Double the Impact: Donate to the Sydney Rotary 'Wheels of Aid' Project
Thousands of families in the Ukraine’s front-line city of Zaporizhzhia are seeking safety and relief.
Among those fleeing, are 68,000 children who have lost their homes and need food, warmth, and hope.
Together, we can make a significant difference. By supporting the Wheels of Aid Project, you are ensuring the delivery of life-saving aid to those in desperate need.
How the 'Wheels of Aid' Project will change lives
Sydney Rotary is partnering with Rotary Zaporizhzhia-Khortytsia to purchase a vehicle that will deliver essential aid to twelve refugee shelters housing thousands of internally displaced persons (IDPs)—food, supplies, and more.
This vehicle will also bring relief to tens of thousands living in conflict-affected areas in south-eastern Zaporizhzhia Oblast.
Every dollar donated will directly fund this vital project, bringing immediate relief and long-term support to people displaced by the war.
Donate todayto bring warmth, hope, and relief to families in Ukraine this winter.
Sydney Rotary in partnership with Market City shopping centre Haymarket has launched its annual initiative aimed at inspiring friendships between young children.
A giant Tree of Friendship has been planted in the Market City Activity Centre to mark the 2024 festive season and Sydneysiders are invited to donate a toy (or monies to purchase toys) that will inspire children to be active, share and care.
Our goal is to provide as many children as possible with the gift of play, creativity, and laughter!
Use your imagination and leave sports toys and/or arts and crafts supplies under the tree!
Give a gift- visit our Tree of Friendship at Market City, 9-13 Hay Street, Haymarket. Anytime from now!
Donations - we are aiming to raise$5000and you can donate here
Donated monies and giftsfor the Sydney Rotary Tree of Friendship will be distributed at the PCYC Redfern and Woolloomooloo Clubs, the Be Centre (for traumatised children), the Surry Hills Neighbourhood Centre, and Sydney Food Share.
Are you looking for a chance to make a difference? This is your opportunity to contribute and get involved in one of our life-changing projects. If you have ideas, expertise, or simply a passion for community, we’d love to hear from you.
Get involved and help us shape a brighter, cleaner future! Contact Sydney Rotary today.
Following a greater number of applications this year, ten scholarship recipients were announced on 19 November 2024.
The Rotary PCYC Youth Encouragement Scholarships (YES!) is a project that aims to elevate young achievers to accelerate their passion for their interest areas. Each scholarship is designed to empower our young people, assisting them to build and maintain skills, knowledge and experience to go towards their chosen area of interest.
On 21 May 2021 our Club celebrated its centenary with a series of events that recognised and highlighted the contribution of members over the decades.
As part of the Centenary celebrations, three new programs were developed to continue the Club's impact into our second century.
1. Rotary Give Every Child a Future : An International Project immunising 100,000 children across nine Pacific countries. 2. The Rotary Winter Appeal working with PCYC South Sydney. 3. The Rotary Climate Action Group launched in July to support Rotary International’s new area of focus: supporting the environment.
Polio mainly affects children under 5 years of age.
One in 200 infections leads to irreversible paralysis.
As long as a single child remains infected, children in all countries are at risk of contracting polio.
Failure to eradicate polio from these last remaining strongholds could result in a global resurgence of the disease.
In most countries, the global effort has expanded capacities to tackle other infectious diseases by building effective surveillance and immunization systems.
You can help - Donate Now - enter "End Polio" in the Message field on your donation
You can also listen to Bill Gates' talk about the fight against Polio.
Or for more facts and figures on what national governments, WHO, Rotary International, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), UNICEF United have been doing click here.
In 2011 the President of Sydney Rotary, asked Indy Singh, Executive Chairman (Fiducian Group) and club member, to help find a project that would build “international bridges of friendship”. Indy knew of the work of two Australian eye surgeons, Dr Jay Chandra and Dr Purnima Roy, in the small town of Rishikesh, in Northern India. They had travelled there, with a team of volunteers to conduct free eye surgery clinics for the desperately poor of the area. Indy decided that if this work could be organised and coordinated properly, it would satisfy the criteria to be a worthwhile and valuable Sydney Rotary international project.
Fundraising Effort
With Indy Singh and his company Fiducian assisting in fundraising and with support from Sydney Rotary, Vision Beyond AUS was formed in 2011 with the aim of supporting the Rishikesh project.
In 2012, Indy established Vision Beyond AUS as a registered Australian Charity, with the objectives of “relieving sickness and distress through the provision of medical assistance and by undertaking relief and sustainable development programs for people in Declared Developing Countries without favouritism or discrimination by race, religion, culture or political persuasion”.
The Target
Indy set a primary target for Vision Beyond AUS that it would restore the sight of 100,000 of the world’s most desperately disadvantaged people who would have no other way to see again…and then he intends to keep going until he has cured as many of the 100 million people who are blind today and have the chance to see again through the work of charities such as Vision Beyond AUS. As of September 2024 almost 56,000 people have had their eyesight restored.
Vision Beyond AUS works in India, Myanmar, Cambodia and Nepal to provide operations and train local people.
Each operation costs just $35.00, with every dollar going to operations and training – no money is deducted for administration. All administration is done by Fiducian Group Ltd free of charge.
Eye surgeons from Australia regularly travel to the four countries and pay all their own accommodation and travel expenses – again, so that all funds pay for operations and training.
Correcting vision impairment and blindness is crucial to people living in India, Myanmar, Cambodia and Nepal.
Many visually impaired people in these countries live in squalid slums. These people are considered a burden on the families because they need extra care and they cannot contribute to the families’ incomes.
More than 90% of them cannot work and either totally rely on their families to support them or are discarded, to live and beg on the streets. Their life expectancy drops to one-third of the average for their age group.
Sydney Rotary is delighted to support the invaluable work being done by Vision Beyond Aus.
You are invited to the fundraising and fellowship dinner for Vision Beyond AUS
Please join us to experience 3 delicious courses of authentic delights of South Indian cuisine, created by Head Chef, Vijayan Ramasamy, whose experience spans over 24 years worldwide.
The Phortse Water Project was successfully completed in 2022 and officially opened by the Australian Ambassador to Nepal.
Jointly funded by Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality, Terry Trevino piping and Rotary it has provided a reliable source of clean water to the village and been used as a model project for other high altitude Nepalese villages.
Phortse is located at approx 4000m above sea level, in SoluKhumbu District of Nepal.
Access to clean running water was considered a luxury. Villagers walked hours to fetch fresh water to fulfill their basic needs and to get their economy running.
A 6 km hand-dug deep trench was required to bury the supply pipes to protect them from freezing during the winters.
The water supply has enabled women to contribute economically to the village - instead of spending hours queueing and carrying enough water to the village for the families and the trekkers on their way to Everest Base Camp. The village now also has an emergency water supply for firefighting.
The Phortse project directedly provided clean water to 111 households.
Many villages in Nepal are without adequate, reliable, clean supplies of water, particularly during the dry season. With the increasing demands for agriculture, tourism and with growing populations, along with today’s understanding of improved hygiene standards, the burden of water shortages falls mainly on women and girls.
Jhakribash, Khotang District
Jhakribash village is a remote hilly village in Eastern Nepal. Most people in the village are dependent on agriculture, livestock and trekking, where they are employed as poorly paid porters. It is a very poor area, once called the ‘Somalia of Nepal’ by a journalist. The village is about 260 km from Kathmandu and is connected via a very rough dirt road, a minimum of 12 hour’s drive. The village has a population of about 600, with a total of 119 households.
The village has been without access to a proper water system for many years. It is the women and children who spend hours collecting water from distant water sources. A temporary pipe helps villagers get only about 20 litres per day, sometimes, which is not enough for domestic consumption, nor for washing, cleaning and agriculture.
Rotary is a global network of more than 1.2 million neighbors, friends, leaders, and problem-solvers who see a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change – across the globe, in our communities, and in ourselves.
Solving real problems takes real commitment and vision. For more than 110 years, Rotary's people of action have used their passion, energy, and intelligence to take action on sustainable projects. From literacy and peace to water and health, we are always working to better our world, and we stay committed to the end.
Rotary members believe that we have a shared responsibility to take action on our world’s most persistent issues. Our more than 45,000 clubs work together to:
We provide service to others, promote integrity, and advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through our fellowship of business, professional, and community leaders.
Vision statement
Together, we see a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change — across the globe, in our communities, and in ourselves.
Rotary Sydney – A Boardroom Dialogue - Let's talk about young onset dementia
Around 1 in 6 (18%) people in Australia are living with a disability. This includes as many as 30,000 individuals diagnosed with Young Onset Dementia (YOD).
YOD symptoms appear before age 65, at a time when people are more likely to be physically robust, have young families, be working, and/or have significant financial and caring responsibilities.
In this next highly anticipated edition of Rotary Sydney's Boardroom Dialogues we are going to discuss YOD. Do you have a family member or a friend living with YOD? Join us for this important dialogue.
Date: 6 August, 2024
Time: 12:15 for a 12:30 start, finish at 1:30pm, networking and fellowship from 1:30pm onwards
Rotary Sydney – A Boardroom Dialogue - The Sydney Peace Prize 2024
The Sydney Peace Prize is Australia’s international prize for peace, awarded by the Sydney Peace Foundation at the University of Sydney. The Prize recognises leading global groups that promote peace, justice and non-violence.
The Sydney Peace Foundation recently announced the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement as the 2024 recipients, acknowledging their courageous and highly respected humanitarian work.
Private Guided Tour of the 2024 Archibald Prize exhibition.
Come along and get to know us!
Open to any artist living in Australia or New Zealand, since 1921 it has reflected the unique experiences of the people who live in this region, highlighting figures from all walks of life.
Join us for an enchanting evening at the Art Gallery of New South Wales with the Rotary Club of Sydney's annual art event!
Guided tour group numbers are limited so please book early to secure your place at this event.
Join your fellow Rotary Club of Sydney members and quests at our Rotary International District 9675 Changeover Lunch.
Date: Sunday 30th June 2024
Time: 12 PM to 4 PM
Location: St George Motor Boat Club Waterfront Function Centre, 2 Wellington Road, San Souci.
We will recognise District Governor Tonia Barnes for her achievements during the Rotary Year 2023-24 and we welcome Past District Governor Warwick Richardson as District Governor for part of 2024-25.
Empowering Futures Through Education: - The Soukup Memorial Scholarship
Rotary Sydney firmly believes that education transforms lives, strengthens communities, and builds a fairer and more prosperous nation.
The Soukup Memorial Scholarship Fund is a cornerstone of this commitment, providing life-changing opportunities for young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students to pursue tertiary education—students who may not otherwise have the financial means to achieve their academic dreams.
Why These Scholarships Matter
Education is a powerful equaliser, opening doors to a brighter future for individuals and their communities. By supporting students through tertiary studies at institutions such as The University of Sydney and The University of Technology, Sydney, the scholarships help bridge opportunity gaps and empower the next generation of leaders, professionals, and changemakers.
These scholarships don’t just support individual aspirations; they contribute to creating a more equitable society by fostering diversity, opportunity, and representation in higher education.
The Club's centenary celebrations supported the design of Australia’s first Residential Indigenous College to be built at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS).
UTS is building the residence and has partnered with Rotary to develop a “knowledge hub” within the College.
UTS is building the first indigenous residential University College in Australia. Rotary will partner with UTS to develop a “knowledge hub” within the College.
The aim is to promote a sense of pride and hope within the indigenous community, particularly indigenous youth with challenging low levels of school attendance and university participation.
The Hub will comprise five key areas: the library, the Keeping Place, the Family Research Space, an Elders Office and, an Academic workplace.
Rotary is supporting a pledge of $3M over 3 years to fund two phases of programming to help make the vision for the Indigenous Knowledge Hub a reality.
The winning design concepts for the building were revealed in late 2023.
The competition brief was developed by Indigenous Australians, with each of the six shortlisted teams appointed an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander architect or suitably qualified designer as Cultural Design Lead, who shared cultural knowledge.
Rotary is an organisation that allows you to build friends and networks locally, nationally, and internationally while working together on community-benefiting projects.
It is an organisation comprising leaders and successful people, experienced in team building, fundraising, public speaking, planning, organisation, and communication.
Being a Rotary leader provides further experience in learning how to motivate, inspire, and guide others.
Our regular lunchtime meetings are an opportunity to network and our invited guest speakers are experts in their fields. We also hold social events including dinners, visits to galleries, or catch-ups at local venues.
Our club seeks active new members who will continue the work of many hundreds of club members over more than 100 years of history of Rotary in Sydney & Australia.
Become a member
There are many ways to become involved with Rotary. Becoming a member is the best way to discover the range of programs and activities our club undertakes.
You will feel welcome at any of our meetings or events
Rotary Sydney has several focus areas including:
Climate Action
International Service
Peace Building
Vocational Service
Youth Service
Community Service
Ethics is a hallmark of Rotary
Rotarians experience personal growth in an organisation that is respected worldwide for its high values and standards and at the same time develops business networking opportunities and builds lifelong friendships. Clubs are non-political, non-religious, and open to all cultures, races, and creeds.
How to join Sydney Rotary
Step One: The first step in joining Sydney Rotary is to attend one of our meetings or events. By doing this you will meet our members and determine if Rotary is right for you.
Step Two: Complete our Membership Inquiry Form to tell us about you. Following this you may be invited to attend additional meetings, activities, and events to meet members so we can get to know each other better.
Step Three: At the appropriate time the club's Board of Directors will be asked for permission to present your application for membership to the members at large. If this is successful you will be formally invited to join.
Step Four: You will be invited to attend a normal club meeting where you will be introduced to members and inducted as a full member of the club.
Membership Subscription
There are several categories of membership which are subsidised allowing for age and previous membership in Rotary.
Normal members contribute $275 bi-annually as a membership subscription. A joining fee of $100 is payable by new members along with a pro-rated membership fee before they may be inducted as a full club member and into the international fellowship of Rotary.
Rotary Sydney established the YES! Youth Encouragement Scholarships in collaboration with Police Citizens Youth Clubs NSW (PCYC) in 2021.
About YES!
YES aims is to assist young vulnerable and/or socially disadvantage youth pursue their academic, sports or arts ambitions. The scholarships are for young people in NSW aged between 14 to 18 years. Eight scholarships are awarded annually - 4 regional and 4 Sydney metropolitan. Recipients are granted up to $3,000 and funds can be used for the specific learning passion and need of awardees.
Areas
There are four YES! scholarship areas:
Sports - sports camps, training camps
Education – for example STEM subjects, computer studies,
Arts – theatre, music and visual arts
Environment - climate change, renewable energy.
Your donation
Each scholarship is up to $3000. Your support enables us to empower our young people within NSW, assisting them to build and maintain skills, knowledge and experience to go towards their chosen area of interest. You can donate here
Read what several of our recipients have achieved with their scholarships.
Dear Members and Friends of the Rotary Club of Sydney
We are delighted to invite you to join us for a major occasion in the Rotary Year: our annual Changeover event. This special event marks the transition of leadership within our club, a time to celebrate our achievements over the last 12 months and to look forward in anticipation to the coming year.
What will you bring to the celebration? Let's all make a commitment to do at least one good deed for our club and our community this coming year!
Date: 2July, 2024 Time: 12:15 for a 12:30 start, finish at 2pm Location: The Cellos Room, Castlereagh Boutique Hotel, 169 Castlereagh St, Sydney,
Book here to confirm your attendance. We look forward to celebrating this important milestone with you.
Rotary Oceania Positive Peace Activators: Supporting Peace Building through Rotary
Date:18 June 2024
Time: 12.15-2.00pm
Location: Adams Room,
Castlereagh Hotel
Castlereagh Street, Sydney.
Learn more about Positive Peace Activators and peace building through Rotary. The Activators cohort have delivered hundreds of projects and events impacting on millions of people globally. Come and join a discussion about this exciting new peace building program.
Nick Cowdery was the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for New South Wales from 1994 to 2011 and is a former president of the International Association of Prosecutors.
The DPP is responsible for criminal prosecutions of serious offences including the conduct of trials and appeals.
The decision to charge someone for a serious criminal offence, or not, is the responsibility of the DPP. Most of us have opinions about the criminal justice system. This is an opportunity to learn the facts behind this complex and often divisive area of law. Nick will explain the criminal justice process including the decision to charge, the vexed question of bail, the conduct of criminal prosecutions by police and the DPP, issues of discretion, prosecution guidelines and the principles of sentencing. His talk will address these in the context of domestic and family violence, issues once again in the forefront of the news.
Rotary International showcases major vaccination program initiated at Rotary Sydney. Rotary Give Every Child a Future (RGCAF) has been supported across Australia, New Zealand, the Pacific Islands & beyond. RGCAF is the largest joint Rotary/UNICEF programme since Polio plus.
We are vaccinating adolescent girls against the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) to prevent cervical cancer in later life.
“It’s hard to transport vaccines to the outer islands because of the distance and transport availability. Sometimes they have to wait one to three months to get a boat across,” says Rufina Tutai, who oversees immunizations for the Cook Islands. The 15 islands in her jurisdiction are spread over nearly 2 million square kilometers (770,000 square miles).
Stunning Sydney weather was the backdrop for the 2024 ANZAC Parade along Elizabeth Street witnessed by a strong crowd many of whom enjoyed the delicious snack of Sausages & Onion, Muffins , and Samosa thanks to the members & volunteers from the Rotary Club of Sydney.
“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).
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.
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.
The Rotary Club of Sydney invites you to join us for an insightful, informative and enlightening talk on Art and Architecture.
Location: Castlereagh Boutique Hotel, 169 Castlereagh St, Sydney NSW 2000, Australia
Date and time:
Simon Chan AM is the Director and Founder of Art Atrium, an art gallery exhibiting contemporary Australian, Asian and Aboriginal art with a special focus on cross cultural collaboration and expression in art as a reflection of our multicultural society in a globalised world.
Simon is also a practising architect and Director of SCA Architects. Simon has been involved in a broad range of not for profit Foundations, arts and community organisations.
Simon is the Chair of VisAsia Committee at Art Gallery of NSW, Director on the Board of Australian National Maritime Museum Foundation Board, Council member of the Power Institute Foundation for Art and Visual Culture at The University of Sydney, Board member of Multicultural NSW Advisory Board, Director and former Chair on the Board of Aboriginal Benefits Foundation, Board member of the NSW Government Geographical Names Board and Committee Member of the NSW Government Chinese Garden of Friendship Advisory Committee, President of Chinese Australian Forum, a not for profit non-partisan Chinese community organisation engaging the Chinese Australian community in social, political and economic issues.
Simon is also an Advisory Management Committee member of The Institute for Australian and Chinese Arts and Culture (IAC) at Western Sydney University and Woollahra Council Art & Culture Advisory Committee member.
Simon was the recipient of the inaugural NSW Premier's Multicultural Award for Arts & Culture in2013 and was appointed as a Member (AM) of the Order of Australia in 2023 for significant service to multiculturalism, to the indigenous community, and to the arts.
The Rotary Club of Sydney's is holding its first lunch meeting for the New Year. You are welcome to join us as we kick of the New Year in style and with purpose!
When:12.30pm to 2.00pm Tuesday 6 February 2024
Where:Castlereagh Hotel 169 Castlereagh Street.
Speakers:Rotarians Russell and Deb Brown have been actively engage in WASH projects in Nepal. Join us as they share uplifting stories of the tremendous and far-reaching impacts of these projects on the children, their families and the communities benefitting from the generosity of Rotarians.
To be respectful to our long term supporters and partners at the Castlereagh Hotel, and to your fellow Rotarians who work tirelessly to organise these events month in and month out, we respectfully asked that bookings are made no later than 3 PM Friday 2nd February.Thank you for your kind consideration and cooperation. Please note that bookings are no longer being taken.
Jhakribas Water Supply project
Water is the most basic of human needs. Many villages in Nepal are without adequate, reliable and clean supplies of water, particularly during the dry seasons and with the increasing demands of agriculture, tourism, growing populations and today’s understanding of improved hygiene standards. This burden of water shortages falls mainly on women and girls. The provision of clean water has a positive impact on the village social system improving general health, education, maternal and child health, sanitation, hygiene, disease prevention, community and economic development, especially for women.
The Rotary Club of Sydney is partnering with Market City Shopping Centre to host our inaugural Tree of Friendship from the 30 October to 30 December 2023.
The Ribbon Cutting Media Launch on Wednesday 1 November 2023 at Market City Shopping Centre - 9-13 Hay St, Sydney was a great success!
Please continue to support this wonderful experience by donating gifts for 6 to 12 year olds that will stimulate creativity and friendship-building!
Brilliant work by Kaila Cruz and Rio Allen and team!
The partnership between PCYC NSW and Rotary goes back to 1937, over 85 years, and we are proud of the Rotary record of supporting PCYC Clubs across NSW. Last year PCYC South Sydney was adopted by the Rotary Club of Sydney under the new Rotary Adopt a PCYC program, designed to help build upon the already strong relationship between many Rotary and PCYC Clubs across NSW.
On Wednesday, 20th December from 11am to 4pm the PCYC South Sydney Christmas Party will be held.
Please join us as we distribute to the children of the Redfern community the gifts generously left under the Rotary Sydney Tree of Friendship provided by the and join in the fun and games.
Volunteers are needed to help hand out presents and lend a hand on the BBQ. The Club is located at 638 Elizabeth St, Redfern NSW 2016.
Contact Glenn Stafford on glstafford@bigpond.com for more information.
Join us for our last club lunch meeting of the calendar year including a very timely and informative update on the important peace building work of Project Rozana in Israel and Palestine from the joint project chairs Ron Finkel & Dr Jamal Rifi.
We are back at the Castlereagh Boutique Hotel, The Cello Room, 169 Castlereagh St, Sydney NSW 2000, Australia.
On the Tue 12th Dec 2023, commencing 12:30 pm - 2:00 pm AEDT,
We will be celebrating the induction of a new member and recognising the long and distinquished service of an esteemed Rotarian.
We will also hear an update about the work that our club is doing internationally.
Please note the Rotary Sydney AGM will be conducted briefly at the commencement of our meeting, members should arrive at 12:15 in time for the 12:20 start of the AGM. Non-members are welcome to attend however may not vote at the AGM.
The Rotary Club of Sydney is very proud to announce the latest recipient of the Joan Salter Award. This is awarded every 3 years and includes $50,000 of funding over 3 years commencing 2024 through to 2026. The current worthy recipient is Top Blokes founded by Melissa Abu-Gazaleh. Their term finishes at the end of this year and the new award winner has now been selected.
After very thorough consideration of 4 very worthy applicants the Joan Salter Awards selection committee, formed by the Service and Awards Team, made up of Phoebe Alexander, Victoria Hollick, Charlie Allen, Mark Dyer and Glenn Stafford arrived at a decision. The Joan Salter Award winner is Be Centre.
Please join us on the 21st November at the Rydges Darling Square, 72 Liverpool Street, Sydney at 12:30pm through to 2pm for the presentation of the award and to hear the Be Centre story and how this prestigious award will make a difference to the lives of the children they work with.
Anna is driven to help organisations become more effective at delivering environmental and resilience outcomes. She enjoys working in a collaborative style to address complex sustainability challenges, using her strengths in project management, change management, facilitation, and communications. Before joining City of Sydney, Anna worked in the finance sector, state government and consultancy in sustainability and community engagement roles.
Sustainability & Resilience, City of Sydney Council.
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.
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.
Join Rotary and NSW Police on Friday 1st December from 11am to 1pm and stand united against Domestic Violence. Coinciding with the UN Womens UNITE to End Violence against Women initiative Rotary in partnership with NSW Police are proud to be the organisers of this public gathering to raise awareness around Domestic and Family violence.
No need to book just turn up at the Sydney Town Hall Square at 11am on December 1st and add your support to the campaign to end domestic violence.
On the International Day for Eradication of Poverty we have the pleasure of hosting Darian Clark of Credit Union Foundation Australia (CUFA) for another in our much anticipated series of Boardroom Dialogues. Spaces are limited so book now.
Location: Level 16, Chifley Tower, 2 Chifley Square, Sydney NSW 2000, Australia
Hear about CUFA's vision for all communities of the Asia Pacific region to be free of poverty through economics development and self-determination.
This is a great opportunity for our club to consider how the eradication of poverty can be a cornerstone of our next Project of Scale for the Pacific/Oceania region as a follow on from Rotary Give Every Child a Future.
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.
The Rotary Club of Sydney is proud to launch the call for nominations for the 2023 Joan Salter Fund Award.
In 2021 Top Blokes was the deserving recipient of the Joan Salter Award, receiving funding over 3 years for a Project that commissioned the UTS Kidman Centre to carry out a 3 year independent evaluation of the Top Blokes mentoring program for young males in primary schools. The study will help understand how the program is impacting mental health and wellbeing of young males, identify areas of improvement and enable the program results to attract new program partners and investors.
Rotary Club of Sydney
2023 Joan Salter Fund Award Application
For a copy of the application form please contact the Chair of Joan Salter Award Selection Committee c/o Glenn Stafford at glstafford@bigpond.com. Applications must be submitted by COB 29th September 2023,
Tuesday 16 January 2024: Piccadilly Lounge Café, Piccadilly Arcade 210 Pitt Street. Join Rotary Sydney members from 12.30pm for a quick coffee & snack or full meal & drinks to wile away the afternoon. No need to book. Just turn up, pay for what you order and enjoy some New Year fellowship.
With a final drink & maybe a bite to eat if you wish
Wednesday 13 December 2023 about 5.30pm.
Babylon Rooftop
Westfield Sydney Level 7/188 Pitt St, Sydney.
Main entrance is via the Express Escalator from Pitt St Mall, OR Take the internal escalators within Westfield Sydney to Level 7
Booking: Don't book just turn up!! Order and pay as you go.
And just because it is January!!!
Tuesday 16 January 2024: Piccadilly Lounge Café, Piccadilly Arcade 210 Pitt Street. Join Rotary Sydney members from 12.30pm for a quick coffee & snack or full meal & drinks to wile away the afternoon. No need to book. Just turn up, pay for what you order and enjoy some New Year fellowship.
Rotary Sydney fellowship at the bar & at the cafe
We will reconvene the 2022 Rotary Club of Sydney Annual General Meeting at 12.20pm next Tuesday 5 September 2023. This meeting was adjourned (not closed) on the 6 December 2022 as audited accounts for the 2021-22 Financial (Rotary) Year were not available at that time. These accounts have now been audited and are available:
The Agenda for the reconvened meeting is in READ MORE below.
Members: if you are attending the Rotary Sydney lunch meeting at Rydges Darling Square, 72 Liverpool Street, Sydney please arrive by 12.20pm to attend the reconvened 2022 AGM before the lunch meeting.
If you cannot make the lunch meeting, please attend the reconvened 2022 AGM by Zoom using the link below (you are of course welcome to stay on Zoom and view the lunch meeting).
It is very important Club Members attend THE RECONVENED 2022 AGM TO ENSURE WE HAVE A QUORUM.
If you are attending the lunch, please book: CLICK HERE.
If you are attending by Zoom there is no need to book. Zoom in at 12.20pm (sharp) and identify yourself as an attending member.
Rotary Sydney members and supporters are asked to join the celebrations at the
Centenary of Rotary in South Australia Luncheon
12noon - 3pm Sunday 4 February 2024, William Magarey Room, Adelaide Oval
Bookings and options for the Sydney contingent will be available soon.
SAVE THE DATE. WATCH THIS SPACE.
Rotary Sydney 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.
Each year, Rotary awards up to 130 fully funded fellowships for dedicated leaders from around the world to study at one of our peace centres. There were over 600 applicants for the 2023 fellowships.The Rotary Sydney is the most successful club in Australia at recruiting Rotary Peace fellows. Two out of three Rotary Sydney 2023 applicants were successful.
Why does Rotary International invest in the development of peacebuilders globally?
Why is the Rotary Sydney so invested in this programme?
Can Rotary Peace Fellows really impact global peace?
How do they resolve conflict?
Join Rotary Sydney to develop an understanding of the impact of the Rotary Peace Fellowship programme.
Alfred Mupenzi is a Rotary Peace Fellow currently undertaking his Peace Fellow program at Makerere University. Alfred is sponsored by the Rotary Club of Sydney in 2022 to undertake a Rotary Peace Fellowship in 2023.
Patricia Garcia AO
Patricia Garcia AO was an Australian of the Year Finalist 2016. Patricia is a Rotary Peace Fellow alumnus of Chulalongkorn University in 2013 sponsored by the Rotary Club of Lane Cove. Patricia is a highly experienced peace builder and humanitarian aid worker with missions in The Balkans, Afghanistan, Myanmar and Sudan. Patricia is currently the Partnerships Development Manager with the Institute for Economics and Peace in Sydney.
Through academic training, practice, and global networking opportunities, the Rotary Peace Centers program develops the capacity of peace and development professionals to become effective catalysts for peace. The fellowships cover tuition and fees, room and board, round-trip transportation, and internship and field-study expenses. For more detail click here.
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.
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.
At Uluru, an invitation was issued to the Australian people. With the upcoming referendum, the nation will decide whether to accept that invitation.
… It was agreed that politicians have too much self-interest and this pledge needed to engage Australians on a higher level than political cynicism. The heart and the head. People, not politicians.
At Uluru, an invitation was issued to the Australian people. With the upcoming referendum, the nation will decide whether to accept that invitation.
… It was agreed that politicians have too much self-interest and this pledge needed to engage Australians on a higher level than political cynicism. The heart and the head. People, not politicians.
The Rotary Club of Sydney Cove invites you hear Susan Moylan-Coombs speaking about the Voice referendum from an Aboriginal perspective.
Susan Moylan-Coombs is the founding director of The Gaimaragal Group, established to create a new story of connection and wellbeing for all Australians.
7.15am Friday 11 August 2023
Attend either:
In person at King Street Wharf Darling Harbour
The Promenade, Lime St, Sydney NSW 2000, AustraliaOR BY ZOOM. Book directly with Rotary Club of Sydney Cove CLICK HERE
Rotary International President, Gordon McInally encourages Rotarians to ‘Create Hope in the World’. DG Tonia Barnes will share her vision and plans for creating hope in 2023-24 and Rotary Sydney’s role can help. Join us for a lunch time conversation with Tonia.
What Happens to Our Kids When We Fail to Grow Up? by bestselling author Maggie Hamilton, explains how to recognise when the child in us comes out to play, from wanting to be rescued all the time to relying on others to do the heavy lifting. With clear-eyed analysis, Hamilton provides insightful ideas and practical tools to make us less escapist and more resilient, and to better prime our kids for health, happiness and independence in this complex world.
David Hirsch exemplified “Service Above Self” in his courage and commitment as President of Rotary Sydney in 2022-23.
Rotary Sydney thanked Donna, David’s wife, for her support of David and the Club. (Photo below).
Photo below: In August as IPP David Hirsch was presented with a Paul Harris Fellow by President Charlie Allen & DG9675 Tonia Barnes on behalf of Rotary Sydney.
President David Hirsch exemplified “Service Above Self” in his courage and commitment to lead the Rotary Sydney in 2022-23.
Rotary Sydney thanked Donna, David’s wife, for her support of David and the Club. (Photo below).
District Governor Janice Hall recognised President David Hirsch's leadership.
Photo below: newly inducted as President 2023-24 Charlie Allen, DG Janice Hall, President David Hirsch, newly induced Rotarians Aileen Zhou & Felipe Clift, PDG Garry Browne, IPP Mark Dyer.
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 became a Rotarian joining the Rotary Club of Melbourne. When his work brought him to Sydney, the Rotary Club of Sydney (RCS) became his Rotary home; he has been a Vice President of the RCS for the last 3 years. Charlie’s Rotary passion remains the Peace and Conflict Prevention Area of focus. He actively recruits Rotary Peace Fellows for the RCS to sponsor. In 2022 the RCS supported two successful candidates and in 2023 we have two applicants in process. Charlie is a Peace and Conflict Prevention Technical Cadre coordinator and a member of the Peace Major Gifts Advisory Committee.
The club has changed it billing cycle for our subscriptions.
A subscription invoice has been sent out recently for the 6 months July to December and we are asking members to pay this before the end of June. Note there has been no increase in the subscription, we are just asking it be paid a month earlier. PLEASE PAY IN JUNE.
. Why the change? It helps with budgeting and cash flow. We all know the costs of running the Club are going up and the subscriptions are the same so budgeting and cash flow is important.
PLEASE FIND THE INVOICE AND PAY AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
IF WE NEED TO FOLLOW UP PEOPLE IT MEANS MORE WORK FOR YOUR FELLOW ROTARIANS.
Another invoice will be sent in November for the January to June 2024 period, requesting payment by December.
ROTARY SYDNEY MEMBERS & FRIENDS ENJOYED SYDNEY HARBOUR, VIVID LIGHT SHOW, DRONE SHOW, FOOD AND MUSIC. THEY WHERE JOINED BY INTERNATIONAL VISITORS ON THE WAY HOME FROM THE MELBOURNE RI CONVENTION
Rotary Sydney members and friends in front of Ronni Kahn's portrait during the tour of the Archibald Prize at the NSW Art Gallery on Wednesday 17 May 2023 . Ronni Kahn is the founder of OzHarvest and a friend of Sydney Rotary. For more on OzHarvest click here.
Rotary Sydney President David Hirsch presents Past President (2010-11) Roslyn McLeod, OAM with a certificate from Rotary International President Jennifer Jones recognising 30 of Rotary service.
Membership Director and Past President (2021-22) Mark Dyer inducts Kaila Cruz as a member of the RCS flanked by President David Hirsch and Past President (2001-2002) Bill Chillingworth
We will review the year to date, induct new members and recognise others for their special service. This is a great opportunity for fellowship and to introduce others to the club.
Lola Tapas Bar Potts Point 178 Victoria St, Potts Point NSW
Members: Don't be a turkey - please check you have paid your Club Subscription for January-June 2023.
The invoice was emailed on or about the 16 March by our bookkeeper Monique Tilley. Some members find the emailed notice has gone through to the bin or junk. If you have not paid please check. We do not have staff so if we need to chase people up it is unnecessary work for your fellow Rotarians. Please check NOW.
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:
National capacities enhanced to strengthen immunization policy and legislation in nine Pacific Island Counties and Territories (PICTs)
Health system capacities strengthened to deliver quality immunisation services that are adapted to climate change in nine PICTs.
Caregivers in nine PICTs have improved knowledge and skills to adopt recommended immunisation practices.
To protect 100,000 children from rotavirus, pneumococcal disease and cervical cancer across nine South Pacific Island countries over three years.
The largest Rotary/UNICEF partnership since the Global Polio Eradication Initiative.
Vaccinating adolescent girls against the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) to prevent cervical cancer in later life.
Vaccinating children against rotavirus and pneumococcal bacteria to reduce illness and deaths from gastroenteritis, pneumonias, meningitis and bacteraemia.
Strengthening the immunisation programs in each country so that these vaccines continue to be delivered to future generations of children.
The region is geographically remote, with many logistical challenges: there are hundreds of islands and atolls spread across 17.2 million square kilometers, an area larger than the Australian continent. Limited accessibility, high transportation costs and travel times make this project challenging.
Please help. For $45 you can vaccinate one child.Donate here now.
“February is Peacebuilding month in the Rotary calendar. The Rotary Club of Sydney together with Rotary’s global peacebuilding partner the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP), are collaborating to bring you a weekend workshop on the Principles of Positive Peace.
Date: Saturday 25 and Sunday 26 February 2023
Time: 9am arrival for a 9:30am start, to finish by 4:30pm (both days)
Place: City of Sydney Fire Station 211-217 Castlereagh Street, Sydney
Rotary Sydney's President and President Elect were both involved in facilitating the IEP Positive Peace workshop for the Rotary Club of Adelaide in 2022. See photo below.
Past President of the Rotary Club of Adelaide, Heidi Unferdorben says: “I am passionate about understanding peace, but how can I clearly explain what peace is and support Rotary members and the wider community to embed the Positive Peace framework into their service projects."
The Sydney workshop will provide participants with an understanding of the principles of Positive Peace and practical applications for designing and implementing projects that promote peace. The topics covered will include:
· The definition and history of Positive Peace
· The 8 Pillars of Positive Peace as identified by IEP, and
· How Positive Peace can help to prevent or resolve conflicts and improve social cohesion and community resilience.
The workshop will be run by experienced Rotary/IEP facilitators. They will introduce the methods and research of IEP, the Global Peace Index and the Positive Peace Index and lead an examination of the 8 Pillars of Positive Peace. There will be interactive sessions, exercises, and other hands-on activities.
By the end of the workshop, participants will be able to identify areas of need in their communities, workplaces and beyond that would benefit from an infusion of Positive Peace! They will have the tools to develop projects that deliver tangible, practical results that will promote an optimum environment for human potential to flourish – the overarching objective of Positive Peace.
A full agenda will be provided prior to the workshop.
George Brandis is the first Guest Speaker at Sydney Rotary for 2023 on Thursday 9 February 12.30pm (a change from the usual Tuesday meeting to accommodate our speaker's schedule).
George Brandis, former Australian Attorney-General, High Commissioner to UK & now Professor of National Security at ANU reflects on the current state in Britain and its implications for Australia.
George Brandis is the first Guest Speech at Sydney Rotary for 2023.
Thursday 12.30pm 9 February 2023 (a change from the usual Tuesday meeting to accommodate our speakers schedule).
George Brandis, former Australian Attorney-General, High Commissioner to UK & now Professor of National Security at ANU speaks on the current state of the Britain and its implications for Australia.
George Brandis – UK & Australian – economics, politics & national security
The aim: Celebrate 100 years of Rotary in Australasia by Immunising 100,000 children across 9 Pacific Island countries from rotavirus, pneumococcal disease and cervical cancer. Ensure we reach every child. Work with UNICEF and Pacific Island Governments to ensure the programme is sustainable.
That required US $3.9 million (or about AUS $5.8 million).
So where are we up to:
Rotarians, Rotary Clubs and Rotary Districts have raised over US $1.6 million
The Rotary Foundation has contributed over US $930,000 and other foundations have contributed over US $265,00
The Australian Government has contributed US $856,000
Total US $3.7 million (or AUS $5.5 million). That is 95% of the money required; we are almost there.
We now need ONLY US $188,000 (or AUS $278,000) to ensure we reach every child. Rotary International President, Jennifer Jones will visit the project in the Pacific in March 2023. We are not sure we can have the project 100% financed by then but with your help we are going to try.
Rotarians in Victoria and New Zealand are on this mission too, as are some Rotaractors, and we hope there is more Rotary District and Foundation funding to come but as Rotarians in Sydney and across NSW we need to do our bit and raise about another $70,000. Please help.
$4,500 will immunise 100 children. A (tax deductable) donation in someone's name can be is a gift to that person, to a child in the Pacific, their family and the Pacific community. $450 will immunise 10 children. $45 will immunise one child. Please give what you can afford and help us finish this job.
The Longreach School of the Air musical production is back in November 2022 after Covid disruptions in recent years.
The Burrumbuttock Hay Runners and Rotary Sydney are again bringing hair and makeups artists from Brisbane to Longreach to work with the students on their production, just like happens in big city schools.
Brendan Farrell (photo above) of the Burrumbuttock Hay Runners said, with the help of Sydney Rotary, they support remote communities with more that just hay runs.
Hair and makeups artists for School of the Air musical
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.
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.
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.
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.
Rotary Sydney's President and President Elect were both involved in presenting the IEP Ambassador programme at the Rotary Club of Adelaide in 2022. The IEP Ambassador programme provides an opportunity for individuals to expand their skills in the areas of peace research, and learn about investing in the factors that build peace. See below.
Past President of the Rotary Club of Adelaide, Heidi Unferdorben says: “I am passionate about understanding peace, but how can I clearly explain what peace is and support Rotary members and the wider community to embed the Positive Peace framework into their service projects."
The IEP Ambassador Positive Peace programme will be presented in Sydney in early 2023. Details will be available here soon.
See below information on a Rotary Sydney, IEP & PCYC initiative.
Institute for Economics & Peace; a Rotary Global Partnership
Rotary Sydney & IEP partnered with the Police Citizens Youth Clubs (PCYC) to successfully apply for a $100,000 grant from Multicultural NSW for a two-year project bringing together the experience and programs of these three organisations. Rotary will bring leadership development and mentoring through the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) and Rotary Youth Program of Enrichment (RYPEN). We will report on the positive impact of the programme during 2023.
While the partnership between Rotary and IEP is relatively new the relationship with PCYC goes back to the formation of the then named Police Rotary Youth Club (later the Police Boy's Clubs) by the Rotary Club of Sydney in1937.
A push for First Nations recognition in the Constitution has been awarded the Sydney Peace Prize, Australia's only international prize for peace.
Above: Uluru Statement from the Heart painting on the ground with elders. Credit: Uluru Statement from the Heart/Sydney Peace Foundation.
Rotary Sydney members celebrated at the Gala Dinner to honour the the Uluru Statement from the Heart. Click the link in blue bar above to read the statement. The Rotary Club of Sydney has been a long term supporter of the Uluru Statement from the Heart with strong recognition on our website and at Club meetings.
Sydney Rotarians and friends were hosted at the dinner by Karen Loblay, AO. See below.
Rotary Sydney has registered a new project with RAWCS to support the Kyiv Geriatric Boarding House in Ukraine which currently hosts over 180 elderly people including over 50 refugees from the war-impacted areas around Kyiv and Eastern Ukraine. In addition, more than half of residents have mobility issues. The house is on the verge of not having a sustainable source of heating and electricity for the upcoming winter and beyond. The project aims to raise funds to initially secure individual space heaters, a generator, and supplies such as blankets, nappies, and essential medications to support the house this winter. As a longer term goal, the project will facilitate the installation of an independent heating and hot water system for the facility. ICS Chair Bernard Macleod supported newly inducted member Iurie Brinister, as he re-joined the Club and introduced the project. Below some images from Kyiv Geriatric Boarding House.
What is RAWCS? Rotary Australia World Community Service Ltd (RAWCS) works in harmony with the Rotary Foundation and its ‘Areas of Focus’, delivering humanitarian aid through the Australian regional network of Rotarians, Clubs and Districts Click here for more information.
Rotary Sydney supports Kyiv Geriatric Boarding House in Ukraine
Nathan Gabriel from the State Crime Command’s Drug and Firearms Squad was recognised for his unwavering commitment to solving crimes, particularly while operating during Covid-19 lockdowns.
The NSW Police Officer of the Year awards is 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.
Above: Rotary Sydney President, David Hirsch; NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb APM; and CEO Police Bank,Greg McKenna congratulate Nathan Gabriel
Australia has dropped its opposition to a landmark treaty banning nuclear weapons
At a recent Rotary Sydney meeting the guest speaker was Gem Romuld, Australian director of the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize winner ICAN, the International Campaign Against Nuclear Weapons. At the meeting she told us how ICAN was promoting support for the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, a treaty that Australia had until now opposed.
Our next club meeting on Tuesday 8 November will have a peacebuilding focus as well – this time in the Middle East. Hopefully that meeting will also be followed by a breakthrough...
Project Rozana is a cross-border, people-to-people peacebuilding project that aims to improve relations between Israelis and Palestinians by focusing on improved health care training and delivery in Gaza and the West Bank. Rotary has already funded a Project Rozana program that has trained 50 Israeli and 50 Palestinian doctors specialising in trauma life support delivering improved patient outcomes through cross-border cooperation, and professional development.
Peacebuilding is moving to a higher level with a recent collaboration between Project Rozana and the Sydney-based Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP). Rotary and IEP already partner to promote Positive Peace.
The Tokelau Islands, known previously as the Union Islands, consists of three tropical coral atolls: Afafu, Nukunonu and Fakaofo. They have a combined land area of 10 km2 ,a population of approximately 1,500 people and the world's smallest economy. There is no airport in Tokelau, so boats are the main means of travel and transport.
Rotary Give Every Child a Future’s vaccination programme was launched in Tokelau in July 2022.
More breaking news on RGECAF: HPV Vaccinations are underway in Samoa. The UNICEF Health team is now conducting training for health professionals in Tonga ahead of the launch of the HPV immunisation programme in September 2022.
Every last child!!!!
Please help us get over the line. Rotary Give Every Child A Future is in the home straight. We need another USD 400,000 out of a total budget of USD 4 million to finish the job.
The vaccination programme is being progressively rolled out in each of the nine Pacific Island Countries; the children are getting their jabs in spite of delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The program in 8 of the 9 countries is now fully funded with over 90% of the USD 4 million needed raised.
Kiribati
The size and complexity of the program in Kiribati meant that this has been done in two stages – first rotavirus and then HPV. The rotavirus program is fully funded. The HPV program has now started with support from the Australian Government. This is the one part of the total project that still requires Rotary funding to complete it. Please help.
The project has been supported by 22 Global Grants from The Rotary Foundation, by 24 Rotary Districts in Australia and New Zealand and many Rotary and Rotaract Clubs. We have also received support from Rotarians in Canada, Singapore and Europe.
Janice Hall is the 2022-23 Rotary District Governor 9675
Jennifer E. Jones, of the Rotary Club of Windsor-Roseland, Ontario, Canada, is the President of Rotary International for 2022-23
Rotary International President for 2022-23 Jennifer Jones is planning a Global Impact tour visiting eight projects around the world highlighting the Rotary Foundation’s seven areas of focus and End Polio Now. She has chosen Rotary Give Every Child A Future as her Maternal and Child Health project of focus.
Sydney Rotary Club, District and RI's leaders for 2022-23
Our region, Zone 8, has a Regionalisation Pilot Project to enhance Rotary and ensure we remain relevant for the future. Find out more information here.
Sydney Rotary has inducted three new Honorary Member; they join Sydney Rotary’s current Honorary Members. Click for list of Honorary Members
David Kellaway, President RCS 1981-82, 50 years a Rotarian
NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb APM.
PCYC Chief Executive Officer Dominic Teakle
PCYC NSW is a unique partnership between NSW Police, Rotary and the Community offering an amazingly diverse range of services to serve the community and empower young people to reach their potential.
NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb APM replaced Mick Fuller in February 2022. Mick Fuller was an Honorary Member during his time as Commissioner.
PCYC Chief Executive Officer Dominic Teakle
PCYC NSW is a unique partnership between NSW Police, Rotary and the Community offering an amazingly diverse range of services to serve the community and empower young people to reach their potential.
They will join Sydney Rotary’s current Honorary Members. CLICK HERE.
The 2021 Rotary NSW Police Officer of the Year Awards, the most prestigious event on the NSW Police Force calendar, was again organized by the Rotary Club of Sydney on the 19 April 2022. This event marked the 2021 awards and it was great to be back after the event was postponed last year due to COVID-19. The 2022 Awards will be presented in November this year. In the presence of The Governor, Her Excellency the Honourable Margaret Beazley AC QC, Sydney Rotary President Mark Dyer recognised Sergeant Vanessa Rolfe from Crime Scene Services Branch as the 2021 Rotary NSW Police Officer of the Year. Below: the Governor congratulates Sgt Vanessa Rolfe.
Join this ZOOM ONLY Sydney Rotary meeting 12.15pm to 1.30pm. Tuesday 3 May 2022
To discuss the upcoming MS MegaSwim and the impact of fundraising for MS sufferers the Rotary Club of Sydney is pleased to welcome a presentation from Mr Rohan Greenland the CEO of MS Australia.
Jumbunna Institute for Indigenous Education and Research UTS
Maddison Gibbs is a graduate in animation from the Faculty of Design, Architecture and Building. She says that to create her work she considered Jumbunna’s purpose as a hub and safe space for Indigenous students. Dedicated Indigenous spaces such as Jumbunna can help to make universities
and other institutions more approachable and culturally safe for Indigenous students.
“I’ve acknowledged traditional imagery in creating personal contemporary multidimensional landscapes and imagery,” she explains. ”My images refer to smoke, campsites, industrial waste, sea currents and migrations, fish traps and more. “The patterns and designs are meant to draw the eye, start conversations and make a statement that we are proud, our culture is alive, and this always was and always will be Aboriginal land.”
ents.
Information on Rotary Soukup Indigenous Scholarships at Project & Committees above.
Rotary Soukup scholarship recipient Maddison Gibbs’ designs are featured throughout Jumbunna
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.
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.
VBA was established as part of Sydney Rotary’s international service in 2010 by Club 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, has supported 46,095 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.
VBA was established as part of Sydney Rotary’s international service in 2010 by Club 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, has supported over 50,000 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.
The Rotary & UNICEF vaccination programme roll out has started in the Cook Islands
Vaccines arrive:
Children and parents are lining up:
Vaccination done
Stay Safe. Vaccines save lives:
The Rotary Give Every Child A Future vaccination programme is progressively being rolled out in each of the nine Pacific Island Countries. The project is on-budget with over 80% of the USD 3.9 million needed raised. We now have just USD 700,000 to raise to complete the project and make sure that we reach every last child in the Pacific.
Rotary International President for 2022-23 Jennifer Jones is planning a Global Impact tour visiting eight projects around the world highlighting the Rotary Foundation’s seven areas of focus and End Polio Now. She has chosen Rotary Give Every Child A Future as her Maternal and Child Health project of focus.
Rotary Centenary Immunisation Across the Pacific Project
(now Rotary Give Every Child A Future)
Celabrating 100 years of Rotary in Australaisia
by Immunising 100,000 children across 9 Pacific Island Countries
Inaugural Meeting of the joint Rotary and UNICEF Supervisory Committee held in Melbourne 31 July 2017
Seated: Mark Wheeler (Rotary Club of Wellington – Project Treasurer, NZ), Chris Wang (RC Melbourne – Project Treasurer, Australia), James Allen (RC Sydney –Rotary Project Director), Jacqui Bensemann (RC Auckland – Project Committee Chair), Standing: Toni Bennett (UNICEF Australia) Calista Holmes (UNICEF Australia), Geoff Wilbow (RC Sydney – Project Secetary), Not in photo: Frances Wells (UNICEF NZ), Felicity Wever (UNICEF Australia), Mary Waite (UNICEF Australia).
By Zoom from Turkey, Tom Bamford, writer and aid worker, will join the Sydney Rotary meeting.
Tom works with the UN supporting the humanitarian response to a decade of war in Syria.
Prior to this he worked with the Red Cross Movement responding to disasters and working on longer term resilience programs in Asia, Africa and the Pacific. He is the author of 'The Rising Tide: Among the islands and atolls of the Pacific Ocean'
Photo by CNN
Syria's civil war began during the Arab Spring in 2011 as a peaceful uprising against the country's president, Bashar al-Assad. It has since escalated — shattering the lives of Syrians, destroying cities, straining global politics, and spurring diplomatic efforts that are constantly questioned as the world witnesses the horrors of ongoing warfare.
At the Sydney Rotary meeting 12.30pm to 1.30pm 15 February 2022 hear from
Mark Spencer: dental surgeon, underwater explorer, photographer, author and Rotarian
His Majesty’s Australian Submarine AE2 was the first Allied submarine to navigate the Dardanelles into the Sea of Marmara on the day of the Anzac landings at Gallipoli. It was sunk on 30 April 1915. The wreck of the AE2 was located in June 1998. Mark Spencer was part of the Navy-supported work that confirmed the identity of the AE2, at a depth of 72 meters in Turkey’s Sea of Marmara.
Mark’s subsequent expedition to Turkey surveyed and documented the maritime heritage off Anzac Cove leading to amazing additional insights to the historical landings of the ANZACs at Gallipoli in 1915.
Meeting around a Boardroom table to facilitate greater interaction and discussion between members & guests.
About the Rotary Soukup Scholarships
The scholarships have supported a total of 20 indigenous university students. Sydney Rotary strongly believes that education changes the lives of individuals, communities and the nation and that these scholarships will ultimately contribute to a fairer and a more prosperous Australia.
About Dalton Lynch
“I am a twenty-six-year-old medical student at the University of Sydney, previously employed full-time as a critical care paramedic, with a specialisation in aero-medical retrieval, and a professional firefighter. I now work part time in both roles to support my family and myself. My family is of the Ngemba speaking people and the lands around Bourke and Gundabooka Mountain, and I am married with four beautiful children."
Why study Medicine?
"While I cannot claim there was one singular moment that led to this career path, I do recall being a trainee paramedic and attending one of my first serious incidents. It was a motor vehicle accident involving a trapped patient with life-threatening injuries. A medical team comprising of a critical care paramedic and a retrieval doctor attended to lead the case. Seeing the skill, calm and professionalism with which they worked, I decided then that I would one day be a part of that team."
What this Scholarships means to Dalton
“This scholarship has been a true and unexpected blessing, presenting my first real opportunity to place greater focus on my studies as I move into my final years of study, rather than needing to rely heavily on my previous employment to sustain my family.”
An update
“Our final year has seen a clear shift towards not only learning about medicine, but working within it. I’ve had the opportunity to undertake placements in a number of specialist settings, feeling less and less like a student as I shift closer to being a working member of the team. Some highlights include working with the NSW Ambulance Aeromedical Team and an RAAF Aeromedical Evacuation Team, along with placements in community care at two different GP practices. I pursued this particular combination deliberately to support my future aspirations and to develop relevant skill sets for generalist practice, including remote area work, humanitarian medicine, and generalist community care." as a result.”
Sydney University Vice-Chancellor Professor Mark Scott AO says the University is proud to partner with Rotary Sydney to support groups traditionally under-represented at universities.
Rotary Soukup Scholarships have supported over 20 indigenous students at Sydney University and The University of Technology.
Rotary Sydney strongly believes that education changes the lives of individuals, communities and the nation and that these scholarships will ultimately contribute to a fairer and a more prosperous Australia.
Two students are detailed in the July 2023 Update from Sydney University.
“Since my previous updates, I have made the decision to undertake my third year of medical school at Orange Base Hospital, where I have made significant progress in my academic pursuits. Throughout the past six months, I have had the privilege of fully immersing myself in the healthcare environment of Orange, engaging in rotations focused on perinatal and women’s health, as well as critical care.
"This scholarship has provided me with the opportunity to prioritise my education and fully dedicate myself to the pursuit of the Doctor of Medicine degree."
Dalton Lynch
“Our final year has seen a clear shift towards not only learning about medicine, but working within it. I’ve had the opportunity to undertake placements in a number of specialist settings, feeling less and less like a student as I shift closer to being a working member of the team. Some highlights include working with the NSW Ambulance Aeromedical Team and an RAAF Aeromedical Evacuation Team, along with placements in community care at two different GP practices. I pursued this particular combination deliberately to support my future aspirations and to develop relevant skill sets for generalist practice, including remote area work, humanitarian medicine, and generalist community care."
The Rotary Soukup Memorial Scholarship has allowed Dalton to study while continuing to care for his growing family.
Sydney University Vice-Chancellor Professor Mark Scott AO says the University is proud to partner with Rotary Sydney to support groups traditionally under-represented at universities.
Rotary Soukup Scholarships have supported over 20 indigenous students at Sydney University and The University of Technology.
Rotary Sydney strongly believes that education changes the lives of individuals, communities and the nation and that these scholarships will ultimately contribute to a fairer and a more prosperous Australia.
Two students are detailed in the July 2023 Update from Sydney University.
“Since my previous updates, I have made the decision to undertake my third year of medical school at Orange Base Hospital, where I have made significant progress in my academic pursuits. Throughout the past six months, I have had the privilege of fully immersing myself in the healthcare environment of Orange, engaging in rotations focused on perinatal and women’s health, as well as critical care."
"This scholarship has provided me with the opportunity to prioritise my education and fully dedicate myself to the pursuit of the Doctor of Medicine degree."
Dalton Lynch
“Our final year has seen a clear shift towards not only learning about medicine, but working within it. I’ve had the opportunity to undertake placements in a number of specialist settings, feeling less and less like a student as I shift closer to being a working member of the team. Some highlights include working with the NSW Ambulance Aeromedical Team and an RAAF Aeromedical Evacuation Team, along with placements in community care at two different GP practices. I pursued this particular combination deliberately to support my future aspirations and to develop relevant skill sets for generalist practice, including remote area work, humanitarian medicine, and generalist community care."
The Rotary Soukup Memorial Scholarship has allowed Dalton to study while continuing to care for his growing family.
It is a walk, not a run, so you will have plenty of time and chat with fellow walkers. You could even stop for a coffee on the way, there is no rush. But you have to do the distance… that’s the challenge! – PLUS, you must have fun.
The Australian Government will provide $1.4 million to support Rotary Give Every Child a Future (RGECAF). RGECAF is celebrating 100 years of Rotary in Australasia by Immunising 100,000 children across 9 Pacific Island Countries. The government will help with childhood immunisationin Kiribati and Nauru. This is good news for the children of the Pacific.
To reach every last child
We still need your donations. Australian Government's financial support is a great boost to the project. This does mean Rotary is now fully committed to HPV immunisation in Kiribati, which we always knew should be included but were never quite sure we had the necessary resources to cover.
Three-month-old Jeffrey receives his first dose of the rotavirus vaccine during the launch of three new vaccines for children in Nauru. Vaccines have helped, and continue to help, children grow up healthy and protected from serious diseases.
The Government money does not cover the entire cost of introducing HPV immunisation in Kiribati and we still need to complete our commitment to the other countries. Consider giving a donation as a gift to that person in your life who has everything so Rotary can “reach every last child”; you can let them know about the gift donation at: www.givenow.com.au/sydneyrotary
$45 immunises one child, $450 immunises 10 children.
See Rotary Give Every Child a Future link
Read More: Press release from Senator the Hon. Zed Seselja Minister for International Development and the Pacific on Friday 10 December 2021.
Caroline Pidcock will share her thoughts on sustainable buildings. Caroline’s presentation will be hosted by the Rotary Club of Sydney’s Climate Action Group.
Rotary is supporting The University of Technology’s bold new model of Indigenous education.
Budyeri kamaru
The goal is for indigenous Australians to see themselves at home at university and empower them to succeed at university and beyond:
Modelling an inclusive nation, celebrating culture and traditions
Driving major growth of student numbers in higher education
Delivering critical success and graduation of students
Fueling economic inclusion and employment
Elevating graduate success and global leadership
An Indigenous Residential College. An Indigenous designed and led College in the heart of Sydney would welcome students from across the nation.
“For the first time in Australian History, Indigenous people will be the hosts not the guests in a place based around their traditions and identity” Michael McDaniel, AO, Pro Vice-Chancellor, Indigenous Leadership and Engagement.
“I’d like to see a nation where all Australians think Indigenous culture is part of their heritage. If you live here, it’s part of your heritage.” Professor Larissa Behrendt, AO, Director of Research at the Jumbunna Indigenous House.
"A goal that should be writ large at every university in our country: indigenous Australians to see themselves at home at university and empower them to succeed at university and beyond. It starts here."
His Excellency General the Honourable David Hurley, AC DSC, Governor-General of Australia.
Sydney 2000 Olympic Games were “the best Olympic Games ever” according to IOC President Juan Antonio Samaranch, in large part due to the community spirit
As Sydney prepared for the Games the Rotary Club of Sydney (RCS) worked with the Sydney Organising Committee of the Olympic Games (SOCOG) to develop a community program offering free bed and breakfast in homes for families of athletes.
The meeting can also be attended via Zoom but we would really like to see you face to face.
When arriving at The Castlereagh Hotel please have your Government COVID-19 Certificate handy to avoid congestion. If you are not double vexed please join us on Zoom.
Speaker: Hugh Mackay on ‘Our legacy is whether we succeed or fail in enriching someone else’s life’
For every Rotaract Club based in Australia to plant at least one tree in their local community before the end of 2021, to mark 100 years of Rotary in Australia.
How do I get involved? Click Link on left under Centenary of Rotary in Australia
This National Rotaract Project is being completed in partnership with Rotaract Australia and the Rotary Social Impact Network, led by Project Director Courtney Krahe, DRR D9675.
The Goal
The goal is to plant at least 100 trees, but we would love to see as many trees planted as possible in this project. There is no limit to the number of trees that could be planted, or to what type of Rotararact or Rotary clubs can be involved - or where they are based in the world!
Tori is a born and raised Canadian, currently in the second year of her PhD at the University of Newcastle. Her project is looking at developing a multi-disciplinary approach to locating covert human burials, combining forensic science, geophysical sciences, and criminology.
Tori is also a lecturer and tutor at the same University, teaching criminology. She is passionate about science, and the law, and advocates for the importance of doing what you love.
Through some health struggles in her teen years, Tori overcame great obstacles to get to where she is now and hopes that her story can inspire others.
Join the Sydney Rotary Meeting on Zoom 12.30pm 2 November 2021 to hear The Honourable Mark Speakman, Attorney General NSW talk about Consensual Sex Legislation
BREAKING NEWS. THE SPRING APPEAL IS HAPPENING NOW. PLEASE HELP WITH THE GIVE AWAY. CONTACT THELMA RAMAN (CLICK HER NAME FROM LIST ON THIS PAGE TO EMAIL).
CLICK "READ MORE" BELOW FOR THE SPRING APPEAL IN ACTION IN PHOTOS
We are embarking on our ‘Great Rotary Give-Away, Spring Appeal’. We have filled. 500 Backsacks with many essential toiletry items for the whole family. The Backsacks include toothpaste, toothbrush, soap, deodorant, hair comb/brush, shampoo, bath scrunchie and a bath towel with a little surprise inside!
Our club was awarded a District Grant, with matching funds from some of our generous members, that has enabled this project that we started in 2019.
A Rotary Youth Talk presented by our Youth Committee: My name is Georgia Stirton current manager at PCYC, South Sydney. I have been the manager at South Sydney for just over a year.
Rotary's National Lamington Day is an opportunity for businesses to say "thank you" to their staff by getting them together to enjoy a morning or afternoon tea of fresh, locally made Lamingtons and raise funds for local charities. Click here for more information.
The guest speaker at Sydney Rotary Club's luncheon on Tuesday 7 September 2021 will be Parnell Palme McGuinness.
She will discuss "The Third Chamber of Parliament: the influence of the Media in the 24 hour Media Cycle." Parnell writes a weekly column for the syndicated Nine newspapers, examining politics, policy and culture, and is a regular commentator on the ABC.
The Third Chamber of Parliament: the influence of the Media in the 24 hour Media Cycle
At Sydney Rotary's luncheon on Tuesday 15 June, Dr Kerry Chant PSM will be presented with the Club's prestigious Vocational Service Award for 2021.
Dr Chant has been the public face of NSW Health, regularly briefing the media with the latest information on the pandemic. Earlier this year, she was named the NSW Public Servant of the Year.
A Message from Sydney Rotary Club President, Fatima Ali
“I am very sad as the President to not be at these important events celebrating 100 years when Rotary officially started in Australia.
I just want to say how grateful I am to members of the Board and all members of the club for stepping up and turning 2020-21 in to a successful year for the Club despite the difficult global and national circumstances and my ongoing absence.
The Rotary Club of Sydney is proud to honor our nation's courageous servicemen and women on Tuesday, April 16th, during our regular luncheon meeting.
We are proud to confirm that our specials guests will be:
Mitchell Evans, Team Leader Sydney City Salvos who will talk about ’Salvation Army involvement in Anzac Day’
Uncle Harry Allie’s sharing reflections of his time in the Armed Forces and Anzac Day
Rabbi Zalman reflecting on the Jewish community’s and Together for Humanity's involvement with Anzac Day
Guest Speaker Major Jon Green Rtd who will deliver an Anzac Address.
Our sincere thanks to Past President Alex Shaw OAM for his continued support and organisation of this important occasion in the Rotary Club of Sydney's calendar.
Location
Castlereagh Boutique Hotel169 Castlereagh St, Sydney NSW 2000, Australia
The ANZAC Day BBQ Tuesday 25 April 2023 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, 6am to 9am, 9am to midday and midday to 3pm. We also need a crew to setup starting at 5am, and to pack up, finish around 4pm.
It is indeed a major honour for me to be the President of our beloved club during its Centennial year and first year of our new century. Like all my predecessors I am looking forward to serving my fellow members first and foremost. Given the achievements of our club during the first century
I am extremely excited about the contributions our club will make to the future generations in the next century and beyond. I therefore believe it is our responsibility to take all the necessary actions in order to provide a platform upon which the foundations of our new century can be built.
BOOKINGS OPEN for Changeover Luncheon to be held on 29 June.
The Guest Speaker at Sydney Rotary Club's lunchtime Zoom meeting on Tuesday 13 April will be Business Council of Australia President, Tim Reed. He will discuss how the BCA is influencing Australian Business Policy and Practice with an emphasis on sustainable business practice and Covid business recovery. Book online.
Sustainable Business Practice and Covid Business Recovery
At the 9675 District Conference this month, the Service Above Self Award was presented to Sydney Rotary Club member, Garry Browne AM.
This prestigious award is made to Rotarians and Rotaractors who demonstrate their commitment to helping others by volunteering their time and talent with nominations being made by the District Governor.
Garry is pictured with his wife Robyn and District Governor, Warwick Richardson.
Garry is a past District Governor and a Past President of Sydney Rotary Club.
Be there to celebrate the day Rotary Australia turned 100.
The Rotary Clubs of Sydney and Melbourne were elected to membership of the International Association of Rotary Clubs on the 1 May 1921.
Celebrate with cocktails and canapés at the Sydney Royal Mint on Macquarie Street Sydney. Whilst there, be presented with a “mint condition” $1 coin produced by the current Royal Australia Mint to commemorate the Centenary of Rotary in Australia.
Guest speakers at Sydney Rotary Club's Luncheon on Tuesday 30th March will be the co-founders of Parliamentarian Friends of Rotary, Dr Hugh McDermott MP and Mr Lee Evans MP.
They will discuss "Service Above Self: The 4 Way Test in Politics."
This will be a hybrid meeting. Please BOOK ONLINE.
A presentation by veteran journalist, Hugh Riminton, on "Democracy in Danger, Media in the Modern World," organised by Sydney Rotary Peacebuilders Group. Recording here.
Have you ever needed to contact another member? Or wanted to book for that Breakfast, Lunch or Social event? This App makes it so easy. Just download it, Apple or Android, and you will have all this information at your fingertips:
All Sydney Rotary Club members listed with contact details - just click to phone, text or email a member.
Details of Coming Events - just click to book.
General information about Rotary
Information about our Rotary District 9675
Completely free to download and use. It will let you access the key info you need while you're on the go.
ClubRunner Mobile App is a "Must Have" for all Rotary members
On January 26, Rotary Clubs from Greater Sydney to the Illawarra will be handing out 20,000 lamingtons and coffee vouchers to Frontline Workers to thank them for supporting our community.
All lamingtons will be purchased from local bakeries, coffee vouchers from local cafes, and printing and other stationery all through local businesses.
Rotary District 9675 Governor Warwick Richardson said Australia Day is an opportunity to come together to reflect, respect and celebrate.
Young people from PCYC South Sydney in Redfern enjoyed face painting, a treats truck, a barbecue, and Christmas gifts at a party hosted by the Rotary Club of Sydney this year.
A generous donation from the Royal Australasian College of Physicians (RACP), facilitated by Sydney Rotary's President, Fatima Ali, was also acknowledged at the party.
RACP recently donated 20 laptops to the club housed in a refurbished homework room which will enable the young people to access a technology many would never have at home.
The Sydney Rotary Club President's Project is supporting Rotary Give Every Child a Future.
This is a project celebrating 100 years of service to the community in Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific, to introduce three vaccines into nine 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.
The project needs your financial support - please click here to make a donation to this worthy cause.
"It is truly a great honour to lead the Rotary Club of Sydney which has been a pillar of this community for almost 100 years.
I share with you my excitement to have the opportunity to serve as the President of our club as we enter our Centennial year. A year to celebrate our past achievements, reflect on our present and build an enduring legacy for future generations."