The club is one of many around Devon, bringing together people who want to give something back. Following the Rotary Club motto of “service above self”, members take on a whole host of activities such as fundraising, organising events and donating both time and money. You may have come across mentions of Rotary Clubs in some of our Profiles of Associational Life but we wanted to find out a bit more about what they do and why they do it.
The first Rotary Club was formed in Chicago, USA, in 1905. Its original purpose was to enable professional people to exchange ideas and form friendships but over time its vision extended to include humanitarian service, addressing challenges both locally and around the world. Within 16 years, Rotary had clubs on six continents and today there are around 1,700 clubs in Great Britain and Ireland alone. Their cause areas include fighting disease, supporting education, saving mothers and children, and supporting the environment. Globally, Rotary’s campaigns include End Polio Now and more recently clubs around the world have been responding to the war in Ukraine. But alongside these international projects, Rotary clubs also work very much at a grassroots level.
For instance, Otter Valley Rotary Club’s Santa Fun Run is a popular annual event that raises money for charity and every year Otter Valley Rotarians also take on carparking or wristband duties at the County Show and Honiton Show, providing their services at a lower rate than private companies and then reinvesting the money in the local community. Foodbanks and Honiton Repair Café are among the community groups who have benefitted from their support. They have also funded defibrillators in the area, bought books for local schools and supported young people to go on overseas trips or sports tours.
Meanwhile, earlier this year Yelverton Rotary Club organised a free Sport and Craft Fun Day aimed at primary-school age children, along with their parents, carers and siblings. Activities were provided by a range of local groups including OCRA (Okehampton Community and Recreation Association), West Devon Scouts, Tavyside Badminton and Princetown Library. Other regular activities include the fortnightly Yelverton Friendship Café (formerly the Memory Café) and every Christmas they take Santa on his sleigh around all the villages in the area. Like other Rotary Clubs, Yelverton uses funds it raises to support local charities and groups. These have included South West Blood Bikes, Scout groups and St Luke’s Hospice Plymouth.
As well as all their good works, Rotary Clubs have a strong social element. The clubs are open to anyone and generally meet weekly, with additional outings and events also planned regularly. Pete Armstrong, Secretary of the Yelverton Rotary Club says he finds the opportunity to give back to his community very rewarding, but being part of the club is also “really good fun” and members form strong bonds of friendship and loyalty.
If you’re interested in joining your local Rotary Club they would be delighted to hear from you. You can also contact your local club to find out more about support they can provide to groups and individuals in your community. Details of all clubs in Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly can be found here.
