In the absence of President Jay, PP David Watt chaired proceedings introducing four principals representing schools in our catchment area who came to receive discretionary grants from the Club to schools. Left to right in our picture are Andrew Graham, deputy Principal at Makara Model school standing in for principal Caro Wills, Pip Cook principal at St Teresas, Melissa Teirney, acting principal of Karori West Normal and Conrad Kelly principal at Karori Normal School.
Andrea Peetz, Principal at Northland School and Peter Hijzeen at Cardinal McKeefry gave their apologies for this meeting. Payment of grants from the Club have been made directly to school on- line accounts.
Each pricipal outlined some of the key activities being undertaken at their schools, including camps for learning activities, garden projects, youth leadership development, musical events bringing together large numbers of pupils and families and supporting local community events on behalf of the school.
The principals stayed to hear Area Governor David Shackleton give us a run down on the formation of a Rotary project group ‘Lifting the Lid’ on Youth Suicide. This initiative was formed over two years ago by the Rotary Club of Kapiti. A number of Clubs have since joined with four clubs in Wellington currently providing funding to pay counsellor advisory services – namely Wellington North, Port Nicholson, Wellington South and Mt Victoria.The aim of the project is to help secondary students facing self-harm, to help develop programmes to assist those identified in need of help with counselling services and support. Rotary funding is going to support the administration and provision of services by professional people.
In 26 months since the project was launched 22 applications have been received for support assistance on behalf of 20 students in the Greater Wellington area. Rotary has approached all the public secondary schools in the Wellington except Wellington College, who are open to consideration of the project plan. In the discussion that followed questions covered costs and size of grants being given, opportunities to seek Rotary District grants and international grant assistance to increase funding support and to look to extend to primary and intermediate schools. It was felt also that an approach could also be made to Lions Clubs in the Greater Wellington area in partnership for the project.