Two Rotarians from Great Britain & Ireland have been presented with The Rotary Foundation Distinguished Service Award.
Luton North Rotarian, Paul Denton, and Mike Webb from Mendip Rotary in Somerset are among a privileged group of 50 Rotarians from around the world who have been recognised with the prestigious award for exemplary service to The Rotary Foundation, Rotary’s own charity.
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Paul has been a member of Luton North Rotary since 1983.
Most recently, he has been involved in projects installing public access defibrillators in a number of areas in the District, which includes Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire.
“In 2020, Paul led an application for a Rotary Foundation Global Grant for the international charity Mercy Ships, the largest non-governmental hospital ships in the world.”
He has also been at the forefront of introducing new technology in the cancer unit at the Luton and Dunstable hospital, providing a Fibroscanner for the Lister Hospital, and support for Keech Hospice Care during the pandemic.
Also, during the pandemic, Paul headed projects to provide oxygen equipment for parts of India, raising money quickly from his contacts around the world.
In 2020, Paul led an application for a Rotary Foundation Global Grant for the international charity Mercy Ships, the largest non-governmental hospital ships in the world.
A new ship is now coming online called the ‘Global Mercy’, and Rotary has provided $1.125million for new equipment on board.
Paul Denton (right) with Past District Governor, Vijay Patel.
This is the largest grant ever sanctioned by the trustees in The Rotary Foundation’s 100 years’ plus history.
Mike is a past Rotary International Director and the current Trustee Chairman for The Rotary Foundation of the United Kingdom. He was President of Rotary in Great Britain & Ireland from 2005-2006.
Mike has been a member of Mendip Rotary Club since 1976. He has also spent four years as a Trustee of The Rotary Foundation between 2017-21.
Upon receiving The Rotary Foundation Distinguished Service Award, Mike said he was “extremely honoured” that the Foundation had chosen to recognise
his service.
The chair of The Rotary Foundation, K.R. Ravindran said: “Whilst I as the chair may have been making speeches all over the world, it’s someone like Mike who makes it all happen behind the scenes.”
Mike was Mr Ravindran’s vice-chair of trustees of The Rotary Foundation.
Mike’s life work with The Rotary Foundation has included being a Group Study Exchange leader in New Zealand and Chair for The Rotary Foundation’s Cadre of Technical Advisers.
