The intrinsic value of Rotary is that all members share their knowledge and capabilities to help those less fortunate.  This is why each club seeks to have a variety of professions and abilities within its membership base.

Rotary Club La Valette Malta is composed of men and women coming from different sectors and countries and this being our strength enables a variety of positive projects here, at home, and overseas.  One of these projects, that is nothing less than a success story, is the Nurture Groups programme in State Primary Schools.  Rotarian Margaret Marwick worked in Britain as a school inspector and upon relocating to Malta was able to apply her experience and offer assistance with a pilot project started at St Margaret's college in Cottonera 8 years ago.   Rotary Club La Valette re-decorated a room, the Nurture Class, with a homely feel to be used for specialised classes aimed at helping learners with behaviour, social or emotional challenges. 

Our hectic modern lives and different developments in family units can trigger negative effects on children's behaviour.  If addressed at an early stage, children can be helped to handle the emotional rollercoaster on which they sometimes, innocently, find themselves

A specialised teacher  and a learning support assistant take a small group of children for a few hours each week in the Nurture Class and run various programmes depending on their needs.  These sessions are held during school hours and with the use of game-oriented, craft and cooking together with Circle time teach children to identify and handle strong emotions that  are often the underlying cause of their challenging behaviour.  Their newly learnt techniques of listening, sharing and working together enable them to participate more effectively in the mainstream school system as well as in their lives outside.  By the end of the year, such was the success that the programme was introduced to the Primary school in Floriana and has since then spread and is active in 36 State Primary Schools in various localities.

The government supplies the highly-motivated specialised teachers and assistants to run these programmes, however these Nurture Classes  also require furniture, furnishings, books and other equipment that schools often do not have a budget for.  This is where Rotary la Valette has lent a hand.  This year, through our network of contacts and friends, we collected all that was required to create the Nurture Class at Paola Primary School.  The Nurture class in Marsa received a kitchen area and furniture and games went to furnish the Mellieha Nurture Class.  We must specially thank the Eden Leisure Group of Companies, courtesy of Rotarian Ian de Cesare who, this year, is Rotary District 2110 Governor's assistant,  for their donations.   Curtains and bean bags are being sewn by members of the club, under the supervision of President Anne Marie Bianchi.  New and unwanted items in good condition are still collected and donated to enhance the various Nurture Classes and the club will also be assisting the Education Department with rooms used for Learning Zones - a similar program for Secondary School children.

During the District Governor's visit to the Malta and Gozo clubs, Rotarian Governor Giovanni Vaccaro visited the Nurture class at Paola Primary school.  He was accompanied by his Secretary, Rot Santo Spagnolo, Governor's  Assistant Rot Ian de Cesare,  Club President Anne Marie Bianchi and Rot Margaret Marwick.  On that occasion, Ian De Cesare donated  two free outings to the SuperBowl bowling centre in St Julians to the Nurture class students at Paola Primary school.   These outings will be taking place before the Summer holidays.