Swansea’s oldest and youngest clubs merge


City clubs join forces


Rotary Swansea is the next in Wales to celebrate its centenary and has a proud history of service to the city. But earlier this year, a decline in membership, placed a question mark on its future. The four clubs that make up the Swansea Rotary Partnership (Morriston, Mumbles, Swansea Bay and Swansea Bay) took part in a workshop to look at the way ahead for Rotary in the city. Swansea Bay Rotary, the youngest of the four clubs at just over a quarter of a century, offered to merge their resources with Rotary Swansea. This came to fruition on 29 June, when Swansea Bay Rotary returned to its ‘Mother Ship’, handed in its Charter (see photo) and the two clubs became one. As a closing gesture, Swansea Bay Rotary awarded a number of Paul Harris Fellows to members who had made significant contributions to the club and to local entertainer Kevin John MBE who had worked with the club over the years. Although the two clubs are very different in their approach, like all marriages starting out, there is real hope for the future if they can work things through together. Initially the club plan to combine their previous meeting dates and venues. Therefore the new club will meet every first and third Wednesday evening of the month at the city’s Dragon Hotel and every second and fourth Tuesday lunchtime at Sketty Hall in west Swansea. The former President of Swansea Bay, Steve Bolchover is the incoming President of Swansea 2018/19 ensuring continuity. Officers are a mix from both clubs. A small working group has been set up to prepare for Centenary celebrations and a Centenary Dinner has been booked for 8 November 2019 at George Hall (next to the Swansea’s Brangwyn Hall).


Swansea Bay handed out Paul Harris Fellows to club members and members of the community as their closing gesture


In Swansea Rotary’s near 100 years it has developed some outstanding initiatives, particularly ones that help young people in the Welsh city achieve their potential. The marriage will ensure continuity of such initiatives as the High 5s Award - an idea that originated from Swansea Rotary and Swansea City Council. It recognises the achievements of Swansea’s young people who have overcome adversity to achieve something significant.


Swansea Rotary provides an


independent input to the judging process and also facilitates several of the “rewards”- usually experiences that money can’t buy. For decades Swansea Rotary has also been providing memorable experiences for primary


children usually from the less affluent areas of the city. They have part funded and organised a trip to the Pantomime in the local Grand Theatre, for various city schools. The children attend the panto, get a goody bag also get to meet some of the cast.


Swansea Bay Rotary has also created its own niche in the city. Born out of a Rotaract Club in 1992 it was one of the earliest dual gender clubs formed in the UK and as founding president, Rtn Marjorie Taylor says “many Rotary clubs were not quite sure what to make of us”.


But as attitudes to women in Rota- ry changed, so the club established itself particularly in its approach to fund-raising, placing the emphasis on fun. For the past 21 years it has organised an annual Boules/Pentanque championship in Swansea Marina, which in turn has raised thousands of pounds for the Lord Mayor charities. It has also developed water projects in Kenya more recently in Ndori where the project benefited from a global grant.


Everyone’s


Swansea member Keith Broadbent DL has been working with Sea View Primary in the city’s Mayhill area. After seeing an awards scheme at his own grandchildren’s school in London (where every child in Year 6 gets an award) he suggested the idea to the school. They decided to adapt the idea into an event similar to the BAFTA awards. The children themselves voted for the award winners, staff and pupils dressed in their finest “Hollywood style” and the red carpet was laid out. The “BAFTA” award statuettes were funded by Swansea Rotary.


a BAFTA winner


Year 6 “award winners” pictured with head teacher Julie Churne.


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