Tea for transformation - Rotary Club pumps proceeds from tea party into community projects

The Rotary Club of Trafalgar New Heights has turned proceeds from an elegant afternoon of tea and fellowship held earlier this year into support for healthcare and education.

The Kingston-based club of young professionals used funds raised from its annual tea party, ‘An Afternoon in Bloom’, held in April, to purchase and donate three Medline mobile aneroid blood pressure monitors to Bellevue Hospital, the country’s only mental health hospital.

A portion of the funds was also provided to the Maverley Primary and Infant School’s breakfast programme, a community and institution the club has adopted over the past decade.

The contribution helped ensure that students received a nutritious start to the school day. Funds raised were also used to finance Labour Day activities at the Vouch Group of Schools at Heroes’ Circle in central Kingston, which the club undertook in partnership with Kiwanis clubs in May.

Support for mental wellness

The donation to Bellevue Hospital has helped address a need at the country’s only public psychiatric hospital, where limited resources continue to challenge the delivery of care.

The mobile blood pressure monitors are providing clinicians with reliable bedside monitoring, supporting timely assessments and improving the efficiency of care at the hospital.

Immediate Past President of the Rotary Club of Trafalgar New Heights, Franchesca Francis, under whose oversight the funds were raised and earmarked, said the donation underscores the club’s commitment to supporting mental wellness, a cause that remains central to its agenda.

“Mental health is an essential part of overall health, yet it is often one of the most overlooked areas of care,” she pinpointed. “It is our hope that this donation contributes, in a meaningful way, to improving the quality of care for some of our nation’s most vulnerable citizens.”

Accepting the new equipment recently, CEO of Bellevue Hospital Suzette Buchanan said the equipment is helping to provide enhanced care to patients.

“Although these seemingly small pieces of everyday equipment may seem insignificant, the impact will be direct and substantial, as patients need to be monitored carefully when on psychiatric medication. These specific machines are highly accurate and reliable so that our practitioners can effectively monitor patients’ cardio-vascular responses,” she said.

Beyond healthcare

Now under the leadership of President Junior Buchanan, an accountant, the club remains committed to serving children in vulnerable communities through initiatives that foster healthy development and resilience.

Beyond healthcare, the Rotary Club of Trafalgar New Heights continues to invest in initiatives that strengthen families and communities. Its Labour Day project at the Vouch Group of Schools improved the learning environment for young children in the central Kingston community, while its support for the breakfast programme at Maverley Primary and Infant School helped ensure children are better prepared to learn each day.

The club will hand over various food supplies purchased with funds donated by club members and friends of the club on October 23.

“Our focus is on creating opportunities for children and young people in vulnerable communities to succeed by supporting their education, well-being and development. Whether we are helping to improve schools, ensuring children have a nutritious breakfast, or advancing mental wellness through partnerships with institutions like Bellevue Hospital, our goal is to uplift communities in ways that create lasting impact,” he underscored.

“We are committed to these communities for the long term because meaningful change is built through consistent service.”