Cranleigh Interact Club

The first Interact Club to be sponsored by the Rotary Club of Cranleigh, called Cranleigh and St Joseph’s, was chartered on 10 June 2010. The Interact Club was formed by students from Cranleigh School and St Joseph’s School, Cranleigh. Cranleigh School is a large public school and St Joseph’s is a specialist school for children and young people with complex learning and behavioural difficulties. The links between the schools go back many years.

Attending the Charter ceremony were District Governor David Hodge and DGN Simon Crowther, together with the RIBI Chair of Youth Opportunities, Denis Spiller. Also in attendance were the Mayor of Waverley, Mrs Carole Cockburn; the Vice-Chairman of Cranleigh Parish Council, Brian Cheesman; the Managing Director of Cranleigh Freight Services, Colin Young, MBE; and teachers and pupils from the two schools. (Photo courtesy of the Surrey Advertiser)

Interact is the youth arm of Rotary, for students between 14 and 18 years old, and aims to bring young people together as a social group and to raise money for projects at home and overseas. The Cranleigh and St Joseph’s School Interact Club began with 10 members from Cranleigh School and five from St Joseph’s, and more are expected to join.

As their  international project, the young people decided to raise money to purchase environmental cooking stoves for villagers in Kenya. Over their first year, they raised £700 by running discos, baking and selling cupcakes, packing bags for Sainburys at Christmas and rattling collecting tins. They were able to buy 7 stoves, which have been delivered to Kenya and are now in full use. 

Updates can be found by searching the Charity News section on the Cranleigh School website: www.cranleigh.org/