The Rotary Club of Rochdale
The Rotary Club of Rochdale is a member of Rotary International, 1.2 Million Rotarians in more than 33000 Rotary Clubs in 200 countries and geographical regions.
The first Rotary Meeting was held in February 1905. The Rotary Club of Rochdale was formed in 1926. We are a group of friends, business and professional people who enjoy fellowship and volunteer our time and talents to serve our community at home and overseas.
The overseing body in the UK is RIBI www.ribi.org/
The President this Rotary year 2012/13 is David Smithard.
David can be contacted by e.mail at:- davidsmithard@tiscali.co.uk
His chosen charities are Sand Dams, see:- http://www.excellentdevelopment.com/
and Petrus, see:- http://www.petrus.org.uk/
donate online at:
http://new.thebiggive.org.uk/charity/view/1757
Secretary is Keith Banks email keith.banks4@sky.com
The Immediate Past President is Joan Banks. 01706 376 343.
Fellowship is an integral part of Rotary- a recent social event was a trip to the BBC in Media City, Salford, where 40 members enjoyed seeing where & how many BBC programmes are recorded and also transmitted live, including their flagship morning programme, 'Breakfast'.
The Club's book group meets monthly and there are regular games evenings and restaurant visits.
Service to the community and fundraising for charities is another major activity -The Rochdale Rotary Club has Community, Vocational and International activities;
Rochdale Community Projects
- URBAN HANGING GARDEN (BABYLONIAN) Project using a unique water sparing vertical growing system has been developed by one of our members and has been recognised nationally . It will be trialled out internationally and its development will mark a new phase in Rotary's progressive ideas for the modern world. Rochdale Rotary Club was given the 2010 national Rotary(RIBI) Rodney Huggins Environment award for innovative projects .
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Kids Out-members take out children with disabilities to a fun park where they enjoy a day out with other similar children from the North West.
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Disabled Sports day-Rotary sponsors this st Helens event and people of all ages talke part in sporting activities such as archery, bowls, weightlifting, pool.
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Christmas Parcels -around 50 hampers are delivered by hand to disadvataged young and old of Rochdale -arthritis sufferers, mentally ill, the frail and elderly.
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Our Charities for 20010/2011 were Christie's & The Migraine Action Association. In 2011/12 President Joan targetted The Alzheimer's Society at alzheimers.org.uk and Rochdale Borough Users Forum ( RBUF) rbuf.org.ukfor our fundraising. Our funds come from our Arts and Crafts fair, bag packing at Morrisons, sponsored walks at Wardle and Nidderdale and a Brass Band Concert together with other 'ad hoc' events throughout the year.
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Members organise an Annual Craft Fair at Rochdale Town hall on Heritage weekend with charity stalls and diabetes awareness team available.
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The Petrus Community is supported with collection of towels, clothes, bedding etc.
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Stroke awareness day in Wheatsheaf Centre includes blood pressure testing and information from a volunteer medical team organised by medical Rotary members.
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'Friends Together' is a befriending scheme, supporting members of the Rochdale Community who have mental health problems, and is training up befrienders to help this group. Awarded Keith Hoskinson District 1280 Community Trophy for best Community project in 2009/10.
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Seniors Out is a new project and recently in collaboration with Age Concern took 40 elderly people to Lancastrian Organ Heritage Centre Eccles for a fun Musical day out. Over the last 2 years there was a summer afternoon at the welcoming Castleton Bowling club-a quiet idyllic green and pleasant land not far from busy Manchester Road. Our very own 'Blue Eyes' Jonathon Swift and musical duo 'Dolly Blue' are 2 acts who have entertained over 30 seniors together with a nice tea with sarnies and cream cake provided. Bowling on the green was also a new experience for many.
- Sponsored walks for our Charities in Nidderdale, on Brown Wardle and Yorkshire 3 Peaks by our keen club walkers have raised over £2000 over past 2 years
Rochdale Vocational Projects
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Rotakids is a way to help children learn the value of fellowship and community understanding.Our club has founded a club at St James' RC School in Wardle with great enthusiasm from the Headteacher and all the pupils.
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The club is helping to improve adult literacy with our 'Rotating Books' scheme by placing books in public places for people to borrow and then pass on to a friend, or return to where they were found.
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Redwood School is strongly supported and our club have donated 'Dictionaries for Life' to help with literacy and learning as well as sponsoring events,an annual day out and most improved student award.
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Members are involved with a number of local secondary schools Oulder Hill, Falinge Park and Wardle enrolling pupils in 'Youth Speaks' speechmaking national contest, Trips to the Excitement of Science at Manchester university and The Royal Institution London. Most Improved student awards are presented each year at the schools' awards evenings.A YOUNG CHEF competition has recently been introduced.
- A recent new award was 'Best Apprentice of the Year' at Hopwood Hall college to encourage interest in a valuable vocational form of learning.
- Rochdale Youth Orchestra has been sponsored for the last decade to allow young musicians to do public concerts in Rochdale.
Rochdale International Projects
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The Rotary Shelter Box Trust sends survival packs to disaster areas -boxes include a tent for 10 people with sleeping bags, food, torches, water tablets, ropes, shovels and other survival necessities at times of earthquakes, Tsunamis, natural disasters, e.g. in China and South East Asia 8 boxes costing £550 have been sent in last 3 years.
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Lifeboxes are also packed by members for individual families in disaster areas. They contain mainly clothing to help families cope at a very difficult time during disasters when homes are destroyed.
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Shoe Box Scheme, An Eritrean orphanage, Life Education unit for young people, a Send A Cow scheme for African villages, Northern Cleft Foundation for surgery of severe childhood deformities are other Charities heavily sponsored by the club in the last few years.