The Red Hall Hotel was once again the venue for Ramsbottom Rotary’s Youth Speaks Festival where budding year 6 Primary School pupils are given the opportunity to show their potential at public speaking in front of an audience of nearly 100 people. Seven teams from Holcombe Brook, Ramsbottom St Joseph’s and St John + St mark’s comprising a chairperson, speaker and vote of thanks, chose a wide range of topics on which each speaker had to give a 6 minute presentation. A panel of adjudicators questioned each speaker and then gave their constructive comments on the team performance. Teachers were impressed by some of their pupils who wouldn’t normally say very much in class but who, on this occasion, stood up and gave a confident performance. Each participant received a certificate and a USB stick to use for their homework when they move on to senior school in September.

In other news from Ramsbottom Rotary, Local business owner Kevin Winch took over as President of Ramsbottom Rotary.

Kevin has been running a small business in Bury and Ramsbottom for the past five years. Before this Kevin had a long career as a purchasing manager for a number of large multinational corporations based in Manchester. Kevin is involved with supporting a number of local charities through the Bury Dementia action alliance, which helps the D-caff and the Piece of mind café, encouraging local businesses to be dementia friendly. Kevin has been a volunteer at Speakeasy, which is based in Ramsbottom. Kevin is also a volunteer for the Alzheimer’s society and is a Dementia friends champion. He is involved with Bury council initiative to create dementia friendly communities in each of Bury’s six towns.

As a well known local business owner Kevin is looking to encourage other local people, clubs and business to become friends of Rotary, to maintain and increase the charitable events and donations which Ramsbottom Rotary does throughout the year.