Presidents’ Projects

2019-20 and 2020-21

Barbara Ward and Fatima Ali supporting Rotary Give Every Child a Future, a project celebrating 100 years of service to the community in Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific, to introduce 3 vaccines (rotavirus, pneumococcal and HPV) into 9 Pacific Island countries (Cook Islands, Kiribati, Nauru, Niue, Samoa, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu). Partnering with UNICEF, the aim is to immunise 100,000 of the most disadvantaged children across the Pacific and strengthen the local health systems to make this program sustainable into the future.

2018-19

Keith Garner, AM coordinated the Rotary Building Resilience project, which brought to the forefront of people’s minds the importance of Suicide Awareness.

2017-18

Shane Herbert established Serving On in partnership with Solider On to support social connection of contemporary service personnel who may otherwise face exclusion and loss of social networks, offering the opportunity to continue to contribute to society and community through purposeful volunteer work and value adding projects, to assist with reintegration and employment opportunities by providing skills and experience while working alongside professionals and community leaders.

2016-17

Alex Shaw partnered with the Poche Centre for Indigenous Health at the University of Sydney to improve Oral Health services particularly for indigenous communities in regional areas.

2015-16

Andrew Laurie initiated the Take Charge of Your Life Program, in conjunction with the Wesley Mission, to create a program that would support young Australians leaving Foster Care.

2014-15

Diana Richards partnered with the Poche Centre for Indigenous Health at the University of Sydney to develop a program to improve both the uptake and delivery of Oral Health services particularly for indigenous communities in regional areas.

2013-14

Geoff Wilbow built the Rotary Life Skills Centre in the previously unused basement and outdoor decking areas of William Booth House, as a joint project by the Rotary Club of Sydney and The Salvation Army to provide a centre of hope giving opportunities to those struggling to put their lives back together post and during recovery from drug, alcohol and gambling addictions often associated with mental illness and homelessness.

2012-13

James Allen initiated the IsinDi’ak Fund (Timor-Leste Health Fund) at The University of Sydney; this important project aimed to significantly improve the health outcomes of the people of Timor-Leste and develop their future capacity to treat disease. One of the project’s key goals was to eliminate two debilitating parasitic diseases; lymphatic filariasis and intestinal worms.

2011-12

Ned Boyce opened a state-of-the-art centre and day program for young adults with significant intellectual and physical disabilities to be run by the Wesley Mission.

2010-11

Roslyn McLeod, OAM provided funds for the internationally acclaimed Children’s Medical Research Institute (CMRI) cancer research team.

2009-10

John Given assisted a number of existing charities that were interested in expanding their services into new areas including the Australian Children’s Music Foundation, Y-Fin, Lou’s Place, The Jewish House and Home Hospice.

2008-09

Patricia Harrison provided funds for Youngcare, a charity devoted to providing high level care for young adults, physically incapacitated through accident or illness such as multiple sclerosis, who would otherwise have to live in aged care facilities.

2007-08

Garry Browne with a theme of “Education Matters” supported the Inspire Foundation’s Beanbag program to help those with mental illness reconnect with society through different forms of IT; and provided scholarships at the University of New South Wales.

2006-07

Gerry Rihs supported an innovative, early-childhood educational enrichment program offered at La Perouse Public School, teaching parents of three- to five-year-olds how to develop their child’s school readiness, communication abilities, and relationship skills before they begin their education in the classroom; as well as financing a micro-credit bank in a very poor region of the northern Philippines to lift some 15,000 working poor up the economic ladder.

2005-06

Adrian Pilton provided a new Ambulance for NETS which is a clinical component of the PSN (Pregnancy and Newborn Services Network) of NSW.

2004-05 and 2003-04

Bruce Edwards and Chris Ferris helped the Salvation Army construct a new building to house the Careline service taking calls from around Australia; a member was the architect. They also ran a two year project to support Wesley’s EQUIP Youth Mentoring Program helping young people, by one to one mentoring, to learn skills for employment and personal development.

1921-2005

See our published history: Achieving for Others: The Rotary Club of Sydney 1921-2005 by Emeritus Professor Brian Fletcher, Southwood Press, 2005.