29/04/13…….Dig out those unwanted tools for craftsmen in Africa

THE Rotary Club of Thame is asking the public to check their sheds and lofts and bring their old tools to the Upper High Street car park, near Market House, in Montesson Square on Saturday morning, May 25, between 9:00 and 14:00.

Every year the Rotary Club of Thame runs a collection point for unwanted tools. These are then taken to ‘Tools for Self Reliance’ at Netley Marsh near Southampton. The latter is a charity which refurbishes them and sends them to NGOs in Africa. The NGOs then distribute them among both men and women craftspeople, to enable them to obtain work.

Rotarian Peter Hook, Chairman of the International Committee at the Thame Rotary Club said: “The Rotary Club of Thame would like to encourage everyone to check their garages and lofts and bring their unwanted items to us to give the craftspeople in Africa a chance to put their skills to good use for the benefit of their community, as we believe it is a worthy cause.”

Here are a few examples of items to be collected:

?Sewing machines
?Blacksmiths tools ? especially anvils, leg vices, hand operated pillar drills
?Carpentry tools ? especially large carpenters’ vices, metal jack planes and tri-planes, drawknives;
?Engineering and Metalworking tools ? especially HSS twist drills, metric taps & dies, hand operated bench grinders;
?Bicycle repair tools ? especially spoke spanners;
?Shoe repair tools ? especially complete sets of individual lasts;
?Auto mechanics’ tools ? especially HD screw jacks, tyre pressure gauges, foot-pumps;
?Electrical repair tools ? especially multi-meters, Arc Welders (240V);
?Industrial quality power tools ? especially drills and bench grinders.

Once refurbished by a group of retired engineers at Netley Marsh, the tools are packed into containers for shipment to African countries. From the port of arrival they are taken by members of the organisation to villages to help the people become more self-reliant.

Anyone with tools available to donate but who may not able to go to the Upper High Street car park on the May 25, can send a message via the Rotary Club’s website: www.thame.rotaryweb.org
or ring/text 07764 85 49 49