Welcome to Rotary in
Cumbria and Lancashire

What will Rotary be doing to help save the Planet?

In 2021 the Environment became Rotary’s 7th Area of Focus.  Rotary is committed to supporting activities that strengthen the conservation and protection of natural resources, advance ecological sustainability, and foster harmony between communities and the environment.  

A whole host of environmental initiatives are lined up nationally and worldwide during June that many people and organisations take part in, not just Rotary.  

Look out for talks, litter picking opportunities, getting involved in recycling projects, attending a community Big Lunch, planting some pollinators, developing a community food growing site and balsam bashing.  

Church & Oswaldtwistle Rotary are undertaking their regular tidy and gardening at the local railway station, and West Lakeland Rotary have held their very successful annual plant sale.   

5 June is World Environment Day 

6 to 14 June - The Great Big Green Week which is one of the UK’s biggest celebration of community action to tackle climate change and protect nature.  

8 June is World Ocean Day with this years theme being Strong Marine Protected Areas for Our Blue Planet.  The following evening the Rotary Direct Member Hub in Cumbria & Lancashire arranged a webinar where the speaker was Gloria Barnett.  Gloria, also known as The Weird Fish Lady, is an ocean expert, underwater videographer, and award-winning author. A passionate and engaging speaker, she shared real underwater footage and first-hand experiences from her dives around the world to reveal why oceans matter and how we can protect them. Her talk was informative, inspiring, and thought-provoking—leaving her audience with a deeper understanding of the marine world and our responsibility to care for it. 

Image : Gloria Barnett, speaker 

Help support a safer, greener and fairer future

Polio Eradication - Vaccines protect communities – but only if we use them.

Thanks to the global effort led by organisations such as Rotary International through the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, the world is closer than ever to ending polio forever. Vaccination has reduced cases by over 99% since the 1980s – one of the greatest public-health achievements in history.  But diseases return when vaccination rates fall.

Recently in London and the West Midlands, lower uptake of the MMR vaccine has contributed to a rise in cases of measles – a reminder that these illnesses have not disappeared; they are only kept at bay through vaccination. More recently, cases of meningitis have also highlighted the ongoing risk posed by preventable diseases and the importance of maintaining strong immunisation programmes across all age groups.

The lesson is clear: when communities protect themselves with vaccines, diseases decline. When vaccination drops, they can come back.

Image : Child being vaccinated against polio in Pakistan

That’s why Rotary’s mission to end polio remains so important. Through its leadership and long-standing commitment to global health, Rotary International continues to play a vital role in protecting children and communities worldwide. Concerns have therefore been raised following decisions by the UK Government to withdraw funding from certain international polio initiatives. At a time when outbreaks of preventable diseases still occur, sustained investment and global cooperation are more important than ever.

Until polio is eradicated everywhere, it remains a risk everywhere.

For further details about other activities in Cumbria & Lancashire visit the Rotary Clubs websites or Facebook pages.

Interested in helping or joining Rotary?  Visit our Membership pages to find out more about the various options.