This month's meetings began on Wednesday May 4 when Police Sargent Steve Gordon paid the club a visit to explain his role and details of “Local Policing” in the Dudley area.

He has been in the police force for 25yrs, mainly in the Dudley Area and had undertaken various jobs in that time and had therefore developed a strong affinity for the people of Dudley.

April 2010 had seen a restructuring in the area with Brierley Hill, Dudley, Halesowen and Stourbridge being looked after by “Local Policing Units” with response teams working a 24 hour shift pattern to provide cover. Steve is now heading up one of these teams; dealing with Anti- Social behaviour, burglary, car thefts and graffiti problems. In these times of national austerity measures, leading to police staffing cuts etc., new ways of dealing with these various problems are being found, principally by forming partnerships with other local organisations to deal with these problems and these initiatives certainly seem to be baring fruit.

A very interesting and informative talk, much appreciated by all present.

Stourbridge Rotary's annual Palfrey award for service to the community was presented to Marilyn Cooper when she attended a recent club meeting.

A Stourbridge Rotarian, Keith Palfrey set up a fund some 27 years ago to enable the Rotary Club to reward each year, someone in the local community who has undertaken outstanding work and Marylin Cooper certainly fitted the bill.

Marilyn, or Mal as she likes to be known, lives in Wordsley and is a secretary at Cherry Tree Learning Centre in Dudley. Throughout her life she has done much to help others less fortunate than herself, inspired by her strong Christian faith. She has helped poor children in Romania, arranging a holiday club for them and building a playground in Transylvania; arranged the roofing of their church for a remote community in Tanzania and brightened the lives of lonely young adults in Dudley and girls”working the streets” in Wolverhampton.

Mal is a most modest and very impressive lady. The Club was pleased to present the award to her, together with a cheque for £100 to her chosen charity, “Life Ministries”.

Karen Phillips visited us on May 18 to talk about the Dudley Group of Hospitals Charity. The Charity encompasses Russells Hall Hospital, Guest and Corbett outpatient centres.

She joined the Trust in January 2010 as Fund-raising Co-ordinator; her main role being to boost awareness of the Trust's Charity and increase the amount of invaluable donations it receives. She has spent a great deal of time out and about in the community to spread the word and introduced many new ways of raising money.

Part of her role is to liaise with different wards and departments to look out for areas that need extra help. Whilst the NHS Trust supplies what the hospitals require for the day-to-day treatment of patients, the charity can offer further support.

Funds raised can be used to increase the amount of specialist equipment which will aid patient comfort or alternatively make more holistic treatments available to drastically improve someone's stay in hospital.

Fund-raisers can be assured that donations will make a difference to someone who will be very grateful.

If you are an individual, a member of a club or a company wishing to fund raise for this charity, contact Karen Phillips on 01384 456111 Ext 3349, or karen.phillips@dgoh.nhs.uk She will be pleased to hear from you.