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ROTARIANS JOIN TOGETHER FOR HAITI

Over Friday, Saturday and Sunday, eight local Rotary Clubs joined forces to collect for Shelter boxes for Haiti outside Sainsbury’s, Kiln Lane, led by Ewell Rotary Club.  Mayor Jan Mason, an Honorary Member of the Ewell Rotary Club, came to help on Saturday and gave up some of her valuable time to stand in the freezing cold and collect money from Sainsbury’s shoppers.  The Rotary Clubs involved were Ashtead, Banstead, Carshalton, Carshalton Beeches, Epsom, Ewell , Sutton Nonsuch and Wallington, who collected  £3,940, which will buy 5 Shelterboxes and 8 water survival boxes for those devastated by the earthquake. 

In the picture from left to right are: Tom Drake Ewell Rotary Club, Dr Dhiren Rathod (President, Ewell Rotary Club), Luci Drake, Mayor Jan Mason, John Chamberlain (Sutton Nonsuch Rotary Club), Deborah Rathod (Ewell Rotary Club), Primrose Drake (Ewell Rotary Club).

The Rotary Shelterbox ,  featured on BBC TV recently, was designed by Rotarian Tom Henderson OBE. The boxes are made and packed in Cornwall and have been sent to hundreds of disasters over ten years.  They contain a tent for 10 people, blankets, sleeping bags, tools, cooking utensils, water purification tablets and even include books and crayons for children.  The Water Survival Box contains similar items but primarily for water survival for a family of 5 for a year.

Rotary is very well represented locally and is a vital part of our society.  Rotarians have raised millions of pounds towards many different causes, local, national and international.  Locally, they  have given their services to the community in many ways, including providing Christmas meals for those alone at Christmas, taking disabled children on outings to theme parks, providing holiday facilities for poor families, sending  work parties to help with decorating and gardening for infirm people, helping schools and raising money for local charities.  Their international charitable activities have resulted worldwide in the virtual eradication of polio in the developing countries, and they are raising money to continue and finish this work.  Rotary’s other priorities this year are Water and Sanitation,  Health, Hunger and Literacy.  Our motto is “Service above Self”, and all Rotarians try to live up to this and make a difference to our society.

Rotary has changed in the past years and has welcomed ladies as members for some time.  As well as charitable activities, clubs hold purely social events, parties, visits to places of interest and other clubs abroad.  We hold conferences every year, where we have speakers from all round the world, one of whom last year was Hollywood star Mia Farrow, who spoke for a children’s charity.  Rotary broadens the mind, educates its members about other countries, and introduces its members to many different cultures and communities. 

There will be a club near you, so why not make enquiries.  Local libraries should have information, or visit the Rotary International Britain and Ireland website www.ribi.org or www.ewellrotaryclub.org.uk.  You will enjoy the fellowship of Rotary and making a difference.

Last Updated on – 3 February