Rotary Sydney conducts in person forums and virtual meetings to hear speakers and discuss international, national and local issues. The Club also has wide range of social events. Details below in Upcoming Events and Rotary News. Visitors are very welcome but please book. Contact us by email: office@sydneyrotary.com
Sydney Rotary supports the Uluru Statement from the Heart. Click above & read the statement.
Rotary Sydney News
ANZAC Day 
 
The ANZAC Day BBQ Thursday 25 April 2024 at Hyde Park, Elizabeth St opposite Bathurst St.
Members, family and friends we need your help. 
 
The Rotary Club of Sydney has a long and proud tradition of providing sustenance to marchers, their families and spectators alike on ANZAC Day.
Volunteers are needed throughout the day in 3 hour shifts  We also need a crew to setup starting at 5am, and to pack up, finish around 4pm.  
For more information go to Upcoming Events. 
To let us know you can help email Glenn Stafford by clicking here.  
Golf Day & Dinner 2024 helps Vision Beyond Aus
 
Friday 3 May 2024 Oatlands Golf Club
All proceeds from the Fiducian & Vision Beyond AUS Charity Golf Day & Dinner help Vision Beyond AUS provide free eye surgery to the world’s most disadvantaged people.
Banner image for 2024 Fiducian & Vision Beyond AUS Charity Golf Day & Dinner
VBA was established as part of Sydney Rotary’s international service in 2010 by Rotary Sydney member Indy Singh, OAM, to provide free eye surgery to the world’s most disadvantaged people. Now an independent charity VBA, still led by Indy Singh with a majority of the its Board Rotarians, has supported over 53,000 surgeries, and Indy is determined to reach 100,000. 

Working with Australian medical practitioners who generously volunteer their time and skill and in-country specialist surgeons and staff, VBA funds and supports free eye surgery at established local hospitals and independent rural clinics committed to providing free care for those living below the poverty line. VBA provides surgical and post-operative consumables and necessary equipment to these centres, with facility refurbishment, to enhance capacity.

Click here for information on VBA  

Read more...
Vivid 2024
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View the Vivid Light Festival & Drone Show aboard Tribal Warrior

Join Sydney Rotary Members and Friends
6.15pm for 6.30pm departure Sunday 9 June 2024 
3 hour cruise & buffet meal included
Drinks can be purchased on board. 
Places are limited.
Boarding/drop off location:  Eastern Pontoon (7 Macquarie Street, Sydney  New South Wales  2000)
Tribal Warrior departs at 6:30pm, please make sure you arrive at least 15 min early. 
Costs: $80 
BOOKING LINK HERE SOON 
ROMAC 
Every day Rotarians and Friends are providing funds to cover travel, accommodation and treatment for children and their carers. But we could help more children if we had more donations. Click here to read more. 
Donations all go directly to children and their care. ROMAC funds its administration costs through investment and other income. Volunteers run the organisation. Click here to donate. 
District 9675 Conference 
The Rotary District 9675 Conference, held from 8-10 March 2024 at Novotel Cliff Road Wollongong, showcased a variety of speakers focusing on innovation, peace, resilience, community engagement, and health challenges.
Read more...
Green Manufacturing in Australia 
“There is no such thing as waste, only wasted opportunity”.

Professor Veena Sahajwalla is the Director of the Centre for Sustainable Materials Research and Technology at UNSW (SMaRT@UNSW).  

Professor Veena Sahajwalla is producing a new generation of green materials, products and resources made entirely, or primarily, from waste.
 
Photographer Anna Kucera 
Veena also heads the ARC Microrecyling Research Hub for ‘green manufacturing’ – a leading national research centre that works in collaboration with industry to ensure new science is translated into real world environmental and economic benefits. Veena has been extensively recognised for the innovation and significance of her work, including via election to be a Fellow of the esteemed Australian Academy of Science.
 
Read more...
Rotary Peace Fellowship - Success
Sydney Rotary applicant Rhianne Jeyakumar has just been notified she is now a 2024 Rotary Peace Fellow. Each year, Rotary awards up to 130 fully funded fellowships for dedicated leaders from around the world to study at the Rotary Peace Centers. It is a highly competitive process with over 600 applicants each year. Last year Sydney Rotary successfully recruited two Rotary Peace Fellows, Doctor Alfred Mupenzi and Jawoon Kim.

Rhianne Jeyakumar

Rhianne is passionate about building community, having worked in the International Community Development Sector. She has worked with organisations involved in helping women who have encountered domestic violence, as well as causes committed to ending modern slavery and fostering community development. Her gifts and experience are ideal for the future growth and success of Banksia Women.
Rotary Give Every Child A Future 

A case study in building cooperative partnerships

Rotary Give Every Child A Future (RGECAF) has its origins at Rotary Sydney and has been supported across Australian & New Zealand & beyond and is now  the largest joint Rotary/UNICEF programme since Polio plus.
 
New Vaccines in Pacific Island Countries to improve child survival 
The project aims to support the introduction, roll-out and uptake of 3 new vaccines (HPV, PCV, RV) in nine Pacific Island countries and territories by contributing towards the following three outputs: 
  1. National capacities enhanced to strengthen immunization policy and legislation in nine Pacific Island Counties and Territories (PICTs) 
  2. Health system capacities strengthened to deliver quality immunisation services that are adapted to climate change in nine PICTs. 
  3. Caregivers in nine PICTs have improved knowledge and skills to adopt recommended immunisation practices. 
    Read more...
    Service Above Self 

    Past President of Rotary Sydney (2011-12) Ned Boyce 

     
     
    Ned Boyce is congratulated on 40 years of Rotary service by Rotary Sydney President Charlie Allen 
     

    Rotary Sydney Member Paul Wenham 

    Paul Wenham is congratulated by on 20 year of Rotary service by Rotary Sydney President Elect Glenn Stafford.
    Paul was also the Honorary Consulate General of Kiribati in Sydney. 
    100 years of Rotary Service in SA Celebrated 

    Centenary of Rotary in South Australia

    The Rotary Club of Adelaide led the celebrations of 100 years of Rotary Service in South Australia with centenary projects and events. 
     
     
    President Rotary Sydney Charlie Allen, President Rotary Adelaide Cam Pearce & IPP Rotary Sydney David Hirsch at the Centenary Luncheon.
     
    IPP David Hirsch and PP Mark Dyer represented our club at the Rotary Club of Adelaide Founders Day Luncheon. Mark Dyer (photo below) at the luncheon with Priya Kamineni from Adelaide and PP Rotary Club of Melbourne Adrian Nelson. 
    Call for Nominations for the Community Service Awards 2023
    ROTARY SYDNEY COMMUNITY SERVICES AWARDS 2023

    For many years the Rotary Club of Sydney have recognised leading Australian residents for their contribution to their community. This is an exciting opportunity to celebrate the contributions of individuals and entities within our community.

    This year the Rotary Club of Sydney has decided to extend the Community Services Awards to local members and organisations who are doing amazing Community work in their local area within Greater Sydney (Newcastle to Wollongong and West to Lithgow).

    NOMINATIONS

    Rotary Club of Sydney is looking for community members and community organisations you know that fit the criteria below. Please send a brief outline of how they meet the criteria before Friday, October 7, 2023.

    Please e-mail the Chair of the Community Service Awards Committee c/o Glenn Stafford at glstafford@bigpond.com with your nominations.
     
     
    Read more...
    NSW Police Officer of the Year 
    Detective Inspector Hassan El-Khansa from Incident & Emergency Management has been named the 2023 Rotary Police Officer of the Year. From joint agency efforts to keep devastating livestock viruses out of the country, to responding to a gas pipeline outage that left more than 20,000 residents without natural gas during an unseasonal cold snap – the work he completed is at a level beyond his emergency management experience.
    2023 Rotary Police Officer Of The Year - NSW Police Force - YouTube
    The NSW Police Officer of the Year awards are a joint initiative by the Rotary Club of Sydney on behalf all Rotary Districts in NSW and the NSW Police Force, to recognise professional excellence and dedication to service by officers and civilian staff.
    Read more for full list of the 2023 Rotary NSW Police Officer of the Year Awards winners. 
    Read more...
    RI Foundation Report 
     
    The commitment of friends, leaders, and problem-solvers united in taking action makes a life-changing impact. This past year, 1,098 global grants supported large-scale projects, scholarships, and vocational training teams. Leaders who are building peace in the Middle East or North Africa will soon have the opportunity to get world-class professional development at the newest Rotary Peace Center at Bahçeşehir University in Istanbul, Turkey. Our global polio eradication effort is intensifying through our joint commitment with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Our progress in advancing important causes is possible because of your support. 
    Rotary Citation 2022-23
    PP Mark Dyer & President Charlie Allen display the Rotary Sydney Citation (below) as they congratulations IPP David Hirsh & his team for their commitment to achieving the club's goals in 2022-23.
    Strategic & Operational Plan 
    President Charlie Allen: “In 2023-24 as Sydney Rotarians reengage in the post COVID era we want a vibrant club with fun and great projects."
    The President has worked with Rotary Sydney's Executive, Board and members to developed a Strategic and Operational Plan. President Charlie Allen indicated as he presented the plan that it is not a document "set in stone", it is very much a working document that will need to change as it is implemented. 

    The Rotary Peace Fellowship changed my life

    Charlie Allen APM
    Charlie Allen became a Rotary Peace Fellow in 2010, studying Peace and Conflict Prevention at the Rotary Peace Centre in Thailand. “The Rotary Peace Fellowship changed the direction of my life,” says Charlie and working to build peace became his vocation both inside and outside of Rotary.  Charlie’s Rotary passion remains the Peace and Conflict Prevention Area of focus.
    Professionally, Charlie is a Senior Practice Fellow with the Institute for Economics and Peace; part of this role is to manage the Rotary/IEP strategic partnership.
    Read more...
    What is the Institute for Economics & Peace; a Rotary Global Partnership 
    Rotary International has a global partnership with the internationally renowned think-tank, the Institute for Economics & Peace (IEP). 
    Rotary Sydney is developing a close working relationship with the Sydney based global IEP.
    Global Peace Index, 2023 - Civilsdaily
    Peace building and conflict prevention is one of Rotary's seven Areas of Focus (see list of Areas of Focus on this page). 
    IEP is aiming  to create a paradigm shift in the way the world thinks about peace by developing global and national indices, calculating the economic cost of violence, analysing country level risk and fragility, and understanding Positive Peace. Click here the read about the 8 Pillars of Positive Peace.
    The synergies are clear. 
    From the Climate Action Group 

    Business Sustainability 

    The National Retail Association team actively work across a wide range of sustainability topics impacting retailers and their supply chains across Australia and New Zealand.
     

    Recycling in the City of Sydney

    Recycling in the City of Sydney.
    Saturday 25 November 2023
    Drive and drop off clothes in great condition, old electronics, small metal items, bicycles, polystyrene, x-ray scans and more. Quarterly, free. Details click here
    If you are interested in what happens to your waste have a look at the City of Sydney update and they have tips - eg what do you do with the lids? Click here. 

    100 Climate Conversations 

    As Australia’s most ambitious climate-focused cultural project, 100 Climate Conversations aims to inspire action by presenting an evidence-based and empowering vision of the future. The program showcases 100 visionary Australians, taking effective action to respond to the most critical issue of our time, climate change.
    Featuring Mike Cannon-Brookes, Victor Steffensen, Ronni Kahn, Clover Moore, Rebecca Huntley, Grace Vegesana, Ross Garnaut and Ketan Joshi in conversation with some of the nation’s most respected journalists. 
     
     

    A more Sustainable Shop

    5 Ways To Shop More Sustainably - Reusable Packaging News
    For more details click here 
    6 Easy Steps for a more Sustainable Shop
    Steps anyone can take to ensure trips to the supermarket are as sustainable as possible:
     
     
    1. Bring your own bags – including produce bags 
    2. Make a list and stick to it
    3. Check the Australasian Recycling Label (ARL)
    4. Buy seasonal produce
    5. Buy in bulk
    6. The big weekly shop
    Upcoming Events at Sydney Rotary 
    Rotary Sydney 
    Rotary Sydney

    We meet In Person & Online
    Tuesdays at 12:30 pm
    Various Sydney Venues & Virtually. See Upcoming Events.
    GPO Box 1523
    Sydney, NSW 2000
    Australia
    Tuesday lunch remains our standard meeting time however check Upcoming Events & Rotary News for variations & booking links. The Club meets at various Sydney venues, virtually & has a wide range of social events. Contact us: office@sydneyrotary.com
    Join Us Online [Login to view details]
    District Site
    Venue Map
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    News & Information
    Want to contact Executives, Directors or Committee Chairs
    Click their name below to email
    Club Executives & Directors
    President
    Charlie Allen, APM
    Rotary Foundation Chair
    Charlie Allen, APM
    Immediate Past President
    David Hirsch
    President Elect & VP, PCYC & Rural
    Glenn Stafford
    Vice President & Events Coordinator
    Phoebe Alexander
    Honorary Treasurer & Chair Finance, Audit, Investment & Risk
    Rahul Guha
    Honorary Secretary & Public Officer
    Geoffrey Wilbow
    Director & Assistant Secretary, Club Administration
    Fleur Hourihan
    Director & Chair Membership, Youth
    Mark Dyer
    Director & Chair Public Image/Communication
    Victoria Hollick
    Director & Social Media Coordinator, Co-Chair CAG
    Deborah Hill
    Director & Co-Chair Climate Action Group
    Karen Loblay, AM
    Director & Chair Services & Awards
    Iurie Brinister
    Sergeant-at-Arms
    Iurie Brinister
    Welfare Officer
    Geoffrey Little
    Chair International Services
    Bernard Macleod
    Chair Chair Peacebuilding Group
    Sy Lagaaia
    Rotary Give Every Child a Future Project Director
    James Allen
    Chair Rotary NSW Police Office of the Year Awards
    John Given OAM
    Chair Soukup Memorial Scholarship Fund
    Gillean Wilbow
    Four Way Test Speaking Competition | Rotary Club of Perth
    Centenary of Rotary in Australia
     
     
     
    The Rotary Club of Sydney's Benevolent Fund is an ACNC Registered Charity 
    Rotary International News
    At convention find breakouts tailored to you

    Take away bold ideas about how to improve your club experience, your community, and the world from breakout sessions at the Rotary convention in Singapore.

    A labor of love

    Supported by a Rotary Programs of Scale award, an initiative in Nigeria seeks to remedy the country’s high instances of maternal death

    Rotary projects around the globe April 2024

    Learn how Rotary clubs are taking action in the United States, Suriname, Macao, Nigeria, and Australia.

    Heat is on for urban planners

    As temperatures rise, cities transform heat islands with tree cover, “cool pavement,” and other adaptations.

    Food of the future

    Breadfruit, a starchy fruit long a staple in the tropics, is attracting new interest globally as farmers and scientists search for crops that are hardier while still nutrient dense.

    Memorable experiences await in Singapore

    2024 Rotary Convention will deliver inspiring speakers, unforgettable cultural events, delicious food, and invaluable personal connections

    The value of a well

    Rotary project supplying clean water to Zimbabwean villages brings wide-ranging benefits

    Remembering Paul Alexander, who lived 70 years in an iron lung

    How the polio survivor learned about Rotary

    Rotaract club in Bangladesh rocks on, raises profile

    Members of the Rotaract Club of Dhaka Orchid use popular music to boost Rotaract’s profile, attract members, and raise funds for projects.

    Rotary honors a tireless advocate for women and girls

    The 2024 Sylvia Whitlock Leadership Award recipient promotes women’s health and empowerment

    New film tells story of Sir Nicholas Winton, World War II hero and humanitarian

    Rotarian saved hundreds of children at risk of being killed by the Nazis in the lead up to World War II

    Rotary projects around the globe March 2024

    Learn how Rotary clubs are taking action in the United States, Canada, Hungary, South Africa, and India.

    Customize your Rotary convention with tours

    The Host Organization Committee has organized tours that Rotary members can experience before and after the Rotary International Convention.

    Polio mapping goes high tech

    Geotracking improves polio outbreak response targeting, ensuring fewer children are left behind

    Engineer follows the science of water

    Rotary scholar Isis Mejias dedicates her education and expertise to providing an essential human need — water.

    From farm to food pantry

    Harvest Against Hunger rescues a staggering amount of produce from Washington’s farm fields and fruit trees to nourish hungry families. But it never works alone.

    A barter baron with a knack for recruiting Rotary members

    The ‘barter baron’ of Syracuse, Bernie Bregman, has a knack for recruiting Rotary members.

    Rotary honors six members as People of Action Champions of Impact

    Members promoted mental health, protected mangrove forests, and helped Indigenous young people increase their economic opportunities

    Rotary in Ukraine stronger two years after war began

    District 2232 is working to identify needs, connect with Rotary clubs worldwide, and support those affected by the war

    For the love of dogs

    Members of a Korean Rotary Club help at a dog shelter