On Wednesday March 23, the annual Woodhouse Jay Awards were presented to students from local schools.

The students were first of all given the background to the awards.

Henry Woodhouse was a Black Country industrialist who was a very generous supporter of charitable causes. He was a member of Stourbridge Rotary Club and in 1945 set up a fund so that each year, bibles could be presented as a reward to the male and female student who, in the opinion of the Head Teacher, has over the last year, displayed outstanding service to either their school or local community in general.

Harold Jay was also a member of our Club and was well known in the town as the owner of a successful furniture removal business and when he died, he left a bequest to augment the fund set up by Henry Woodhouse.

The letter from Henry Woodhouse setting up the trust expressed his wish that these awards are for the encouragement of Youth in Civic ideals through “Service above Self”

which also happens to be the Rotary motto. Awards were made to the following students:- Hagley Catholic High School: Miriam Goode and Mathew Hawker; Haybridge High School & Sixth Form: Beth Wilkinson and Sean Bastable; King Edward VI College: Clair Swallow and Chris Bates; Old Swinford Hospital School: Lily Stanton and Howard Coase; Pedmore Technology College : Chelsea Savoy and Simon Phipps; Redhill School: Harriet Ellis and Josh Lewis; Ridgewood High School : Eleanor Steedman and Josh Woodhall.

Rotarian David Hickman closed the meeting with a brief resume of Rotary's activities, nationally and Internationally and in particular the many ways that students and young people in general can benefit from initiatives available through Rotary.