The Origins of the Ravensbourne Club

The Ravensbourne Rotary club is an amalgam of two local clubs The Rotary Club of Catford and the Rotary Club of Bromley Bickley. 

The Catford club was formed during the 2^nd world war and was known as the Rotary club of Catford Southend It started life as the daughter club of the Lewisham club

The first meeting was held in September 1943 at the Green Man Public house until it was hit by a flying bomb and the new few meetings were held in the Vicarage next door – the vicar duly became a member of the club and meetings were resumed at the Green man

After the war things started to return to normal

In 1946 A ladies’ festival was held at the Grosvenor house in park lane

In 1948 Southend was dropped from our name and we became plain old Catford rotary club

In 1948 The Catford club set up the Meals on Wheels service in the borough in fact LBL found us an old NAAFI van to convert for our use

It was at this time that we became recipients of foreign aid as there were many donations of Food parcels and toys from American Rotarians

The meeting place has moved all-round the borough over the years – The Catford club have been meeting at the Bromley Court Hotel since 2010

The Rotary Club of Catford, since its inception in 1943 have been serving and supporting the local community.

The Bromley Bickley Club first informal meeting was held in January 1991 with three prospective members. Two of these original members are now members of Ravensbourne Rotary Club.  

Chartered in 1992 as Bromley Sunrise Rotary Club it was the first club in the District to have both male and female members. Eventually it met in the restaurant at the Churchill Theatre having previously used venues at the Pavilion Sports Centre, the Bell, Bromley and even McDonalds!  

Originally an early morning club it later met alternately in the morning and evening having by that stage moved to the Bickley Manor Hotel.  

In 2008 the club changed its name to Bromley Bickley Rotary Club and met only in the evening  

Many projects have been supported in the Bromley area since 1991.  

Both Clubs closed in 2017

The Ravensbourne Rotary Club was created on 1^st July 2017 with a membership of 25 men and women

President Dickon Bowden was voted in as President and we held our first meeting on Wednesday 5^th July 2017

Rotary is not all about fundraising. It is about social events and meetings with like-minded people. It is about networking. It is about community service. It is about friendship.

The Rotary Club of Catford, since its inception in 1943 and Bromley Bickley since 1991 have been providing a space for good men and women to do something to help those around them… and to have a good time doing it!

Please visit us to see what we do, how we do and where you can fit in and help us. We meet at the Bromley Court Hotel on Wednesday evenings 6:30 for 7pm – you can be sure of a warm welcome.

UPDATE: Please check with the Hon Sec. about latest meeting times and venue