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Rotary Club of Market Harborough


CLUB PROFILE


Profile: We are a group of local men and women who, in addition to living their own lives, work jointly to make other people's lives better. We do this as one branch of the world-wide family of Rotary, a voluntary international organisation that is unique in the combined resources it can bring to bear on problems anywhere in the world. We work in an atmosphere of dedicated service, coupled with fun and fellowship to the highest ethical standards.

History : The Club was formed in 1957 as an expansion of the Rotary Club of Northampton with Maurice Saunders as our first President. Our Club currently has 37 members, 34 men and 3 women representing nearly all aspects of society and experience. In 1987 we expanded with the creation of a daughter Rotary Club of Kibworth and Fleckney.

Club Aims and Achievements : In keeping with the Rotary motto 'Service above Self', we give emphasis to a wide range of community projects at local, national and international levels.

Harborough Rotarians have taken a leading role in forming the local branch of several established societies such as the Civic Society, the Probus Club and the University of the Third Age. We helped to extend the town's Cottage Hospital to house a consultant outpatient clinic named after the late Doctor C T Scott, who for many years was a GP in the town. In 1973 we helped to provide a vehicle for the CARE village in the nearby village of Shangton and in 2000 a CARE residential home in Burnmill Road in the town. For over 20 years until 2003 we gave active support to delivering the local Meals on Wheels provision.

Current Activities : Our Rotary Club is formed into committees, each of which is responsible for specific Rotary areas or events. For example the Club Service Committee is responsible for the day to day,smooth running of Market Harborough Rotary Club. It deals with all housekeeping and maintenance issues.It also has the responsibility for organising Club Events e.g. The Charter Night, Partners Evenings and the Spring Ball. We also have Community Service, dealing with domestic charities and local charitable service such as our Christmas collections and our support for the Market Harborough Carnival (which benefits several charities) and International which deals with international projects and charities such as clean water projects in Africa, Aqua boxes (for disaster relief) and support for schools in areas where without outside help, there would be little or no education. Youth Activities committee aims to involve young people in such events as the annual music and inventors competitions

As well as our weekly evening meetings [the quarterly 5th Monday is held with our partners] mostly with a guest speaker, the Club enjoys an active social side including quiz evenings, dances, visits to places of interest and conferences and a twinning link with the Rotary Club of Bjerringbro [Denmark]. Many of these events contribute to the Club's charitable fundraising efforts. The members support charities through its Christmas Eve street collection and other local fundraising events. We support and help to organise the annual Harborough Carnival and contribute to the local late night shopping event in December.

The Club organises outings for disabled and disadvantaged children. It runs an annual design competition and members conduct mock job and university admission interviews for senior pupils at The Robert Smyth School [over 1,000 pupils aged from 14 to 18]. We are expanding our links and contribution to all local schools and pupils of all ages. We give especial financial support to the Rotary Charity Life Education Centres Project. It provides mobile exhibition vehicles throughout Leicestershire and Rutland using modern audio-visual education methods and an educator to teach the benefits of healthy lifestyles and the dangers of drug abuse. We provide guidance on overcoming the problems associated with bullying and the positive development of personal standards of citizenship.



We celebrated our 50th Anniversary in 2007!

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