Rotary club reaches milestone

A Perth group has reached a fundraising milestone.

The Rotary Club of Perth Kinnoull has raised more than £400,000 since its formation.

The club was formed in 1992, when its mother club, the Rotary Club of Perth, wanted to celebrate its 75th anniversary by doing something of “lasting benefit to the community”.

The backbone of the club’s fundraising has been an annual golf tournament and president’s dinner.

In recent years it has added a lottery calendar, the Tayside Challenge, a local cycling event that had 240 riders this year, and the promotion of four concerts by the Black Dykes Brass Band.

Other one-off efforts such as fashion shows, big picture sales, and smaller events have swelled the coffers.

This money has enabled the club to support local initiatives such as the PRI scanner appeal, an Acheeva special bed for Fairview School, PKAVS, and Perth Autism Support.

Internationally, the club has been a big supporter of the Shelter Box Scheme – tented accommodation with basic life utensils flown to disaster areas – and to the Rotary International Eradicate Polio Scheme, which has resulted in the world being almost free of the deadly disease.

Water projects in Africa and Asia and support for Mercy Ships have also been supported, as has the Rotary Foundation, which is the biggest mass membership charity in the world.