Sick children and young people get a Sensory Room

Tampere University Children’s and Young People’s Hospital will build a sensory room with help of a big cooperative Rotary project. The sensory room will be equipped with e.g. physioacoustic couch. The sensory room provides something to touch and to experience for all senses.

All the returns of the 4-year Rotary project will be donated to Children’s and Young People’s Hospital, which will be build in the extension of Tampere University Hospital. There the money will be spent to support the psychiatric care and to buy the necessary equipment to the sensory room. The room will also benefit the physically sick children. We hope to be able to direct the community focus to the diversity of children’s psychiatric problems and the importance of good mental healthcare.

The aim was to raise 100 000€ by the year 2020, but there was a significant improvement in the fundraising in the early spring 2018 when we got a 50 000€ donation. The donor does not want to have his/her name published. The project has been able to raise almost all the 100 000€ in two years only.

The following Rotary clubs have been cooperating in the project: Tampere-Lielahti (project management), Tampere-Jussinkylä, Tammer-Nova, Pyynikki, Pirkkala, Nokia, Orivesi and Mänttä. Fundraising has included cultural and sporting events and donations from Rotary clubs.

Sensory Room Project
http://aistihuone.fi/
https://www.facebook.com/aistihuone/

Laitila Christmas Event exceeded all expectation in Somero

The diverse charity event Laitila Christmas in 2017 exceeded all expectations about its results. The total amount of money from fundraising, from the shop and the flea market, from the art auction and the donation from Humanitas Association was 18700€. This money was given to those in need in Somero.

Somero Rotary Club was working together with local people. In addition to fundraising, people involved got a lot of experience about community spirit, about the joy and challenges of cooperation. Out of the meeting room to meet the local people was realized in a most magnificent way.

The money collected was given to Mannerheimin Lastensuojeluliitto Association, to the local church and local social workers to be donated to those in need. In addition to money, we got a lot of second-hand goods and clothes, Christmas ham, eggs, Somero newspaper subscriptions and gift certificates to the local gym to be donted.
Monimuotoinen hyväntekeväisyystempaus Laitalainen Joulu ylitti jouluna 2017 kaikki sille asetetut tavoitteet. Keräystilin, myymälän ja kirpputorimyynnin, taidehuutokaupan ja Humanitas-seuran lahjoitusten yhteissummaksi kertyi yli 18 700 euroa. Tuotto jaettiin somerolaisille avuntarvitsijoille. 

Someron Rotaryklubi oli mukana tekemässä yhteistyötä muiden kaupunkilaisten kanssa. Rahankeräyksen lisäksi mukana olleet saivat itselleen paljon kokemusta yhteisöllisyydestä sekä yhdessä tekemisen iloista ja haasteista. Ulos kokoustilasta, ihmisten luokse, toteutui samalla loistavasti.

Kertyneet varat jaettiin lahjoitettavaksi MLL:n, Someron seurakunnan ja sosiaalitoimen kautta. Rahavarojen lisäksi jaettavaksi saatiin suuri määrä käytettyä tavaraa sekä vaatteita, joulukinkkuja, kananmunia, Somero-lehden vuosikertoja ja kuntokeskuksen lahjakortteja

Tammer Nova Rotary Club has arranged courses called Young Women to Leadership Careers every year since 2006. The purpose of the course is to encourage young female adults to aim at challenging leadership posts in their careers. During the course they go through leadership literature, listen to talks on the subject and interview female business leaders for their final report. The participants get their diplomas in a grand final ceremony in May.

The leadership course is arranged by the joint effort of all Tammer Nova Rotarians and guidance counselors in the local high schools. The course is aimed at second grade high school students and it is counted as one course in their high school program. Two students from each Tampere area high school are accepted to the course, 18 in all at the most. Local businesses and organizations offer facilities, so this way these students have an opportunity to meet people and see jobs in different fields.

During the last ten years 150 students have taken the course. Female managers and heads of departments have talked about their own careers during visits to 30 different organizations. Moreover, dozens of other female managers have been interview for the final reports. All in all, student teams have prepared more than 50 final reports during the course.

5th Baltic Herring Rowing Event Brought 12000€ for Water Protection

Five Rotary Clubs in district 1420 arranged a Baltic Herring Rowing Event for the fifth time in the fall 2017. Clean local waters and clean Baltic Sea belong to the signature projects of many clubs in D1420. On October 1, 2017 altogether 17 boats and over 250 rowers from all over Finland, from Italy and through exchange students from all over the world took part in the rowing event. On January 1, 2018 Vantaajoki and Helsinki Area Water Protection Association and the Association for the Protection of Flowing Waters were awarded 12000€ out of the money collected at he rowing event organized by Rotarians.

We will use the money we received from the Baltic Herring Rowing Event to improve the water quality in Vantaanjoki River and to decrease the amount of nutrients flowing from the river to the sea, says Anu Okasanen, the head of the Water Protection Association. With the help of this money we can increase on-going measurements of the water quality in the Vantaajoki River river basin, support the recreational use of Vantaanjoki River, and improve nature and the natural living conditions of salmon and other fish in the same fish family and other water fauna. There are over one million people living in the area of Vantaajoki River and its tributaries. It is for many people their local recreational ground.

If the river is important and close to you, then also the protection and development measures are important to you. The nutrient load from the river to the sea near Helsinki is significant, so increasing information and taking measures in the river basin from Riihimäki to Helsinki have a positive impact.

Five Rotary Clubs in D 1420 arranged the rowing event:
• Finlandia Hall
• Hausjärvi-Riihimäki
• Herttoniemi
• Pasila
• Vantaa Myyrmäki
• Rotaract Helsinki
• Rotary District 1420

Pictures from event:
 https://finlandiahall.rotary.fi/silakkasoutu/valokuvia-2017-p-koivusaari/
Video soudusta: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B51qsZEZeHNHZXM1ZDJGbzRHUFk/view
www.silakkasoutu.fi
@SilakkasoutuHKI

The Goodfather helps students to make their way to emloyment in Forssa area

Sepänhaka Rotary Club in Forssa is in charge of a program, which has created jobs and possibilities for work experience for youngsters in the area. The program started in 2015 and it has helped 120 youngsters to employment. In the Goodfather program unemployed youngsters are given jobs with the help and support from Rotarians. Rotarians open doors to companies and communities and keep contact with entrepreneurs. They help youngster to be active in seeking employment and support as goodfathers employed youngsters and those going to work experience.

Strength of Wide Cooperation

With the financial support from district 1410 the program planning team surveyed the employment situation of the young people in the town of Forssa. The unemployment rate was around 20%.

Close cooperation with Service Center Viltteri, Apprenticeship Office and representatives of Lyhty program was started. An unemployed youngster was employed as a coordinator for the program. Heidi Sipilä was selected as The Goodfather coordinator and she started her work in 2015.

The coordinator was acquainted with the operations of the Employment Office, Forssa Town and the organizations of young people’s employment activities and apprenticeship activities.

Effective Results

The coordinator has designed material for young people to prepare them for studies and working life and an animation on how to get a job. She opened and maintained an easy-to-use Facebook page ‘Information to Young People – Forssa Area’. By the end of December 2015 16 companies have joined the program. 29 youngsters were sent to these companies and 10 of them were employed or started work experience. By the end of 2018 120 youngsters had got a job.