Visitors Welcome

We meet in the Dodington Lodge Hotel every 1st & 3rd Tuesday evening at 6:30pm for Dinner, every 2nd and 4th Tuesday at 12:45pm for lunch, and if there's a 5th Tuesday, we meet at 7:00am for Breakfast. Visitors are welcome.

The History of Whitchurch Rotary Club

The Founding | Wartime | After 1945 | The 21st Century | Club Organisation

Community Services | International | Membership | Foundation

Foundation
Rotary Foundation - Rotary's own charity - is an integral part of Rotary's efforts to promote international understanding and goodwill, and the club have sponsored four local Group Study Exchange team members, Martin France, Sarah Shillabeer, Stuart Owen (1988 New Jersey,USA), and late pp Derek Bennion (to New South Wales) in 1978, an ambassadorial scholar in 1993 to New Zealand in ex-Heber School pupil, Brendon Pyle and in 1998 a GSE team leader to Mexico, pp David Williams (retired headmaster of Sir John Talbot's school).
These selective scholarships are open to all young men and women - except the relatives of a Rotarian and aim to promote international understanding through a five/six weeks period spent in the homes of Rotarians in Rotary Districts overseas. This is on a reciprocal basis, and Whitchurch Rotarians hosted in their homes visiting Group Study Exchange teams from South Africa (1975), Australia (1977), Nova Scotia (1985) and a ladies team from Norway in May 1988. Annually Whitchurch Rotarians have hosted in their homes, young persons, aged 15 to 19, prior to their attendance at a Rotary International Youth camp, and also sponsor local youngsters at this camp. The Whitchurch club• are always seeking candidates for Group Study teams and the International Youth camp.
Polio Plus in 1987
During the presidency of pp Derek Bennion and pp Sam Eccleston (Foundation chairman) - the Whitchurch club faced one of Rotary International's greatest challenges - Polio Plus -They raised over £4560 in 4 months from 30 events - including sponsored everything including hymn singing ! In this project Rotary International combined with the World Health organisation to raise funds and provide practical assistance to rid the world of polio by immunisation, and except for remote pockets, this aim has virtually been achieved, but has taken over twenty years. Past President David Williams has been club Foundation Chairman since 1999, and is also on the District committee. In September 2008, he completed a 128 mile sponsored walk around Anglesey to raise funds for the final push to complete the project.