In around
200 countries and geographical regions, in over 34,000 clubs
worldwide, there are more than 1.2m Rotary International
members volunteering in communities at home and abroad to support youth projects, education and job training, provide clean water, combat hunger, provide disaster relief, improve health and sanitation, and eradicate polio - and
as a bonus having fun and enjoying companionship and friendship doing it. Explore this site to learn more about Rotary in the East Midlands and parts of the Eastern Counties of England and, perhaps, how you may become a Rotarian or become involved in serving the worldwide community alongside Rotary International. Rotary is a non-sectarian organisation and does not discriminate on the grounds of gender, colour, disability, sexual orientation or religion.
Award Presentations and Exhibition
On 18th May, at the Robert Smyth Academy, Burnmill Rd. Market Harborough LE16 7JG, the District Governor, Chris Chew, will be presenting the awards to the winners in the District Young Writers and Young Photographers Competitions, on the occasion of the exhibition and judging of the pilot Young Artist Competition. As well as the invited guests, any Rotarian interested in the new Young Artist competition, or in supporting our winners will be welcome at the school from 12.30 to view the exhibition - the award presentations are at 14.00. The exhibition is, of course, also open to members of the public who might like to view activities in which Rotary International is involved in the East Midlands.
Polio Eradication:
Bill Gates, Co-founder of Microsoft speaking on the BBC Dimbleby Lecture, 29 Jan 2013.
“The question is no longer, “How many children are there and where might we go to find them all?” It is now, “How do we most efficiently vaccinate every child on this map?”
Innovations like this are a key reason for my optimism. But innovation has no moral valence by itself. It is not inherently good or bad, just irresistibly transformative. To make sure innovation transforms our world in positive ways, human beings need to point it in the right direction. That takes “public will.”
Many organizations helped push the eradication resolution through the World Health Assembly, but the one you wouldn’t expect is Rotary International. Rotary is a service organization with 1.2 million members in almost every country in the world, including more than 50,000 in Great Britain and Ireland.
Rotarians pledge to put service above self, their motto, but they have no specific global health mandate. They are not polio experts. They are regular people who go to work and spend time with their families. For three decades, they have also spent time advocating for polio eradication, raising money to support vaccination, and giving kids polio drops all over the world.
Other partners include the Centres for Disease Control, UNICEF, and the World Health Organization. We rely on them to excel at their jobs. But that is not enough. We also need people whose jobs have nothing to do with the health of poor people to act. That is public will.”
