Coen van Beuningen has been a Rotarian for many years. He has farmed in Bintree since the 1970s, beginning conventionally but gradually converting to fully organic in 2001, always experimenting with new ideas.

With the help of his wife Wilhelmina and daughter Mary, they are currently concentrating on raising cattle and putting some land down to wildflowers. Even after 46 years he says he is still learning about land and soil and growing things.

Mr van Beuningen has been a keen cyclist for many years and is the oldest participant in an international ride in support of One More Child, which support orphans in Uganda. Every June, he leaves the farm to cycle some 500 miles on a yearly leg of the journey to Sydney.

This will be one of the charities supported by the club in the year ahead. Mr van Beuningen is also keen to continue support for research into treatment of Parkinson’s disease and other local projects.

Reepham Rotary arranges the fortnightly Sunshine Memory Café, which entertains those with memory loss and their carers. It also provides funds for Aquabox, which supplies drinking water in emergencies around the world, supports a number of projects with local schools and publishes Reepham Town News for the town council.

As ever, the club is keen to work with others on local projects where it can bring specific expertise to bear.

Pictured above: Coen van Beuningen (left) receiving his seal of office from outgoing president Peter Williams. Photo: John Tym

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Reepham & District Rotary Club has supported the Aquabox charity for many years. In any disaster one of the first needs is clean drinking water to prevent disease spreading. Water treatment boxes with filters and chemicals are also filled with other necessities for a displaced family. Boxes are stored ready for immediate response.

The benefit of having Rotary clubs all over the world is that money and goods can be sent to people that are known and trusted.

A route into Myanmar has been secured via Thailand to send 900 family filters and 20 community filters, which is enough to provide clean, safe drinking water for 18,000 people.

Reepham Rotary’s efforts are supported by a 100 Club that offers monthly prizes to ticket holders. All funds go to Aquabox, which is run entirely by volunteers.

Currently, more than 100 members, families and friends support the 100 Club. Each draw ticket costs £2. Four winning tickets are drawn each month with a rollover bonus to one lucky winner at the end of the year. To join, contact organiser Paul Smith by email.

Richard Cooke

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Visitors from both organisations enjoyed a guided tour of the common – an area rich in wildlife and valuable as a place of conservation but unknown to many locally.

Reepham Lions president Brenda Gostling said: “This is a hidden gem; it’s a beautiful haven for both people and wildlife. We are very fortunate to have this on our doorstep, and it’s a privilege to be able to help to keep it safe for visitors to enjoy.”

Since the Countryside Stewardship funding received by the trustees is needed for cutting and baling the fen, as well as managing the ponds, the two local organisations have agreed to meet the costs of the bridge. The simple but strong structure made of durable, natural materials is now in place.

Reepham Rotary president Arthur Hawes said: “We are always delighted to help other local organisations serving the public. We were very pleased to contribute.”

Whitwell Common is a spring-fed valley fen in the Blackwater tributary of the River Wensum. It is situated approximately two miles to the south west of Reepham at the junction of Whitwell Road and Nowhere Lane.

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Many homes there have been destroyed, people have been killed and many are away at war. Russia will again be bombing power stations and generating equipment.

Reepham & District Rotary Club members are again planning to donate some or all of their additional fuel payments for the coming winter.

Last winter, the club bought generators to help, and sent funds directly to a nursing home in Kyiv that was struggling; this year we want to do more of the same.

How to join in helping Ukraine:

• donate via BACS to the club’s trust fund: sort code 20-03-26; a/c 90387088; reference Ukraine;
• send a cheque to D Baxter at Mill Farm House, Low Road, North Tuddenham NR20 3AB (cheques made out to Reepham & District Rotary Club); if you provide your address and give permission we can boost your donation by claiming Gift Aid from HMRC;
• donate at the JustGiving page.
  Reepham Rotary will also be collecting for this cause at the Reepham Festival of Light on Sunday 3 December.

For more information, contact Richard Cooke 07889 036852 publicity@reephamrotary.org.uk or David Baxter 07770 343359 treas@reephamrotary.org.uk

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The café provides a warm and welcoming environment with games, entertainment, music and a chance for a chat over coffee and cake.

Many experienced helpers are on hand to make sure the morning goes smoothly and everyone can relax. They can also point visitors to local services that can help with specific needs.

Joy Flint and daughter Jackie have been coming to the cafe since it opened two years ago.

“We look forward to our morning out, with a chance to see the friends we have made and enjoy some games and a drink,” they said. “The helpers are really friendly and always make us feel at home.”

Meetings are on the second and fourth Thursdays of each month from 10 am – 12 noon. Everyone is welcome – there is no need to book and nothing to pay.

The café is funded by Reepham & District Rotary Club with help from Reepham Co-op and other local donations.

For more information, contact: Peter Williams 01362 686860 carolynnpeter@btinternet.com or Trevor Nelson 01603 860253 trevor.nelson@btinternet.com.

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Left to right: Lorraine, Elaine and Scott Harmer with Melanie and Arthur Hawes. Photo: John Tym

Some years ago, Reepham & District Rotary Club agreed to help develop a Japanese garden at the school to mark a long-standing link with Sakado Azuma Kindergarten in Sakado, Japan, and as a site for instruction and relaxation.

The project was delayed by Covid restrictions but the garden was finally completed in May with the construction of a tea house (pictured above) in the style much seen in Japan.

The tea house was designed by Rotarian Ian Malton and the construction was led by Cliff Harmer, who had been the driving force behind many Rotary building activities but died at the end of 2022 and did not see the completion of his final project.

On 16 October, Cliff’s wife Elaine Harmer and family unveiled a plaque on the tea house which recorded his contribution to the work.

The family was welcomed by Reepham Rotary president Arthur Hawes, who recalled Cliff’s leadership on many local community projects.

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In any disaster one of the first needs is clean drinking water to prevent disease spreading. The Aquabox water treatment boxes with filters and chemicals are also filled with other necessities for a displaced family. Boxes are stored ready for immediate response.

Recent disasters in Pakistan, Turkey, Morocco and Libya have exhausted supplies, so this latest donation from Reepham Rotary will prepare for the next urgent need.

After the earthquake that destroyed homes, villages and displaced so many families in southern Morocco, Aquabox has been working to understand how best to set up a secure supply route to the villages that have been most affected by the natural disaster, as well as understanding the customs and logistics requirements of the Moroccan government.

Aquabox also has links to a non-governmental organisation based in southern Morocco, which is supporting families and communities in the impacted region. The NGO hopes to receive the green light to dispatch a major aid consignment, including Aquaboxes, to the area in the near future.

Similar discussions with authorities in Libya are also underway.

This is the second donation to Aquabox from Reepham Rotary this year, given the unprecedented number of disasters occurring in the world today.

In total, the club has now sent money for 467 Aquaboxes. All funds go to the charity, which is run entirely by volunteers.

You can help

Reepham Rotary’s fundraising efforts are supported by a 100 Club, which offers monthly prizes to ticket holders. Currently more than 100 members, families and friends support the club.

Each draw ticket costs £2. Four winning tickets are drawn each month with a rollover bonus to one lucky winner at the end of the year.

To join the 100 Club, contact organiser Paul Smith by email.

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The Royal Navy frigate, which sank off the Norfolk coast in 1682, has been described as “Norfolk’s Mary Rose”.

The talk, by Professor Claire Jowitt and Julian Barnwell, will cover the history of the ship and its passengers, as well as the story of the years of diving to find the ship and recover many fascinating artefacts.

James, Duke of York and Albany, the brother of King Charles II, was returning to Scotland on the Gloucester with more than 300 passengers and crew on board, but the ship ran aground on a sandbank off the coast of Great Yarmouth.

James survived but more than 150 people died as the ship sank in less than an hour.

Prof. Jowitt of the University of East Anglia, who is co-curator of the exhibition that has been running at Norwich Castle Museum, will explain the historical background to the voyage and the items found.

Mr Barnwell, together with his brother Lincoln, has been exploring the seabed since they discovered the wreck in 2007, and will tell the story of the dive and provide an update on discoveries from this year’s diving.

The talk will take place at Reepham College, Whitwell Road, Reepham, at 7.30 pm on Monday 16 October.

Tickets are £10 and will include a glass of wine or soft drink.

The evening will be raising funds for the Gloucester 1682 Trust to preserve the remains of the ship and for Rotary charities.

Tickets are available from any Rotarian, Very Nice Things & More or the Norfolk Farm Shop & Deli, or can be ordered online HERE.

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Newcomers include local vegetable schemes, sweets makers and new cake bakers.

There will also be burgers, sausages, poke bowls and sweet and savoury goods to buy.

As well as Reepham’s cafés and pubs there will be two coffee stalls, two breweries, and cider and fruit juice producers to quench thirsts.

Reepham WI has organised cookery demonstrations to add to cookery skills.

There will be music from Reepham High School pupils and the King’s Arms.

This year’s sponsor is Vattenfall, which will be explaining progress with its North Sea electricity generation projects.

The food festival is a project of Reepham & District Rotary Club. Entrance is free.

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The concert will feature the popular Tarantara Choir, which will be revisiting Norfolk from its base in the West Midlands.

The 60-strong choir has a wide following around the country, carrying out many charity concerts. It last visited in 2019 and the return to Salle has been eagerly awaited.

Tarantara performs a wide variety of music, spanning songs from musicals to the classics, from old to new, from serious to not-so-serious.

The concert at Salle church promises a delightful evening in inspiring surroundings. The choir will be performing without charge so that maximum funds can be raised for charity.

Tickets £16 each; under 14 – half price. Wine and soft drinks will be available at the interval.

Tickets available in Reepham at Very Nice Things & More and the Norfolk Farm Shop & Deli, and at Bawdeswell Garden Centre.

Tickets can also be purchased online HERE or by telephone 01603 871850.

The event is in aid of Rotary charities. The Reepham Rotary club has sent substantial funds for relief in Ukraine, Pakistan and Turkey, but this concert is aimed at rebuilding funds for local projects.

Replenishing funds sent to emergencies will allow more community projects to be supported in the year ahead.

Locally, the club runs a café for those with memory difficulties, supports a wide range of projects in the schools and organises an annual food and drink festival.

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