End of a century – beginning of even more challenges
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| Rotarians hit the streets with their collection buckets. |
By Nina Jacobs from www.thisissutton.co.uk
To the hundreds of thousands of Rotarians around the world, February 23 is a significant milestone in the global organisation's history, as it marks 100 years of service to those in need.
Few other voluntary movements can boast such an impressive network as Rotary International, with 529 districts in 163 countries comprising more than 30,000 clubs and nearly 1.3million members.
In Great Britain and Ireland there are 1,845 clubs, whose 58,000 members work tirelessly fundraising for local charities, providing their services to others in the community and supporting international aid projects with sister clubs in other countries.
It should come as no surprise to learn that when news of the Asian tsunami broke around the world on Boxing Day, Rotarians in Sutton were galvanised into action almost immediately.
George Hatley, assistant governor of Rotary District 1140, responsible for 13 clubs, six of which are in Sutton, says: "Within 24 hours our members were outside supermarkets across the borough with collecting tins.
"We collected more than £30,000 throughout January for the tsunami appeal fund across all the borough's clubs. That was just from waving tins at people."
George, who joined Rotary's Sutton Nonsuch branch 15 years ago, says 1140 District, which stretches from Croydon in the east to Odiham in the west, has raised almost £200,000 for the disaster appeal through the fundraising carried out by its 50 clubs.
He says a staggering £5million has been raised so far by Rotary clubs in the UK to help victims of the tsunami disaster, a testament to the rapid response system the organisation has in place.
George says: "All it usually takes is a couple of phone calls to get things in action. We are by reputation fast reactors and can respond to situations very quickly."
In terms of Rotary's current aid relief programme for tsunami victims, he says the organisation's aim is to put its fundraising to a practical use rather than to make large donations of cash.
"We don't give money we collect it and dispense it, so in that sense we act as a filter of money to benefit those in need," says George.
At present donations are being used to pay for emergency aid equipment such as Aquaboxes and Shelterboxes, which can be bought, shipped and distributed through grass roots volunteer networks to provide immediate relief.
Shelterboxes, a concept unique to Rotary, cost just under £500 and contain a tent, sleeping bags, water purification equipment, basic tools and cooking equipment all of which can keep a group of 10 people alive for a month, he explains.
To date, George's district has raised enough money to pay for 395 Shelterboxes, which equates to providing shelter and water to almost 4,000 people.
But figures like this begin to pall in comparison to Rotary's global efforts to eradicate polio through a worldwide vaccination programme that began in the mid 1980s.
By 1995, more than 600,000 children had been inoculated, wiping out the disease in the western hemisphere.
As the programme draws to a close this year, it is expected Rotary will have directly or indirectly affected the lives of one out of four people living on the Earth.
George says: "Rotary is largely responsible for eradicating polio from the world not a lot people know that we paid for all the vaccines.
"There are figures which say that had the vaccination programme not started, five million children would have either died or been left disabled by polio, which is an incredible statistic."
A lack of self-publicity remains, in George's opinion, one of the biggest faults of Rotary's work both in the UK and overseas.
"We are do-gooders but we don't tend to ring our own bells very often," he says.
On a local level, members of Sutton's six Rotary clubs Sutton, Carshalton, Carshalton Beeches, Cheam, Sutton Nonsuch and Wallington are active players in the community, involved in a variety of projects.
George's own club, Sutton Nonsuch, runs a scheme called Carers' Assistants Teams or Cats, which sends members on a fortnightly basis to carers centres in Sutton.
He says: "We go there to help people who are caring for a relative or partner who may need help filling in forms to claim benefits. That doesn't cost anything I don't have to put my hand in my pocket and produce any money."
It is initiatives like this, as well as arranging day trips for the elderly to places of interest or volunteering at fundraising events, that are clear examples of the organisation's ethos to serve those in need.
"It's a service organisation. The whole purpose of Rotary is service, which is reflected in our motto, Service Above Self.
"We lose our identity for the good of other people it's about giving back to society a part of yourself to others who need it," says George.
To mark its centenary year, the borough's clubs are joining together under one banner Rotary in Sutton with a week-long programme of celebrations starting on Monday.
An exhibition of Rotary's achievements in the borough will be on display in Sutton Central Library, with an evening service of thanksgiving to be held next Tuesday at Trinity United Reformed and Methodist Church.
On Wednesday, which marks the actual anniversary, all six clubs will attend a centenary dinner at the Holiday Inn in Sutton, followed by a special reception given by the Mayor next Friday.
Proceeds from a charity draw that will be held in May, offering 100 prizes, including a new car sponsored by Sutton Business Federation, will be donated to the Mayor's charity, Sutton Youth Adventure, which Rotary is supporting this year.