Why not join Rotary and make a difference?
As this is the last of our first year of monthly columns in The News, we’re looking back on the previous columns which have been a mixture of general topics, the events of specific clubs and some thoughts on the environment.
With the (sadly) ongoing conflict in Ukraine, Rotary clubs sprang into action. Gosport and Fareham fundraised, Southsea Castle supported the evacuation of youngsters from the Chernobyl area and with Portsmouth & Southsea arranged bicycles for them once they had arrived in the UK.
From Locks Heath to Havant, there are 11 Rotary clubs in the south Hampshire region, part of a worldwide organisation of more than 1.4 million members. Across the region dozens of Rotarians volunteered in vaccination hubs as covered in the first column, together with focussing on the Cosham club’s open day.
The second column described the work being done to collect and then distribute Christmas shoebox presents for children in poor countries.
In Gosport the Rotary club held a popular vehicle rally and Alverstoke Michaelmas Fayre. The remaining articles in 2021 addressed the global reach of Rotary, including the worldwide eradication of polio.
Locally the articles focused on Havant’s Christmas fundraising sleigh and Books for School initiative, various youth competitions held by Rotary, members of the Together Coalition Project supporting the Billion Seed Challenge and the Cosham club taking 12 families affected by domestic abuse on an Away Day.
Christmas projects included Santa Sleigh runs by many clubs, Cosham collecting old coins/notes, Fareham Meon providing food for Mary’s Wheels, Havant’s donation of age-specific books and Southsea Castle’s singing involving children from various schools in Cascades shopping centre, raising money for children’s charities.
The new year started with Rotary in the community, including donating to charitable causes, local projects and youth competitions.
Southsea Castle club supported Carers UK, particularly for those carers who are ‘hidden’, whilst Waterlooville renovated a property for a single mother and her children abandoned by the father.
We gave a profile of our oldest club, Portsmouth & Southsea, which has provided 106 years of service to the community. Fareham and Portsmouth North clubs celebrated their 75th and 50th birthdays respectively and showcased Whiteley’s events for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.
During the year environmental issues addressed included biodiversity, insect pollinators, seasonal rustic luxuries, safe disposal of waste like bottles and crisp packets and ‘Wilder Portsmouth’, an organisation to support the environment in our city
This is what Rotary does, supporting local as well as international communities efficiently and effectively behind the scenes.
There are many ways to take part. Most clubs meet regularly but there are online clubs and youth sections.
We hope to show why you should consider whether you have the time and interest to help your local community as well as the wider society. Your help has never been needed more.
For more, please contact raydrake@ talktalk.net or kenebbens@aol.com (both Rotary District Officers).