CHARITY OF THE WEEK: Rotary Club of Harrogate aiming to make our community a better place

The Rotary Club of Harrogate is one of the longest established Rotary Clubs in the United Kingdom, with a record of one hundred and one years continuous service to the town of Harrogate and the wider community.

The organisation is a group of friendly individuals who meet on a weekly basis and whose purpose is to make a difference in the community and wider afield through the various humanitarian projects that they support.

There are currently over 30 active members of the club and it works on many exciting projects to help improve the lives of others, and it is proud of the progress that it continues to make over the years.

The club is especially noted for its contribution to the environmental movement within Rotary International and locally, with its major programmes which includes tree and bulb planting.

John Fordyce, President of The Rotary Club of Harrogate, said: “We are a global network of 1.2 million neighbours, friends, leaders and problem solvers who see a world where people unite and act to create lasting change – across the globe, within communities and in each other.

“Our mission is to provide service to others, promote integrity and advance world understanding, goodwill, peace through the fellowship of business, professional and community leaders.”

Like many charities and community groups across the Harrogate district, the Covid-19 pandemic affected the way the organisation worked and they had to adapt their services to ensure that they could still operate.

Despite the lockdowns curtailing many fundraising activities, the club dug deep to play their part throughout what was a tough time for everybody.

In addition to the massive support for foodbanks, close to £30,000 was donated for PPE, on top of making 20,000 face masks and scrubs.

Throughout the global pandemic, the Rotarians were busy volunteering too, with over 6,000 volunteer hours at vaccination centres.

Most recently, the club has raised more than £8,800 for Ukraine through a number of street collections in the town, and the annual Nidderdale Walk, which took place last month, raised over £27,000 for a number of charities and causes across the district.

Since the walk started 29 years ago, almost one million pounds has been raised.

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Speaking after the most recent Nidderdale Walk, Mr Fordyce said: “It was a super day for everyone involved.

“We have a long tradition of supporting local charities and there were some amazing walkers and runners who took part and helped raise much needed funds for good causes.

“It was a pleasure to welcome 9 Platoon Cambrai Company to the event for the first time and the Junior Soldiers were a great credit to the Army Foundation College.

“We hope to welcome them back next year and build on our relationship.”

Over the years, members have also played an active role in the Christmas Market as well as Harrogate International Youth Festival, the Technology Tournament and the judging of the Christmas window displays.

Among the club’s enterprises over the years is the building and management of Harrogate Flower Fund Homes, which comprises of 27 units of affordable accommodation for people aged 55 and over which is managed by a local housing association, with the involvement of current members.

If you’re interested in joining the Rotary Club of Harrogate to use your time, talents, professional skills and energy to improve the lives of people in the local community, they would love to hear from you.

The club meets on Monday evenings at the Ascot House Hotel and new members are always welcome to join.

You can enjoy the benefits of business networking, personal development, meeting new friends, hearing inspiring speakers, having a great deal of fun and experiencing that special sense of fulfilment that comes from achieving something really worthwhile.

To find out how to join, head to https://bit.ly/3NL5WJv

For more information about the Rotary Club of Harrogate, visit https://www.rotary-ribi.org/clubs/homepage.php?ClubID=200

Are you working with or getting any support from a charity in the region that deserves some support and credit after the difficult Covid lockdowns? We would love to hear from you!

Write to [email protected]

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