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Model United Nations Averts Crisis
The pupils of Agrupamento Escolas de SilvesSul who attended Model United Nations Conference (MUN) in Manchester in 2024 and 2025 arranged a similar event for the members of Silves Rotary Club on the visit of the District Governor Jorge Lucas Coelho. Teams representing Portugal, Brazil, South Africa, Germany, UK, Netherlands and the USA made up from members, guests and supported by the President of the local Junta de Freguesia de Armação de Pêra were presented with a crisis based on the Iberian power outage last year. The crisis was launched via a short movie produced by the pupils. Members were forced to respond as their designated countries might. Presenting resolutions, taking questions from the floor and voting on outcomes. Pupils acted as advisers on protocols and helped to write resolutions.
President Pam Winn said “How proud she was of the pupils as they had provided members with an unforgettable experience, and an understanding of how the Model United Nations works.”
Just a few members comments: –
“A thoroughly enjoyable and engaging event led by a group of students demonstrating leadership, teamwork, Communication skills, including giving presentations, effective listening problem solving and decision making. The students put a significant amount of work into their preparations showing their organisational skills all this was delivered in a professional manner. The confidence and enthusiasm shown by the young students was inspiring and infectious.”
“The entire event was in English which is not the first language of the students. It was clear to all present how the event boosted the students’ confidence.”
“We all came away from the MUN event bristling with ideas about preparing for a blackout perhaps not however the suggestion about carrier pigeons & bicycle dynamos!!!”
We look forward to sending two teams next year!
Visit of the District 1960 Governor Jorge Lucas Coelho
RC Silves members and guests joined the Governor Jorge Lucas Coelho in fellowship at D’Mestres Restaurant in Pêra where he addressed the themes of rotary. He also joined President Pam Winn in welcoming two new members Shalini Mathur and Alok Dhar.
The Governor also joins the president to present Service Awards to Alan Winn and David Butler Cole. Both are officers of the club that have worked hard over several years to enable RC Silves work in the community, especially in providing educational experiences for pupils in local schools.
The Governor provided the club with a little gift to symbolise Rotary’s work to end polio. Appropriate as RC Silves donated 1000€ this year to the End Polio Now campaign. RC Silves had a little gift for the governor too. A painting from local artist and member David Trubshaw and a book of poems and paintings from local children.
President remarked “I am proud to be president of this Portuguese club with a proud 33-year heritage. I have a team of members from diverse backgrounds and cultures who have decided to make their home here in the Algarve and work to make a difference in our community and internationally. We have many areas where we need to make a difference and we all know more work needs to be done and partnerships to be built. With some successful fund raising and completed service projects behinds us we are now looking forward to the rest of the year with more fun, fellowship and fundraising.”
Christmas Carols by Candlelight
On 1st December RC Silves Members and friends gathered at the home of David Trubshaw and Jackie Offen to sing Carol´s by Candlelight. The money raised from the event will go to Community Charities. The carols were led by Adriana Neto Gonçalves who is studying Opera at the Loulé Conservatoire. RC Silves is helping Adriana with her studies. But before the festivities began Pam Winn President of RC Silves welcomed a new member to the club, Ulrike Klein. Pam presented her with her rotary pin. Pam also presented Past President Rainer Kroth with his Past Presidents pin.
After a few warming up exercises from Adriana. We tried a few carols clasping our song sheets tightly. Singing carols is thirsty work so mulled wine and soft drinks topped off with some Christmas Fayre was next on the agenda. A wonderful array of Christmas delicacies was provided by Jackie Offen. Thank you Jackie.
Towards the end of the evening Adriana put our efforts to shame and treated us to two lovely traditional Christmas songs.
Just getting us all in the mood for the Christmas season. The event raised 750€
Silves Rotary Club Bringing Christmas Cheer
Many charities make special efforts at Christmas to support the local community. RC Silves is no exception. This year they again joined Castelo de Sonhos in its Shoebox appeal, presenting lots of Christmas goodies for the needy families of Silves. These last two years they have also included shoeboxes for those in the psychiatric ward at Barlavento hospital. Tailoring the shoebox contents for the patients.
Alan Winn Project Officer RC Silves delivered the boxes personally to staff and Volunteers
Staff help patients to open their gifts
Pam Winn President of RC Silves paid a visit Junta de Freguesia de Armação de Pêra to donate a 500€ to the Emergency Food Fund just in time for Christmas. This fund supports local families in need in Armação de Pêra making a direct impact in the community especially at Christmas but all year round too.
The President of Junta de Freguesia de Armação de Pêra Bruno Nunes accepted the cheque from Pam Winn on behalf of the Freguesia.
Planting a Biodiversity Forest in Silves School
In 2023 Escola EB 2,3 Algoz was selected to house the first Biodiversity Forest to be planted as part of RC Silves environmental projects. On 24 November this year pupils and teachers of the Agrupamento de Escolas de Silves gathered at the EB1 Escola Secundária de Silves with RC Silves Rotarians and members of the local Clube Dos Bons Jardins or CBJ to plant the second urban biodiversity forest.
300 indigenous trees and shrubs were planted on an area beside the school prepared by Silves Council. When it matures it will be fully self-sustainable ecosystem. In the centre of the forest is a learning space. This was the first step in creating a small, 100sqm, dense woodland where a new ecosystem could exist, established using the Miyawaki principles of planting. Student volunteers will care for the newly planted saplings and will be able to observe the various stages of development as the forest grows.
Silves council prepared the ground; RC Silves funded the plants and Sonia’s consultancy. The project was managed by the school alongside Rainer Kroth and Terry Falção both members of RC Silves. RC Silves would like to thank the CBJ for their extra financial contribution to the project.
Diretor Tito Mendes, Sonia Soares, Pam Winn (President RC Silves), Terry Falção, Judy Falção(Secretary RC Silves)
Crisis averted at Silves Rotary Club Concert
Imagine a n eagerly awaited concert to be played by a trio of highly professional musicians for a performance on Saturday 22 November. We suddenly hear that the well-known cellist, Martin Henneken, had been called into hospital for critical heart surgery. Would we have to cancel the sold out show.? No!
Just before he went into hospital, Martin had contacted a fellow musician at the Gulbenkian Orchestra, a young award winning cellist Gonçalo Lélis and asked him to stand in for him. The other two members of the string Trio, Sandrine Cantoreggi and Petra Vahle, rallied round for emergency rehearsals with Gonçalo before the big night.
Come Saturday, the programme for the string trio of pieces by Mozart and Beethovan was totally sublime.
Opus 3 Trio, Sandrine Cantoreggi, Petra Valhe and Gonçalo Lélis
In the friendly atmosphere of the Mascarenhas Gregório Teatro in Silvesit was the perfect ambient for a perfect evening. This was all thanks to the hard work by Sandrine, Petra and Gonçalo – I think I could hear Beethoven in the audience clapping his approval.
The artists with the President of the RC Silves Pam Winn and Sue Lorum Concert Organiser.
Thanks also go to the Câmara Municipal de Silves for use of their wonderful theatre, helping to raise 3000€ towards their local school support projects.
Second Model United Nations visit a great success.
In 2024 One team of six students attended a Model United Nations two day gathering in Cheadle Hulme School near Manchester UK. The trip was organised and funded by the Rotary Clube de Silves and due to the successful first trip the club was able to increase the numbers to allow two teams to attend MUN(CH) 2025.
The teams from two secondary schools of the Agrupamento Escolas de Silves Sul represented Portugal and Angola. Research was carried out, and resolutions were produced on such topics as “The rise of the far right in world politics”, “Child slavery” and “The issue of legal status of climate refugees “
Almost 70 delegations were present, mostly from the U.K. but also from Luxembourg and Switzerland. The young Portuguese teams made up of students from 12 to 14 years old contributed significantly in committees and held their own against much older and experienced teams.
Pam Winn Rotary Clube de Silves President said that providing young people with the opportunity to attend an MUN gives the students chance to develop their language, diplomatic and debating skills in a way that is not accessible to many. Making a small difference to the lives of the young could have major benefits to their career paths in the future. According to the parents on their return MUN participation has resulted significant improvements in language, confidence, teamwork and so much more. As the welcome home notice from the Pupils parents said at Faro airport arrivals “MUNCH 25 Delegates we are Proud of you” One parent said “Education is truly an act of LOVE (sometimes tiring and difficult), but it is a collective effort that is SO rewarding and SO worth it!” The message from the teachers and students says it all.
Rotary continues the fight to eliminate polio worldwide
For many years Rotary clubs across the globe have been making efforts to bring an end to the
misery caused by polio myelitis. Rotary International has led this fight and with help from major
sponsors such as the Bill Gates Foundation, polio has been eradicated from most countries and is
currently only present where religion or conflict still hampers the efforts to complete the task.
A healthcare worker prepares to head out on a bicycle during a National Immunization Day in the village of Adjin, Cote d’Ivoire
With World Polio Day being held on 24 October Rotary clubs across Portugal will be doing their bit
to raise awareness and funding to continue the fight to rid the world of this horrific disease. For
every Euro raised the Bill Gates Foundation donates a further 2€ to the cause.
The Rotary Club de Silves with support from The Portugal Resident has been fundraising all year
at meetings and on their fellowship walks and are pleased to announce a donation of 1000€ which
means with the top up 3000€ becomes available to purchase vaccines and other materials needed.
Water and Energy Bars for the Bombeiros
President Pam Winn and her husband and Alan visited the Bombeiros in Silves to deliver the donation of water and energy bars for the Bombeiros fighting the fires in Portugal. They will be delivered to the north. Members of Silves Rotary will also add to the donation individually. We are all thankful for their brave work and will always support where we can.
Back to School! Help Needed!
It is that time of year, Castelo de Sonhos are gearing up for their annual Back to School project. Silves Rotary Club always supports this project and members help where they can. Help is needed with back packs and stationery to get children ready for school in September. Fill your shopping trolley with essential items for Kids in Need in the Algarve or make a financial contribution 60€ buys a backpack complete with contents. The poster below shows the things needed and where you can drop them off. Every little helps even if you can only give a few items, it all counts. If you would rather make a donation Castelo de Sonhos’s bank details can be found on the poster too.
Rotary Clube de Silves 