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THE COMMONWEALTH CLUB 

OF THE RIVIERA

Affiliated Member of the Commonwealth Countries League
EVENTS JOIN   CONTACTS NEWSLETTER PHOTOS

Who Are We? 

The Commonwealth Club Of The Riviera is a non profit association whose main goal is facilitating people from different Nationalities, Cultures and Ethnic backgrounds to interact socially through diverse events and thus promote friendship and unity.

TSUNAMI DISASTER RELIEF FUND

The Commonwealth Club of the Riviera is joining the world wide relief effort for those stricken by the Tsunami devastation in Southeast Asia.

We are collecting funds to contribute towards those being coordinated by the Commonwealth Countries League in association with it's affiliated members.

  • Please send in your contributions to:
    The Treasurer, Commonwealth Club of the Riviera, 
    No.6, Avenue Lt.Ecochard
    06200 Nice. 

Cheques should be made payable to the Commonwealth Club.

As you are aware the majority of the countries worst effected are Commonwealth Member nations.

Please give generously.

Events

Our Next Event!

AUSTRALIA DAY - 2005!
29th January 12 Noon

The Commonwealth Club Of The Riviera in association with Aussies on the Riviera present "AUSTRALIA DAY" featuring the food, music, culture and traditions of Australia, on Saturday the 29th of January, 2005, at "Santa Christa", No.476, Chemin de Font Cuberte, Les Sites De Castellaras 06560 Valbonne, starting at 12 Noon. 

For the second year running the lovely villa of our gracious host Bruce Pulling will be transformed into a "Mini Australia" for the afternoon! There will be plenty of Australian ambience with a "Winter Barbecue", food and drink from "down under", live music, prizes and surprises to keep everyone happy! The dress code will be "anything with an Australian flavour" with a prize for the most imaginative "Australian Attire"

Participation fee is 22/- Euros for members of the Commonwealth Club of the Riviera and Aussies on the Riviera and 25 Euros for non-members. Priority will be given to members of the two clubs and their guests.

Cheques in favour of the Commonwealth Club should be mailed to:

  • The Treasurer, Commonwealth Club of the Riviera, No.6, Avenue Lt.Ecochard, 06200 Nice. 

Closing Date 22nd January, 2005.

Limited Numbers - Register Now!

Click here for a Map!

Forthcoming Events 

1. Trip to Malta - 10th to 17th March 2005. Sold Out! 

The Commonwealth Club of the Riviera - Bringing People Together!

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How Do I become A Member?

It's Membership is open to citizens of Commonwealth Countries resident or visiting the Riviera and their spouses. Annual membership fee is €10. As a Member you will have priority for registrations for our events, a special price for all events (Non-members pay more for each event) apart from receiving the Club Newsletter etc.

According to the rules governing membership in our club, no single nationality will comprise more than 50% of our total membership at any given time. If a prospective member is of a nationality that has reached the 50% mark he or she will be placed on a waiting list until the percentages permit us to accept his or her application for membership. This step has been taken to ensure that our membership is as diverse as possible and contain a healthy mix of nationalities.

Membership application forms can be obtained by contacting the club secretary George Kasiliyake by telephone, e-mail or by writing to him: 

Tel: 06 14 66 12 24 or 

e-mail or write to:

The Secretary
Commonwealth Club Of The Riviera 
No.6 Avenue Lt. Ecochard
06200 Nice

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Club Contacts

Office Bearers - 2004
President Geoffrey Treloar Vice President Jill Pirdas
Treasurer Finella Tennant  Auditor Andrew Cooper
Secretary George Kasiliyake  Host Country Liaison Claire Casals
Editor Newsletter Kate Foster  Committee Member Jean Casals
Committee Member Michèle Sullivan Committee Member Kerry Cooper
Committee Member Roger Nolan Committee Member Jane Nolan
Committee Member Thomas Tennant  International Liaison Marian Kermanshahchi
Official Address Commonwealth Club Of The Riviera
No.6 Ave. Lt. Ecochard
06200 Nice		 Tel: 04 92 29 15 67 
Tel: 06 14 66 12 24
e-mail: Click Here

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THE COMMONWEALTH COUNTRIES LEAGUE

Report from the International Laison - Marian Kermanshahchi.

At the June 2004 meeting of the CCL in London the Executive Committee announced with great pleasure the affiliation of the Commonwealth Club of the Riviera.

CCL itself was formed 80 years ago an in 2005 will celebrate this anniversary. Originally it was formed to encourage the equality of Commonwealth citizens, but as over the years equality has become a reality the CCL has turned its attention on the need for further education for girls. In most developing countries families will do their best to provide an education for their sons but there will be insufficient funds to educate the daughters.

To address this situation the CCL Education Fund was formed and registered as a charity. Its objective is to advance girls education by sponsoring secondary education for bright but needy girls in their own Commonwealth country. The monies received by them maybe used towards the cost of school and examination fees, school meals, books and for some girls living in remote areas bus fares or even a desk. For these girls living in rural areas it makes the difference between obtaining and education or nothing, either working or becoming an early bride. CCL has many details of the poverty of these girls and when I was the Executive Chairman I remember clearly the plight of twin girls who had to go to school on separate days as they had only one pair of shoes. Each year the Education Fund publishes its Annual Report which gives some details of the stories behind the girls. The monies are not given to the girls direct but are handled by the Heads of the schools.

The monies for the CCL Education Fund are raised by the annual Commonwealth Fair held each November and from donations. Currently there are approximately 140 girls receiving sponsorship throughout the Commonwealth, from Guyana to Papua New Guinea. The Fund maintains sufficient reserves for all the present girls to complete their secondary education. Many of girls previously sponsored have gone on to further education and we number doctors, nurses, engineers and teachers. CCL is now in the process of setting up an Alumni of older girls as with recent advances in communications we will be able to keep more closely in touch

Apart from the annual fair and the pre-fair functions, usually held in High Commissions, CCL itself organises programmes throughout the year including tea and A.G.M. in June at the House of Commons through the kind office of the Hon. Mrs Gwyneth Dunwoody, M.P. followed by the annual dinner. Plans for the 80th anniversary celebrations are underway and will shortly be posted on the Commonwealth Club of the Riviera website as all members can attend the functions as affiliate members. 

Marian Kermanshahchi
Vice President
Commonwealth Countries League

Newsletter

From the desk of the Secretary - December January 2004/2005

1. Events: Since my last update we have had two great events: The Asian Food Festival in September and the 1st Anniversary Celebrations in November.

The Asian food festival was hosted by Peter & Jenny Osborne in their lovely villa in Villeneuve Loubet and it was a celebration of the food and culture of the eight Asian Commonwealth Countries. It was a great success with participants enjoying the food of the different countries featured, all prepared by members of the club. Apart from the excellent ambience, great food and lilting live music, an exotic Oriental Dance performance by well known dancer, Djamila made the afternoon a memorable one for everyone. Our thanks to Peter & Jenny for giving us their lovely house and garden for the event and also to all the members who were responsible for the delicious food that was on offer! This will certainly be an annual event!!

The Club celebrated our 1st Anniversary with a Gala evening at the Restaurant des Constellations in Nice. 52 persons attended and it turned out to be great evening for all and a fitting end to the year!

In between the above events we also had one unofficial event, an outing to a Jazz Evening on the banks of Lake Cassian. The small group of members who braved the drive down to the "Bois de Callian" had a great evening with excellent food and super Jazz performed by the Martinique Jazz Band! It was great value too at only 10/- Euros per head! We will be doing another outing to the Jazz Club soon, hopefully with a bigger group of members, in the near future.

Our first event for 2005 will be our annual "Australia Day" in association with "Aussies on the Riviera" which will be held at the end of January, details of which will be announced shortly. A trip to Malta which is already sold out is next in early March to be followed by our Annual General Meeting at the end of March, 2005.


2. Membership: We welcomed two new members to the club since my last update and as at 1st December 2004, we had 62 members enrolled, from 15 different countries. The two new members are Rachel Lim Roger, our first member from Singapore and William Oswald from Great Britain. Welcome aboard Rachel & William!

Congratulations to our Newsletter Editor Kate Foster and member Sally Collingridge (the Collingridges are elsewhere on this site under "Get to know our members") on their new jobs! We wish them all success in their new endeavours!

We have had a sad moment too during the last couple of months with the untimely passing away of David Treloar, the brother of Geoff our President, who participated in several of our events. May he rest in peace.

3. General: The success of any Club depends on the energy and enthusiasm of it's membership. Our first year has been a success due to that very fact. We need you the members to be active and dynamic to keep us going in the next year as well. Give us your feedback, your ideas and suggestions! Don't wait to be asked - Volunteer! This is your club and your club needs you to continue with our success!

Wishing each and everyone of you a great festive season. Have a Merry X'Mas and may 2005 be your best year yet!!! Peace be with you!

George Kasiliyake
Secretary

 United Kingdom

Malta

Mauritius

Mozambique

Namibia

Nauru

New Zealand

Nigeria

Papua New Guinea

Samoa

Seychelles

Sierra Leone

Singapore

Solomon Islands

South Africa

Sri Lanka

St Kitts & Nevis

St Lucia

St Vincent

Swaziland

Tanzania

Tonga

Trinidad & Tobago

Tuvalu

Pakistan

Get to know our Members

THE COLLINGRIDGE FAMILY

A Place to Call Home

Edwin Collingridge was born an Englishman but raised a South African. It was in Cape Town that he and Sally first met in 1984, when she was in her final year of high school and he was working as a graphic artist for an advertising agency. Soon after, Edwin left the country to pursue a sailing career and Sally left to visit her father in Western Canada, where she ended up staying and becoming a citizen. They lost touch and didn't see each other for nearly 6 years. 

During this time, Edwin went home to study Architecture, but once he'd finished, his love of the ocean got the better of him and he made plans to set sail yet again. Before he left, however, he found a Christmas card from Sally in the pile at his parents' home and decided to write to her. They corresponded for a while and Edwin convinced her to apply for a job on the yacht on which he was working. She flew to the States and took up the position on a trial basis and on the condition that Edwin had no ulterior motives in getting her the job! The rest, as they say is history………..

For the following 10 years, they worked on different boats in the Caribbean, USA, Europe and the Mediterranean, Tunisia and Turkey. They were married in 1993 and Christopher was born in Newport, Rhode Island, USA in 1998. When he was five months old they set up home in Turkey for 2 years to oversee the construction of a new boat for their boss at the time. After the completion of the project, they ended up back in the States, where Edwin enrolled in an intensive year long course in Yacht Design in Maine. Zoë was born in June 2002 (the week her father graduated as a Yacht Designer) and a month later Edwin landed in the South of France to start work for a firm of Naval Architects in Antibes. The rest of the family joined him in September of the same year.

The first year was quite an adjustment for the whole family, but it has now been over two years and the Collingridges are fairly well settled. Christopher attends the local primary school and Zoë the garderie, so both are virtually bilingual. Sally is now working full-time for a marketing firm and is enjoying the challenge of learning a new job and improving her French in the workplace. Edwin manages to get out on the water to race fairly regularly and enjoys popping down to the pub to watch rugby when the Springboks are playing. And of course, they try to take part in as many Commonwealth Club events as possible! Perhaps they have finally found a place to call home. 

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Photos of Club Events

FIRST ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS - November 2004

 

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