Rotarian

ROTARIAN A

nEccleshall Rotarian has been honoured withaprestigious award.

Sylvia Keris has beenhonoured by Rotary International in Great Britain and Ireland with a Champions of Change award.

Held annually, Champions of Change are part of Rotary’s Champions Awards which recognises unsung heroes whose volunteering efforts have had ahuge impact on people’s lives both at home and internationally.

Sylvia, who is amember of the Rotary Club of Eccleshall Mercia, received heraward during a virtual ceremony in June alongside 11 other recipients as well as last year’s winners whose ceremony was postponed due to Covid-19.

For the past two years Sylvia has become a champion for the Buddy Bag Foundation, which supplies essential items for the immediate wellbeing of children who find themselves in emergency care following atraumatic incident.

As an Ambassador for BBF, Sylvia sends out publicity and collectsinand labels up the 100’s of comfort knitted teddies, anddelivers them to the charity for their weekly mass backpacking sessions, which she has additionally helpedat.

In 2019 shewalked the length of the Grand Union canal from Birmingham to London, and through publicity for the Rotary Clubs she met along the way inspired support for the charity’s appeal for knitted teddy bears, toiletry bags and Lego: amessage spread nationally via newspapers, posters and social media.

So far more than 3,500 knitted teddies have been collected and delivered via Sylvia to BBF, with the figure increasing daily. Her canal walk also raised over £3,100, split between Buddy Bags and Rotary’s End Polio campaign, while her 24 hour aday costumed Elf activity throughout December 2020 brought some festive cheer and raised afurther £552 in online donations.

The search for this year’s winners was carried out across Rotary’s vibrant network of over 1,700 Rotary clubs, with Rotary members and also members of the public having their extraordinary work recognised. This ranged from feeding disadvantaged people during the Covid19 pandemic to knitting teddies for children in emergency care.

Tom Griffin, President of Rotary International in Great Britain &Ireland, said: “Thanks to Sylvia and those who were inspired by her, this very worthwhile charity has received fantastic support in providing comfort for children at atimewhenthey reallyneed it. “She is atrue champion who selfless actions rightly deserve to be celebratedwiththiswelldeserved award. “The Champions Awards is about giving those who pioneer, lead and support some amazing volunteering projects therecognition they deserve. “The selflessand trulylife-changing impact of our champions really demonstrates how we can make adifference and touch people’s lives. “Rotary is certainly aplace where people can turn their passion and ideas into lasting change. There are so many heroes out there and to them Isay ‘thank you and keep doing what you’re doing’.”

Sylvia said: “It is busy but so rewarding to help suchaworthwhile charity as Buddy Bags, but thanks must also go to thepeople across the country who are kindly knitting and sewing teddies and toiletry bags for vulnerable children, and delivering the items to my door. “These include Rotarians, people undertaking the Discovery Award (akin to DOE Award) and many individual knitters.”

For more information about Rotary’s Champions Awards visit: www.rotarygbi.org/events or to getinvolved in Rotary and make adifference in your community, visit www.rotarygbi.org/join