The Class 21 Rotary Peace Fellows based at the University of Bradford who have ​now completed their programmes and will graduate next year!

The group rounded off their 15 months of study with a week-long study trip to ​Oslo.

There, the Centre Director, and the head of department of Peace Studies and ​International Development were privileged to attend the invitation-only Nobel ​Peace Prize ceremony, in honour of Laureate Narges Mohammadi, in Oslo town ​hall.

The group also attended the Nobel Peace Forum in Oslo University, visited the ​new exhibit at the Nobel Peace Museum, and met with the chair of the awarding ​committee at the Nobel Institute.

Other meetings took place at the police academy and at the Ministry of Foreign ​Affairs, to learn about Norway's contribution to peacekeeping, at the Peace ​Research Institute Oslo, and at the King Institute for dialogue and social change ​founded by a Bradford Peace Studies alumnus.

Thanks to the generosity of Rotarians in District 1130 - Rotary in London - the Rotary-inspired charity, Literacy In A Box, has recently sent 13 literacy boxes to be sent to six schools in The Gambia.

The charity used Derriford United Reformed Church near Plymouth to help with the packing, thanks to a team of volunteers.

Literacy In A Box was created by Forbes Watson from the Rotary Club of Roborough in Plymouth as a result of personal experiences in sub-Saharan Africa.

He saw the need to support education by providing literacy boxes which contain exercise books, writing utensils, chalks and other stationery items, a pencil case and backpack, along with footballs, a pump and needles and skipping ropes for exercise.

The charity is keen to hear from anyone who would like to get involved

in their work of helping orphans and the poorest of Zambian or Gambian children with a chance of an education.

For more details, visit the Literacy in a Box website.

Northern Ireland MP, Carla Lockhart has expressed her gratitude to the Rotary Club of Portadown and Translink for the provision of a new entrance feature at Portadown Train Station.

A Thomas the Tank-style engine has been transformed into a new welcoming feature. It has been planted with Spring flowers.

The Democrat Unionist Party MP said: “This is a lovely addition to the train station area and is, of course, quite fitting.”

The equipment was presented to the Rotary club by Sean Hagan, and after securing some funding the club restored the train and donated it to Translink, which runs rail services in Northern Ireland.

Carl Lockhart added: “My thanks goes to the Rotary Club of Portadown for pursuing the project to this point and for al those who played a part in making this feature a reality.”