Rotary Magazine

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.

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.

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.

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.

FEBCO (Financing Energy Business Cooperative) is the first energy cooperative in Malawi and has been supported by Bury St Edmunds Rotary in Suffolk.

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.

Volunteers in Wales, and along the route of the River Severn, are taking a stand against plastic pollution which has brought together communities.

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.

With the death of HRH The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, in April, aged 99, Rotary lost a true friend.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

From royalty, to the inventor of fried chicken, here are just some of Rotary’s most famous members.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Following the Taliban’s sudden takeover of Afghanistan, what hope is there of wiping out polio in one of its last strongholds?

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.

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.

Twelve months on from the outbreak of COVID-19 in the British Isles, what has the impact been and how has Rotary volunteers responded?

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.

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.

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.

In January 2020, Rotary International forged a strategic alliance with Toastmasters International. But what does that mean in practice?

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.

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.

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.

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.

Rotary clubs across the nation found creative ways of getting involved with the war effort, from fundraising to putting on entertainment for the troops.

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.

The High Sheriff of Wiltshire, Nicky Alberry, explains how important Rotary has become in helping her campaign to tackle domestic abuse.

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.

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.

Andrew Argo from Dundee Rotary explains how they are working with the charity FareShare to tackle hunger and food waste in the Scottish city.

Maidenhead, sitting on the River Thames in Berkshire, is a prosperous commuter town and yet it still has its share of food poverty. Lisa Hunter from Maidenhead Bridge Rotary explains the success of the Foodshare scheme.

When the 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck Nepal at 11.56 local time on April 25th, 2015, it devastated a whole nation. Michael Fernando from Yeovil Rotary in Somerset tells the story of how his club was at the forefront of a major school rebuilding project.

Mark Esho, who has polio and is a member of Leicester Novus Rotary, describes an initiative which, he hopes, will give greater access to those with a disability.

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.

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.

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?

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.

Rotary clubs across three counties have been working together to support hospices which have been badly affected by the pandemic.

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.

Meet Captain Sir Tom Moore, the centenarian Rotarian who lifted the spirits of the country during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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.

It is estimated 45.8 million people worldwide are trapped in some form of slavery, with estimates reckoning 14,000 victims are living in the UK. May’s Rotary Conference and Showcase in Nottingham will host a modern slavery symposium. In a series of articles, Dave King looks at this blight on modern society.

Fourteen million people live below the poverty line in the UK. The Trussell Trust is battling against a tide of people seeking its services, who are spiralling into despair.

The tidal wave of emotion around Black Lives Matter has sparked serious debate about our culture and history. But where does Rotary fit into this, and what part can it play?

Eccles Rotary has been a part of the Greater Manchester community since 1932. Over those years, it has sought to serve the local people with a diverse range of projects.

Former US soldier, Zach Cooper, is one of 10 Rotary Peace Fellows studying at the University of Bradford. As he graduates at the end of this year, Zach reflected on his desire to find peace.

Rotarian Tirtha Man Shakya is chair of the Earthquake Relief, Rehabilitation and Construction Programme for District 3292 which covers the mountainous regions of Nepal and Bhutan. Here, Tirtha offers an insight into how Nepalese Rotarians worked with the rest of the world in rebuilding his country.

Just before lockdown, in January 2020, Manoj Joshi led a group of Rotarians to Amritsar in Northern India to assist medical teams during polio immunisations. The retired pharmacist from Bradford reflects on why polio must remain a key goal for all Rotarians.

Judith Diment is a member of the International PolioPlus Committee and a key campaigner in the bid to eradicate polio. She writes how, although the world is close to wiping out the disease, it still requires one major, final push.

In a year where fundraising has been more of a challenge than ever before, Garth Arnold speaks about how crowdfunding may be the answer to help fundraising projects.

We are living a moment of change and opportunity. It’s also a time when people get volunteering and why Rotary should grasp the opportunity right now to grow

Video game lover Breck Bednar was groomed online by a sadistic teenager who lured the 14-year-old to his flat and killed him. According to Breck’s mother, Lorin LaFave, her son’s murder was preventable. As a result, she has launched a charitable trust to protect other children.

We shine a light on some of our amazing Rotary members, working hard as key workers, who are going the extra mile to support us all as we battle the COVID-19.

After five months of lockdown, now that restrictions are easing Dave King has been asking Rotarians how they see the future.

At any one time, there are more than a thousand police operations tackling modern slavery. Detective Superintendent Andrew Munday is the man charged with bringing to justice those who are exploiting the vulnerable.

Tom Griffin has taken over as the newest – and last – Rotary President for Great Britain & Ireland. Dave King caught up with Tom to discuss the challenging year ahead and how he believes this is a time of opportunity

When incoming Rotary President, Holger Knaack, addressed the International Assembly in San Diego, California, earlier this year, few could have realised how prophetic those words would become three months later. Now in post as President, Knaack reflects on how Rotary can learn from the past to provide meaningful action in the future.

Gary Huang is the Chairman of The Rotary Foundation, and was President of Rotary International between 2014-15. Here, the Taiwanese Rotarian discusses Rotary’s involvement in Nepal following the 2015 earthquake.

Gordon McInally has been chosen as Rotary International President from July 2023, and the Scot believes the time is ripe to move Rotary forward post-pandemic.

Incredible young people from across Great Britain and Ireland were recognised with Rotary Young Citizen Awards, the first-ever Rotary Young Citizen Peacemaker Award and the Rotary Young Citizen WheelPower Sports Award at the Rotary Conference and Showcase in Nottingham.

For Rotarians, the COVID-19 pandemic not only changed life, but altered the way Rotary engaged with its communities. Dave King reports.

Rotarians in Great Britain and Ireland have always been at the forefront helping those affected by disasters. At the heart of that work has been the Rotary GB&I Disaster Recovery Trust.

The Israel-based charity ‘Save A Child’s Heart’ reaches across conventional political boundaries for the welfare of children. Watford Rotarian, David Silverston, a trustee of Save A Child’s Heart UK, describes the amazing work which is taking place.

Sir Nicholas Winton was a former club president and, for more than 50 years, a member of Rotary Maidenhead. Eighty years ago, he helped save the lives of 669 children from Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia by arranging ‘Kindertransport’ from Prague to England. Sir Nicholas died in 2015 aged 106. Here, his daughter Barbara tells the amazing story of a man affectionately known as the British Oskar Schindler.

Teenagers Amy and Ella Meek from Nottingham are passionate about pollution. They will be telling the audience at Volunteer Expo in May why we all need to take action against plastics and environmental issues.

Is Rotary powerless to help the scourge of society that is modern slavery? Mark Little, a Rotarian from Norwich, and Chairman and Founder of the Rotarian Action Group against Slavery (RAGAS), explains what he believes the organisation can do.

Author and Rotarian, Shelagh Moore, reflects on how Rotarians can re-kindle the love of literacy to our children.

A record-breaking $1.125 million Rotary Foundation Global Grant will fund medical equipment on the world’s largest purpose-built charitable hospital ship.

Jane Walker is the founder of the Purple Community Fund, which is transforming the lives of families who are scraping a living on the rubbish dumps of Manila. Here Jane tells the story of her incredible journey.

Michel Zaffran has been Director of Polio Eradication at the World Health Organization since 2015. Due to retire later this year, Michel spoke with Rotary Editor, Dave King.

Max and Keira’s Law will change the landscape for organ donation next year. Dave King met Max Johnson, the plucky youngster who, without Keira, would not be alive today.

Maidenhead Bridge Rotary’s COVID-19 Volunteer Response Project received national coverage on BBC1 in May when they were visited by former EastEnders’ star, Ross Kemp.

Rotary Young Citizen Award winner Grace O’Malley was so inspired by Rotary that she decided she had to get involved.

Maddie Jervis has had to overcome bone cancer and the amputation of part of her leg. But the teenage horse rider carries hopes of one day competing at the Paralympics.

Judith Diment, who was awarded an MBE in the New Year’s Honours List and is Rotary’s Representative to the Commonwealth, reflects on 75 years of the United Nations and the Commonwealth of Nations, and Rotary’s role.

Phil Bennett is regarded as one of the greatest rugby players of all time. Earlier this year, the Welshman spoke at the Rotary conference in Torquay. Dave King tackled him on rugby and his charity work.

The Mission Aviation Fellowship has served as a vital lifeline to some of the remotest parts of the world. Dave King talks to pilot Chad Tilley about his work flying to some of the most inaccessible parts of Bangladesh.

The virtual stage was set. After almost three years of planning, the virtual doors flung open for Volunteer Expo Online last month. James Bolton and Louise Smith, two members of the event team, look back at a successful event and innovation for Rotary.

It’s hard to ignore, but volunteering touches every part of our daily lives. Karl Wilding, Chief Executive of the National Council for Voluntary Organisations, which has been around in some shape or form for over a century, explains why we need to modernise our approach

The charity Village Water was founded by Rotarian David Dixon 14 years ago and, in that time, it has made a major impact in Africa.

The horrific fire which ravaged Grenfell Tower in 2017 shocked a nation. Dick Nathan, Chair of Trustees for the London Rotary District, describes how Rotary helped rebuild a community in West London, where 72 people lost their lives in the 24-storey block of flats.

The Rotary-organised togetherTalks’ webinar has been lighting up Tuesday evenings with a range of top flight guests. Here, author and trend forecaster, Michael McQueen, linked up from Sydney to take questions from a global audience. His theme was: ‘How to maintain momentum in tough times’.

Disaster Aid UK & Ireland is a project which has been nurtured by Rotary Denton & Audenshaw in Greater Manchester. It is a member of the Disaster Aid International Group. Volunteer Matt Gemmell describes what it was like to be among the first on the scene following the devastating tsunami and earthquake in Indonesia last autumn.

Cardiff’s National Indoor Athletics Centre was the focus of activity for hundreds of youngsters, with a range of disabilities to be introduced to sport. It was all thanks to the efforts of Rotary in South Wales.

The Rotary Foundation is Rotary’s charity whose money transforms lives with service projects which eradicate polio, promote peace and improve developing communities. One key area of funding is legacy giving.

It’s time for nominations for the Rotary Young Citizen WheelPower Sports Award, which is one of the most celebrated of honours. Since winning the award last year, teenager Abbie Breakwell has been going from strength to strength.

With many communities at home and across the world locked down and isolated, will Rotary ever be the same again? Martin Brocklebank founder and secretary of the eClub of Innovation discusses.

The Ebola virus disease is a serious viral infection which originated in sub-Saharan Africa. The 2014-2016 outbreak in West Africa was the largest and most complex outbreak since the virus was first discovered in 1976. Rotarian Brian Jonson tells the story of how he became involved in trying to make a difference in Liberia.

The gift of mobility is the gift of life. Rotary Jaipur Limb has been able to make that difference in India and across the world for more than 35 years.

During COVID-19, Rotarians have been actively supporting foodbanks, through food donations, funding and volunteering. In South Yorkshire and the East Midlands, Rotary clubs have banded together to support the vulnerable during the pandemic.

For more than 50 years, Remap has been creating custom-made equipment to help disabled people live more independent lives. Their simple ideas, using the latest technology, is making a difference to people’s lives.

For 31 years she has been one of the main Songs of Praise presenters, she works for a number of charities and runs a cattery at the family home. Meet Pam Rhodes who talks about her passion for life and community work.