ROTARIANS from Kidderminster have backed Operation Covert for the second time.

The town club was one of the first to get behind the appeal to rebuild the Rhydd Covert activity centre when it made a donation of £1,000 within a month of the launch in October 2004.

Now it has shown further support by obtaining match funding from its international organisation to help fit out the disabled toilet at the new centre.

Members have earmarked £350 from a big band event later this year - and the sum has been matched by Rotary International's Foundation Service.

The foundation is the organisation's main charity and promotes international understanding mainly through educational grants for study in foreign countries.

But it has more recently introduced a system where a proportion of subscriptions from members is handed back to its clubs for use on specific local projects.

The Kidderminster club felt the Scouts centre at Rhydd Covert was an ideal subject for the match-funding scheme and used the £700 it raised to pay for some of the fixtures and fittings in the disabled toilet, including a special alarm system.

Ken Adderley, chairman of the town club's foundation service committee, said: "We feel the ethics of the Scout movement are excellent and mirror Rotary's aims.

"The organisation helps to set up young people for the future by training them to be self sufficient, appreciate teamwork and teaches them to think of others in their community."

The Kidderminster club has helped many good causes in Wyre Forest and also recently supported Acorns Hospice in Worcester.

Many of its members and their families were Cubs and Scouts when they were younger and among its membership is former district Scouts commissions Dave Pagett, who is also a vice president of the district Scouts council.

Rotary across Wyre Forest has provided invaluable backing for the appeal since it began 20 months ago.

As well as Kidderminster's support, the Bewdley and Stourport clubs have also made substantial donations, bringing the Rotary input to nearly £4,000.

Bewdley Rotarians were in at the start by providing advice and helping to obtain free architectural and design expertise through its network of contacts.

Last year members also rattled buckets at a hillclimb event at Shelsley Walsh and added £1,000 to keep the public appeal rolling along.

Stourport Rotarians were out on the streets of their town at Christmas and tapped into the festive spirit to raise more than £1,000 for the appeal.