A sun-drenched House of Lords was the venue for April’s Rotary Champions of Change awards, where 12 Rotarians were honoured for their commitment to humanitarian service and achievements both at home and abroad.
Baron Inglewood of Hutton in the Forest in the County of Cumberland hosted the event, with Minister for Civil Society Rob Wilson (pictured centre) joining Rotary International in Great Britain and Ireland President Peter Davey in presenting the unsung heroes with their awards.
11 of the awardees were commended for their outstanding work in the two categories; International and Domestic, with a further special recognition award going to 93-year-old, thrill seeker Harold Robson. Harold is a member of the Rotary Club of Newcastle-Upon-Tyne and recently became the oldest person in the UK ever to take part in a zip wire when he took the plunge across the River Tyne. In the process, he raised £5,000 for Alzheimer’s Society, all in memory of his late wife Joan.
Awardees were also joined on stage by their local MP, with many taking to social media after the event to commend the inspiring achievements of their local Champion.
Rob Wilson expressed how humbled he was by the dedication shown by not just the 12 awardees, who in some cases were even putting themselves in dangerous situations to help others, but also of Rotarians right across Great Britain and Ireland, who engage in social action every day to make a difference in their communities.
To read the full story of this year’s awardees and their projects, click here.
Great to be here with @minforcivsoc at #RotaryCofC hearing about inspiring volunteers from @RotaryGBI Great #iwill partner #socialaction
— Charlotte Hill (@LotteHill1) April 20, 2016
Congratulations Alison Sutherland (with friend Liz) on winning @Rotary #championofchange award pic.twitter.com/JVodlehHR7
— Jo Stevens (@JoStevensLabour) April 20, 2016
Delighted to congratulate #HarrowEast constituent Peter Bradley being awarded for work for @Rotary @HouseofCommons pic.twitter.com/2omLE39rld
— Bob Blackman (@BobBlackman) April 20, 2016
Photograph by courtesy of Chris Wood Photography London
Published Thursday 5th May 2016
