Madam, The Rotary Club of Ross-on-Wye, like other branches worldwide, was asked by Rotary in Japan to help some of the people made homeless by the recent earthquake and tsunami. We were asked to help with the provision of shelter boxes, which contain basic equipment such as tents, blankets and cooking utensils.
In order to add to our own modest resources, we applied to Herefordshire Council for a permit to have a street collection in Ross on Thursday, March 17th. The application was approved, and, most efficiently, the permit arrived almost by return.
Our volunteers started collecting, and the people of Ross responded with their customary generosity. However, at lunchtime we were told by Herefordshire Council to stop collecting immediately. The reason? Too many permits had been issued for that day throughout Herefordshire. There were no other collections in Ross.
We complied with the order and sent our volunteers home. Our president rang the council to ask why our permit had been revoked, since we were the only ones collecting in Ross, and what happened elsewhere in the county really was not relevant. No-one could give us an explanation, but we were told that it would be looked into, and someone would call back. To date we have not heard anything.
I hope that whoever cancelled our permit in the bureaucracy of County Hall is pleased that the decision has led to some families in Japan being deprived of the slight comfort our shelter boxes would have provided. I thank the people of Ross for their generosity during the time we were allowed to collect.
Rod Barker, on behalf of the
Rotary Club of Ross-on-Wye
Editor's note: The Gazette has contacted Herefordshire Council and asked why the collection was cancelled. See page 3 for more details.