WCIT MONITOR Issue 60 Nov 2013 | Page 14

CHARITY MONITOR “Leading Like A Lion” I n June this year the WCIT Hall rang to the applause of a capacity crowd enjoying the WCIT Employment Panel’s “Leading like a Lion – an evening with Rory Underwood”. After an exceptional meal the audience settled down to a presentation on the challenges of creating high performance teams; drawing on Rory’s experience as an International Rugby player, fighter pilot and business consultant helping organisations with performance enhancement. Having looked at how we are all members of different and sometimes conflicting teams, Rory outlined the need for leaders to provide an environment of empowerment in which people can develop and be successful. He illustrated this with footage of low-level flying at over 500 mph and a discussion on how operational procedures enable pilots to make instant Rory Underwood addressing the crowd decisions with confidence. E arlier in the year the WCIT Charity supported the Cylch Meithrin Y Parc (Childcare Nursery) to help set-up its new website. It is a Welsh-Medium Nursery which provides low-cost childcare for children aged 2½ - 4 years in a poor area of Canton where parents cannot afford private nursery. The Panel’s thanks go to the WCIT Hall for their organisation, to The Cook & The Butler for co-sponsoring the event and to Rory Underwood who gave his time freely and generously to support the charitable work of the WCIT. Paul Finch (WCIT Employment Panel Chairman) reflected: “The event was a thumping success and I would like to personally thank Freeman Nick Claydon for all his hard work in pulling it together and the Hall staff for their usual excellent support.” Entirely run by volunteers and having achieved excellent nursery status from the families, the WCIT was happy to support this very worthy charity in its further development. The event raised over £900 which has been generously donated to the WCIT Charity. Alice Ewart , Manager, says: Contributed by Paul Finch, WCIT Liveryman and Chairman of the WCIT Employment Panel “I cannot thank WCIT enough for the donation towards the setting up of the website for Cylch Meithrin Y Parc nursery. The Cylch is a welsh-medium nursery which has been established for over 25 years in the Canton area of Cardiff providing low-cost childcare to parents wishing to send their children to WelshMedium schools or just to expose them to the Welsh language. Government Panel Dinner I n July the WCIT Government Panel held a dinner at the House of Lords, in the Cholmondeley Suite and Terrace. 111 people attended, hosted by the Earl of Erroll with an honoured guest in the person of the Rt. Hon. Sir Alexander Lockwood Smith, the New Zealand High Commissioner, a guest of WCIT Freeman David Brown. The dinner raised over £1,200 for the WCIT Charity and it has been agreed by the Charitable Operations Committee to make donations to three charities following this – the RHQ Royal Corp of Signals Benevolent Fund; the Moggerhanger House Preservation Trust and the Bletchley Park National Museum of Computing. View of the River Thames from the House of Lords of visitors who visit the site of one of the great code-breaking achievements of WWII. Tony sadly passed away last year, and many people have suggested that a donation from the profits of the dinner should be donated to Bletchley in memory of Tony’s achievement. We have had three WCIT visits to Bletchley Park in the past and this will be a fitting tribute to Tony’s work. Bletchley Park holds special poignancy. As you may or may not know, WCIT Liveryman Tony Sale had been a member of the WCIT since it started, and he devoted ten years to rebuilding the famous Colossus computer at Bletchley Park, which is admired by thousands Contributed by the WCIT Government Panel Over recent years it has been extremely difficult to increase fees for parents during these strained economic times and so we are very grateful to those who donate their money and/or time to keep the Cylch running. The money WCIT has given to the Cylch has been used to set up the website so that we can advertise and ensure that the Cylch is as full of 2-4 year-olds as is allowed! Chairman of the WCIT Charity, Jo Connell OBE DL states: “I would like to thank the Panels wholeheartedly for their very kind donations to the Charity; it is most welcomed and valued. It was also wonderful to hear how successful these Panel events have been. Thank you for your generous donation - the website is being translated but the English elements can be visited at: www.cylch-y-parc.org” The support of the Panels and Committees to the Charity is very important to us and their donations will allow us to continue to fund worthwhile charitable activities and make a difference to those less fortunate than ourselves.” We wish the Nursery all the best in its continuing development. Page 14