Features
Rotary magazine covers a wide range of fascinating features, exclusive interviews and inspiring human interest stories from across the world of Rotary.
Read the stories below or download the full digital edition.
If Something Is Not Impossible, Then There Must Be A Way To Do It
Rotarian Sir Nicholas Winton was a war hero who is now being celebrated in a film starring Sir Anthony Hopkins.
How Rotary Helped The Kindertransport Rescue
The story of how Rotarians came together at the start of World War II to find homes for Jewish children who had been displaced by the Nazis.
Rotary Crosses Borders To Honour War-Time Heroes
Wolverhampton Rotarian, Richard Green, was recently welcomed to Belgium by a local Rotary club to pay tribute to his would-have-been father in law.
Aquabox Helps Families Rebuild Their Lives
With help from their volunteers and partners, Aquabox continued to provide safe drinking water and humanitarian aid to people affected by disasters in 2023.
45 Days Rowing The Atlantic Ocean
Tyneside Rotarian, Garreth Murrell, provides a detailed account of his 3,000 mile journey in which he became the first Rotarian to row the Atlantic Ocean
The Evolution Of Shelterbox’s Emergency Shelter Aid
John Cleverley, Rotary Marketing Officer with ShelterBox, outlines how the charity, founded by Rotarians at the turn of the century, operates in disaster zones.
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The polio bombshell
Following the discovery of poliovirus in London, how likely is it that the disease will return to these shores?
How credit unions help the community
The Covid pandemic has witnessed many people struggling financially, through losing their jobs or being put on furlough. Credit unions are community savings and loan co-operatives, which are helping the most vulnerable.
Wallasey Rotary Moving With The Times
Meet Wallasey Rotary Club, based on the Wirral in north-west England, with a visionary approach towards growing membership.
Combatting climate change starts with you
This year, Rotary International will establish the environment as the seventh Area of Focus. By making this move, which has been suggested for many years, this will give Rotarians even more ways to bring about positive change in the world and increase our impact.
When Oliver Twist met Mary Poppins
Dave King visits HM Prison Parc in Wales to learn about an innovative Rotary-led programme working with prisoners.
Ade Adepitan on climate change’s front line
Rotary Polio Ambassador, Ade Adepitan, talks about filming the BBC series ‘Climate Change: Ade on the Frontline’.
Climate change is a humanitarian crisis
The environment has become Rotary’s seventh area of focus at a time when the world’s infrastructure is crumbling. We see the images of horrendous disasters, such as flooding and drought, but what is the reality? Lucy Carr from ShelterBox, Rotary’s project partners in disaster relief, tells about life on the front line.
Preparing for the worst
The Atlantic hurricane season has started, with experts predicting four major hurricanes will sweep the region. ShelterBox will be at the heart of humanitarian efforts in the region.
Is printing Rotary Magazine sustainable?
As Rotary begins to focus efforts on its new Area of Focus, the environment, what about the impact of publishing this magazine?
Keeping the home fires burning
Abingdon Vesper Rotary’s initiative of adopting a school appeal to build a fuel saving eco-stove, won the Rodney Huggins’ Rotary GB&I environmental project award. Maya Smeulders, from the Oxfordshire club, describes how the project works.
Lendwithcare and Rotary: The answer lies in the soil
BERNADETH Cabusog is a 34-year-old farmer and mother-of-two from the Philippines who has received loans from Lendwithcare, including from Stevenage Grange Rotary.
The Rotary Foundation – The cement that binds us together
As Rotary’s one and only charity, The Rotary Foundation is involved in funding and supporting hundreds of projects each year around the world in Rotary’s cause areas.
Children have their say on COP26
A Rotary poster competition to coincide with the United Nations Climate Change Conference attracted almost 4,000 entries from children, with many going on display in Glasgow.
Feeling A Sense Of Belonging
A guide to how Rotarians can make their Rotary clubs inclusive and enjoyable places to everyone through their behaviour.
Aquabox celebrates 30 years of aid
What started as a small project by two Rotary clubs in Derbyshire has grown on an international scale.
What is The Rotary Foundation?
A broad overview of The Rotary Foundation, how it works and what it has achieved since the Rotary International President, Arch Klumph initially set it up in 1917,
Not future leaders, but leaders of the present
Rotaract isn’t just the future of Rotary but they are the leaders of the present. With their modern projects and fresh perspectives, they’re the ones to set new project trends.
Lendwithcare and Rotary: Aunty Nancy is a shining light in Malawi
FEBCO (Financing Energy Business Cooperative) is the first energy cooperative in Malawi and has been supported by Bury St Edmunds Rotary in Suffolk.
Meet the weird fish lady
Gloria Barnett from Canterbury Sunrise Rotary in Kent is known as ‘The Weird Fish Lady’. An author and an environmentalist, she has been a popular speaker during the lockdown.
Connection is a cure
Rotary clubs, experts, and governments are tackling loneliness with meaningful interactions, Rotary Editor, Dave King visits a club in West Sussex which is trying to tackle loneliness and bridging generations.
Why give to The Rotary Foundation?
Tom Hunt, who is the Endowment and Major Gifts Advisor, starts a conversation about the importance of Rotarians donating to The Rotary Foundation and offers and opportunity for members to get in touch.
Meeting Our Members’ Needs
A guide to the many different ways you can set up a Rotary club so that no potential members miss out.
A port in stormy waters
A story highlighting the incredible work done by The Rotary GB&I Disaster Recovery Trust and the kind of projects they are looking to support.
The power of partnership
Here are five more projects run by Rotary clubs in Great Britain and Ireland which demonstrate the power of partnership in changing the lives of others through The Rotary Foundation.
Rotary tackles plastic pollution
Volunteers in Wales, and along the route of the River Severn, are taking a stand against plastic pollution which has brought together communities.
Laughter is the best medicine
TV icon, Dame Esther Rantzen, was one of the guests for series 3 of togetherTalks. As part of the live event, she discussed some of the lessons learned from the lockdown.
HRH The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh: a Friend of Rotary
With the death of HRH The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, in April, aged 99, Rotary lost a true friend.
A Guide to Global Grants
An insight into what Global Grants are and a detailed explanation of how they work can be received by Rotary clubs, as well as your key contact details.
Australia will rise as a phoenix from the flames
East Gippsland in Victoria was a focal point for the devastating Australian bush fires which have ravaged the tinder dry land since September. Rotarian Janne Speirs, who lives in East Gippsland and is Chair of the Emergency Management Committee for Rotary District 9820, tells her story.
How to start a Rotaract club
The concept of starting a Rotaract club can be seen as difficult and even daunting but that is not the case at all. We are here to support you and make this journey quick and enjoyable.
Author has Rotary in his sights
James Barrett, a Rotarian from Suffolk has written a novel, The Club, which is all about Rotary. The novel was published earlier this year by Troubador Publishing and is focused on the fictional Rotary Club of Debenham.
Child abuse is a stain on civil society
Jim Wilson is a Past President of Norwich Marchesi Rotary, and a former chairman of Norfolk Police Authority. Here, he writes about why Rotary should become active in the campaign against child sexual abuse.
Grief is the price we pay for love
The death of Queen Elizabeth II heralded the end of a remarkable reign and the dawn of a new age with King Charles III. However, what is unlikely to change is the Royal Family’s long-standing and close association with Rotary.
A Direct Way Of Doing Rotary
Find out how the Direct membership Network can take Rotary into the future whilst complementing existing Rotary clubs.
Where’s there’s a well, there’s a way
The Rotary Foundation brings together clubs from across the world working together to fund major projects through their financial pulling power. Here’s how successful Rotary partnerships were forged to build a series of wells in Sri Lanka.
How peace can prosper in a pandemic
The Peace Advocate Project is a charity set up by Scottish Rotarians Jean and Keith Best, from Newton Stewart Rotary, enabling young people to become peace advocates in schools and community groups. Here they tell the story behind what they have achieved in reaching out to youngsters across Great Britain and Ireland.
Getting back on their feet
How a Rotary project that started in Manchester nearly 50 years ago has come to provide disaster relief all over the world, even in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The war to end all wars
In November, the world marked the centenary of Armistice Day, 100 years since the First World War came to an end. In this edition of Rotary magazine, we reflect on Rotary’s role during the conflict.
Rotary at its best
With war still raging in Ukraine, what impact is Rotary having providing humanitarian aid to countries affected by the conflict?
Hairdresser Donna refuses to be on the fringe
Meet Donna Wallbank, who in July becomes the new President of Great Britain & Ireland. The hairdresser from South Wales is looking forward to her new role.
Celebrity Rotarians
From royalty, to the inventor of fried chicken, here are just some of Rotary’s most famous members.
Rotary Foundation FAQs
A collection of key questions relating to The Rotary Foundation answering questions such as how it functions, how can clubs use it and what it actually is.
How perverse is the paradox of poverty?
Editor Dave King visited Delhi in January, along with Rotarians from across the world, to help with India’s fight against polio during one of the country’s National Immunisation Days.
All aboard the Rotary Shelter Bus
It is a novel approach addressing the growing problem of homelessness. Get hold of a double decker bus, convert it, and create a mobile shelter. Rodney Howell reports how this Rotary-led project is working in Birmingham. Please note the image above is an artist’s impression of how the finished bus may look.
A dark secret hidden behind closed doors
Lady Philippa Dannatt is the Lord Lieutenant of Norfolk and a trained counsellor. Here she describes first-hand the scale of child abuse which is going on behind closed doors.
Rotaract: A catalyst towards peace-building
Innovative solutions require thinking outside the box – and that is exactly what Rotaract does best.
Rebuilding after disaster strikes
In February, devastating earthquakes struck southern Turkey and north-west Syria killing over 50,000 and injuring many more. Ray Seager from Minster on Sea Rotary Club in Kent (pictured below) visited the region thanks to a meeting with a lady called Maya.
The pilots of peace
Alison Sutherland is the current District Governor for Southern Wales, and chairs the Rotary Action Group for Peace. Here, she discusses what the action group is trying to achieve in an ever-changing world.
The choice to eradicate is in our hands
The past 12 months have been busy for Aidan O’Leary, Director for Polio Eradication at the World Health Organization – the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, high-profile detections of polio in London and New York, the Russian invasion of Ukraine and wild polio detections in Malawi and Mozambique. Here, Aidan discusses those challenges.
The war against polio in a country of chaos
Following the Taliban’s sudden takeover of Afghanistan, what hope is there of wiping out polio in one of its last strongholds?
It Pays To Go Corporate
From sponsorship opportunities to business expertise, corporate membership can bring many benefits to Rotary clubs.
Why charity starts in town
Rotary clubs are always looking for new ways of fund-raising. In Penzance, south-west England, they are reaping the benefits of opening town centre shops.
For the love of books
Beverley Ricketts, co-chair of Rotary Alumni 1210, describes how the Rotary Books4Home project has now supplied 70,000 books to children, many of whom previously had no books to read at home.
Rotary Heroes
Wars are won and lost on the home front. Rotary clubs in the British Isles between 1914 and 1918 were well placed, not only to help out the community, but also those servicemen returning from the bloody battlefields of war.
The most challenging of years
Twelve months on from the outbreak of COVID-19 in the British Isles, what has the impact been and how has Rotary volunteers responded?
The Big Interview: James Innes
James Innes is an entrepreneur, the author of several best-selling careers help books, and founder of the James Innes Group. A member of Rotary London, he writes candidly about his struggles with depression.
Dr Varghese: polio warrior and true hero
Meet Dr. Mathew Varghese, the inspirational orthopaedic surgeon from New Delhi, who was once described by polio champion Bill Gates as one of his heroes.
Blanket coverage for the homeless
Rotary clubs across London and the Home Counties have been handing out blankets and other unwanted items from the Australian airline, Qantas. Dave King finds out why.
Funding The Rotary Foundation
An explanation of how the Rotary Foundation is funded and how it is distributed to projects around the world.
Reap the rewards of Toastmasters’ alliance
In January 2020, Rotary International forged a strategic alliance with Toastmasters International. But what does that mean in practice?
The pirates sailing Rotary to new horizons
The Deal Rotary Pirates have become one of the fastest growing Rotary clubs in the United Kingdom through their unique approach to fund-raising which has won over their local community.
“I’ll always get up, it’s the only way I know”
Former world champion boxer, Frank Bruno, knows all about the school of hard knocks, and picking yourself off the canvas. Here, Frank talks about one of the biggest battles he has had to conquer – his own mental health.
A future for the forgotten
Since 1994, Father Peter Walters, a Rotarian from Stratford-upon-Avon, has been working in the notorious Colombian city of MedellÃn, trying to keep marginalised children from the clutches of drugs gangs.
A weekend to remember in Dublin
The Irish capital played host to Rotaractors from across Europe for four days of connecting and sharing ideas.
The real Bag for Life
A few years ago, Colin was homeless and facing desperate times. He’s now left a legacy of working with Rotary, helping those dealing with life on the streets.
Making a home from home
Cheryle Berry and Jannine Birtwistle of the Rotary GB&I Humanitarian Service Team summarise the variety of ways Rotarians across Great Britain and Ireland have offered their support to Ukraine over the past year.
A very modern Gordon
Scot Gordon McInally has become the fifth Rotary International President from Great Britain & Ireland after taking office on July 1st. Editor Dave King went to meet him in his own back yard.
Open for business
Down in Frome, Somerset, the local Rotary clubs have experienced overwhelming success after opening town centre shops.
Membership Q&A
In my role as Rotary Specialist Adviser Team Lead for Membership, I come across many questions which are repeated many times. Here are just a few.
The secret marathon
Running a marathon is tough. Running those 26 miles as a woman in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan is tougher. This is one Rotarian’s story of how he made the incredible happen with some brave Afghan women.
Finding Your Membership Toolkit
So, you want to get started and grow your membership, where do you get started?
A jewel in the Himalayas
When the Gorkha earthquake ripped through Nepal in April 2015, it left a trail of devastation and death. Rotary clubs across Great Britain & Ireland have been at the heart of rebuilding this Himalayan nation.
Getting your hands dirty and achieving
A look at the work of the Rotary Inter-Country Committees during the Ukraine conflict.
Running like clockwork
Rotarians across the British Isles are volunteering at Covid clinics – and they’re in it for the long haul. Dave King reflects on his first day working at a vaccination centre in Hampshire.
Service above self during wartime
Rotary clubs across the nation found creative ways of getting involved with the war effort, from fundraising to putting on entertainment for the troops.
Vaccinating the missing children
Pakistan remains one of the last strongholds of polio. Dr. Abdirahman Mahamud, who is leading the battle, explains how they are trying to win the hearts and minds of people in the country.
Tackling domestic abuse
The High Sheriff of Wiltshire, Nicky Alberry, explains how important Rotary has become in helping her campaign to tackle domestic abuse.
Fifty years of building future leaders
Jim and Jenny Banks from Stonehaven Rotary in Aberdeenshire have been involved in the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards scheme for more than 30 years. Here they reflect on a golden age of developing youngsters’ thinking and physical skills.
A lucky escape
On November 6th, 1986, Pushp Vaid was at the controls of a Chinook helicopter which crashed into the sea off the Shetland Islands. It was the worst ever civilian helicopter crash, killing 45 of the 47 people on board.
The value of scholarship
The Rotary Foundation offers various types of scholarships for graduate and undergraduate students, all with a vision for the future and helping educate the leaders of tomorrow.
Ian Riseley: “Climate change is one of the significant challenges facing the world today”
Australian Ian Riseley was President of Rotary International from 2017/18. He stated how protecting the environment and curbing climate change were essential to Rotary’s goal of sustainable service. Here Ian reflects on Rotary’s role at the forefront of environmental change.
James Thomas: My Rotaract
James Thomas, who heads up Rotaract in Great Britain & Ireland, discusses how first Rotary and then Rotaract have provided major influences on his life.
Waste not, want not
Andrew Argo from Dundee Rotary explains how they are working with the charity FareShare to tackle hunger and food waste in the Scottish city.
Be part of Rotary and change the world
As Eve Conway prepares to take on the role as the Rotary International Director for the region, she discusses her goals for the next two years.
Reading made easy
Ginny Williams-Ellis was once a literacy tutor at Dorchester Prison in Dorset. The cramped Victorian buildings once housed around 300 male prisoners, before shutting in 2014.
Leave no girl behind
A Rotary task force and its ambassadors take aim at the gender gap.
Gordon’s presidential initiatives
During his term as President of Rotary International, Gordon McInally will focus on three presidential initiatives that Create Hope in the World.
Tales of a reading volunteer
Playwright Joan Greening, from Elthorne-Hillingdon Rotary, has written a number of plays which have appeared on television and on stage, including the Edinburgh Theatre. She has been at the heart of a reading scheme for children at Northwood School in Middlesex.
We’re better together
At the recent Rotary International Convention, RI President-Elect Gordon McInally provided a moving message of hope detailing Rotary’s role in the fight for global peace.
Why caring about the environment matters
In this country and abroad, Rotary clubs are engaged in a series of environmental projects. John Sayer, the Environmental Sustainability Group Secretary explains how we can all become involved.
Polio: the life sentence which never goes away
October 24th marks World Polio Day. However, while the focus will be promoting child vaccinations to wipe out polio, what about those who are left behind as polio survivors?
Protecting young women
Period poverty is a global issue affecting those who don’t have access to safe, hygienic menstrual products – and its impact on the wider community is huge.
Rotary Profile
Find out why our volunteers give up their time to help transform communities.
York Heroes
Not content with just one World War I hero in A. J. Knight, VC, the Rotary Club of York also had four Military Cross recipients who later joined its membership.
A safer future
Thousands of Ukrainian refugees are seeking sanctuary from the war in their homeland. The Korchak family are settling in Somerset with Rotarians Julie and Rory O’Donnell.
Help for hospices
Rotary clubs across three counties have been working together to support hospices which have been badly affected by the pandemic.
The true face of war
Rotary Editor, Dave King, visited Rotarians in Ukraine to discover the work they are doing during the war. Warning: this story contains content that some readers may find upsetting.
Smartphone doctor wins Rotary Peace Award
Dr Waheed Arian has been instrumental in using modern technology to bring modern medicine to some of the world’s most inaccessible places. As a result, he is one of two winners of this year’s Rotary Peace Award.
Captain Tom: a beacon of light
Meet Captain Sir Tom Moore, the centenarian Rotarian who lifted the spirits of the country during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Rotary connects the world
They may be separated by the Atlantic Ocean, some 3,500 miles apart, but Rotary is bringing together clubs in Southampton, England, and Southampton, Canada thanks to a legacy stretching back to the Second World War.
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Sir Nicholas Winton - Oscar Winner Sir Anthony Hopkins Stars As The Holocaust Hero And Rotarian In His Latest Film
Winter 2024
Growing Rotary: A vision for the future
October - November 2023
A New Dawn
August - September 2023
Loneliness - The Most Terrible Poverty
June - July 2023
Ukraine - One Year On
April - May 2023
Rotary's Rock Solid Foundation
February - March 2023
Rotaract: The Present & Future of Rotary
December - January 2023
Queen Elizabeth II 1926-2022
October - November 2022
Poliovirus in the UK - should we be concerned?
August - September 2022
Homes for Hope - Giving shelter to Ukrainian families
June - July 2022
We stand with Ukraine
April - May 2022
Saving the children of MedellÃn
February - March 2022
It's time to wake up to Climate Change - Rotary at COP26
December - January 2022
What hope for polio in Afghanistan
October-November 2021
Rotary lends a helping hand
August-September 2021
HRH Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh: a friend of Rotary
June-July 2021
Shaping the road to recovery
April-May 2021
Living in the Plastic Soup
February-March 2021
Peace Advocate Project: A step in the right direction
December 2020-January 2021
Africa's Finest Hour: Historic milestone reached in global battle to wipe out polio
October - November 2020
Captain Tom: A nation salutes an inspiration
August-September 2020
COVID-19: Saluting Rotary's Heroes
June-July 2020
Being Frank about mental health
April-May 2020
Australian bushfires: How Rotary is helping to rebuild from the flames
February-March 2020
Scavenging to survive
December 2019-January 2020
Why should a child go hungry?
October-November 2019
Winning the hearts and minds of organ donors
August-September 2019
From source to sea: The fight against plastic pollution
June-July 2019
Modern slavery: It's closer than you think
April-May 2019
My son was groomed online and murdered
February-March 2019
War & Peace: How Rotary's future was shaped by the Great War
December 2018-January 2019
Rotary behind bars: Rehabilitation or punishment?
October-November 2018
Dementia: Why it is Britain's biggest killer
August-September 2018
Golden Eboni Lights up Gold Coast
June-July 2018
Dolly in Dreamland
April-May 2018
Sammi's bid for Games glory
February-March 2018
How Hollywood is tackling the issue of polio
December 2017-January 2018
It's Strictly Dementia
October-November 2017
Martin Bell: Back on the frontline
August-September 2017
The lasting legacy
June-July 2017
Feeling the love
April-May 2017
Born Free: Saving our Endangered World
February-March 2017
Peace Fellows
December 2016-January 2017
Crazy mad dreamer
October-November 2016
Literacy opens the world
August-September 2016
The Prince's Trust
June-July 2016
The fight against the Zika virus
April-May 2016
Facing the Floods
February-March 2016
Bringing World Peace to Nations
December 2015-January 2016
Africa Polio free for one year
October-November 2015