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Handover 2022/23
2021/22 has been a memorable year for Silves Rotary Club as for all Rotary clubs Covid has taken it’s toll. We worked hard under our President Alan Winn to help the community and to keep as many fundraising activities as possible. We had a great start to the year with Back to school, followed closely by the Christmas Shoe box appeal. We manage our first concert in two years and raised 4500€. We have been training for a sponsored walk along the Camino starting at the Portuguese border and finishing at Santiago to Compostela to provide a sensory room and garden for Autistic and Downs Syndrome pupils at Armacao de Pera school. Alan handed over to Isabel Flores for the year 2022/23. Isabel is shouldering the president’s job for the fifth time. Continuing our work in education is high on her agenda but she will add some touches of her own to support further members of the community.
Trying Walk
Saturday 14 May was the latest training day for our sponsored walk to Santiago de Compostela.
7 club members took part in a two stage walk around the Alvor and Mexilhoeira Grande areas. Stage one included areas around the estuary with its cooling breezes and flamingos and stage two further in land amongst fields of poppies.
Each part was approximately 7.5km in length and so older members who will walk the Camino as a team were able to walk the shorter distance where fitter members were able to complete the full distance.
Further training walks will take place before the summer and in the early autumn in readiness for the sponsored walk starting in Valence on 23 September.
The club is hoping to raise sufficient money to complete the funding of a sensory room and safe outside area for children between 4 and 9 years with autism, Downs Syndrome and other disabilities in the Agroupamento Silves Sul school campus in Armacao de Pera.
The school has a similar facility on its Algoz campus for older children from the age of 10 upwards.
The club has already raised over 4000€ from the concert at the end of April.
RC Silves has a strong commitment to supporting our community and will continue to make a difference to the lives of those less fortunate.
COOL MANOUCHE – OH SO COOL!
On Saturday 30 April, Rotary Silves gave a highly successful concert to a packed house in the Teatro Mascarenhas Gregorio in Silves. The concert featured the well-known group Cool Manouche, Playing their very special gypsy jazz, they entertained the audience royally with classics such as Django Reinhardt’s “Minor Swing” and “Nuages”.
Our thanks go to Câmara de Silves for allowing us to use the theatre. Rotary Silves donated the proceeds from ticket sales, a total amount of €3,900.00, to Agrupamento Escolas Silves Sul, headed by Carlos Silva Diretor do Agrupamento. The sum will go towards their project to build and equip a sensory room and a sensory garden in Armação de Pera to help students with learning difficulties to find peace of mind.
The longest training walk yet!
You may ask what we are training for. Well Philippe came up with the idea of a Rotary charity walk to Santiago de Compostelo. No, not from Silves. We would start instead from the north of Portugal and walk through to Santiago itself. This is some 120 kms which we hope to complete within a week – that means about 20 kms per day. All in aid of a much needed Sensory Room and Garden for Armancao de Pera School’s challenged children.
Philippe has started slowly with our training programme. Walk number 5 on Saturday 16 April of 13 kms was around the Barragem do Arade, just over half of what we will be expected to manage on a daily basis on the course itself.
Only two made it the full distance, so we need to gear up to a fitness not yet apparent in our members, who by my calculations on average will never celebrate their seventieth birthday again.
We will be asking the public to sponsor or donate to members who complete this Olympian challenge. To help them, we will be giving details of the participants in the forthcoming weeks. Follow this space
Cool Manouche Concert 30 April in Silves
Come and enjoy the swinging gypsy jazz played by the popular group “COOL MANOUCHE”. The date is Saturday 30th April 2022 starting at 8pm sharp at the Mascarenhas Gregorio Theatre in Silves. Doors will open at 7pm and sparkling wine & snacks will be served before the performance, included in the ticket.
You will love the “COOL MANOUCHE” sound. Their style of jazz was originated by Django Reinhardt the Romani guitarist who took Paris by storm in the nightclubs of the 1930’s-50’s. A real foot-tapping rhythm.
The event is being presented by Silves Rotary Club in aid of bringing to life a sensory room and garden for kids with learning difficulties in the Armacao de Pera area of Silves Council.
The ticket is €25 donation per person. Bookings phone Sue Butler-Cole on 933 374 865 or e-mail: sueloram@gmail.com. Alternatively contact Maria Carvalho on 916 145 739.
Only restriction – masks must be worn.
RC Silves in Training!
We had the original baker’s dozen on parade again this Saturday, except Pam and Alan Winn who sent in “sickies”. Today our leader, Philippe, has chosen another scenic walk through the Salgados wetland reserve between Galé and Armação de Pera. A distance of 7 kms which our gang covered in two hours
You may ask what we are training for. Well Philippe came up with the idea of a Rotary charity walk to Santiago de Compostelo. No, not from Silves. We would start instead from the north of Portugal and walk through to Santiago itself. This is some 120 kms which we hope to complete within a week – that means 20 kms per day, with the last pilgrimage bit on our knees.
So, Philippe is starting slowly with this training programme. Our current walk of 7 kms is just a third of what we will be expected to manage on a daily basis on the course itself. So we need to gear up to a fitness not yet apparent in our dozen, who by my calculations on average will never celebrate their seventieth birthday again. We do not expect to be equipping them with zimmer frames but the odd bengala may be required.
We will be asking the public to bet on which members will manage to complete this Olympian challenge within the week. To help them, we will be giving details of the participants in the forthcoming weeks during the training and their current physical state. Follow this space
Walking in the Algarve
RC Silves looks at many ways to raise funds for our community in Silves and to do it through fellowship. We are looking at many possibilities for fundraising one of which focuses on exercise. To get ready for this possible challenge we have started some training walks. The first was a 7K walk around the Arade and Odelouca Rivers. A bakers dozen took part and all managed it well. Two members who were back in the UK joined us in spirit. They walked in the snow and ice. Much Chillier.
The Sun, Solar System and the Galactic Neighbourhood
Rainer Kroth is a member of RC Silves and has a keen interest in the Universe and beyond. In this first part of his presentation. Rainer provided and excellent introduction to our close neighbours in the Galaxy. He enthralled us with surprising facts, beautiful pictures and illustrations and left us looking forward to part two. Alan our club president, thanked him on behalf of the members, however the resounding applause at the end of the talk spoke wonders.
Below are just two of the wonderful pictures that illustrated his talk.
Rotary Silves Shoeboxes
Every year RC Silves contributes to the Castelo de Sonhos Shoe box appeal. This provides Christmas gifts to the families in need at Christmas. The first of the RC Silves shoe boxes were delivered to the Holiday Inn today. Making RC Silves total 30 so far with more to come. The appeal aims to provide 250 families with a gift this Christmas.
Silves Rotary Club Plaque Unveiled
Silves Rotary club meets regularly at the Holiday Inn, Armacao de Pera. The President Alan Winn, Past President Isabel Flores and a representative of the hotel unveiled a plaque on the 11 November to highlight our long running partnership. The Holiday Inn has always enthusiastically supported the club in its endeavors to raise funds and support the local community.

