a washable gauze pre filter to remove solid particles. Membrane washing is done by reverse flushing. On average an AQUAFILTER will provide 500-750,000 litres during its lifespan.

The consignment also includes thirty ShelterBoxes, a cooler-sized relief kit developed by Rotary International, that contains a vast quantity of essential items. At the heart of every ShelterBox is a disaster relief tent for a family of up to 10 people. It is custom made for ShelterBox by Vango, one of the world’s leading tent manufacturers, and is designed to withstand extreme temperatures, high winds and heavy rainfall. Internally, each tent has privacy partitions that allow recipients to divide the space as they see fit.

In addition to the tent, there is a range of other survival equipment including thermal blankets and insulated ground sheets, essential in areas where temperatures plummet at nightfall. Where malaria is prevalent mosquito nets are supplied, as well a life saving means of water purification. Water supplies often become contaminated after a major disaster, as infrastructure and sanitation systems are destroyed, this presents a secondary but no less dangerous threat to survivors than the initial disaster itself.

The Boxes also include a children's kit complete with drawing books, crayons and pens, and a basic tool kit containing a hammer, axe, saw, trenching shovel, hoe head, pliers and wire cutters, enabling people to improve their immediate environment, by chopping firewood or digging a latrine, for example. Then, when it is possible, to start repairing or rebuilding the home they were forced to leave.

Update: an additional sixty AQUABOXES and fifty ShelterBoxes will arrive on Sunday November 7th, again supplied by our partner Rotary Club in the UK, with freight generously donated by Virgin Atlantic.

For more information on AQUABOXES and AQUAFILTERS please click here and ShelterBox please click here.