The Rotary Club of Basingstoke Deane, District 1110, has been recognised for its outstanding work in the community with the Changemaker Award.
The accolade was created by RI President Kalyan Banerjee to encourage clubs to reach within to embrace humanity by carrying out service in their community, helping others and making an impact.
Basingstoke Deane Rotary is a successful club District 1110, with its members committed to helping in the local community, and also internationally. To achieve this they have several major fundraising events each year which raise around £65,000 for a wide range of local and international causes. Local venues are used for musical shows and the club’s international boxing event raises lots of money and makes use of a local school.
The wide range of support by the club includes youth work, such as helping Kestrel Kids and children in Rotary competitions, to supporting disabled and senior citizens to travel on Dial-a-Ride to town, shopmobility or to share in the disability forum. Other club activities include helping a family with a sick mother, who were given a holiday where she and her children relaxed together and enjoyed their first holiday, and running sports events for disabled people.
The commitment to international work goes back to a water–aid project in Uganda and is now followed with a special education project in Zambia to train teachers and add the skills to the school in that very poor country where the teachers are really keen to learn. Basingstoke Deane are also supporting a local school with a special interest in Ghana and need support for a group going there to Ghana in the summer.
Basingstoke Deane members enjoy working with the other two clubs in Basingstoke and have had some very successful joint events, especially the New Generation events such as the Youth Speaks competition.
Club members are over the moon at being awarded the honour of the best medium size club in the world as it reflects the work they do in Basingstoke and with the numerous charities and projects overseas.
