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Welcome

If you are visiting our Club website to find out about us, Rotary membership offers a great opportunity to join with other members in projects to support the local community and offer support on an international platform for major disasters. Most people feel that they should put something back into their local community and this is your opportunity.

The Object of Rotary is to encourage and foster the ideal of service as a basis of worthy enterprise and, in particular, to encourage and foster:

FIRST: The development of acquaintance as an opportunity for service;

SECOND: High ethical standards in business and professions; the recognition of the worthiness of all useful occupations; and the dignifying of each Rotarian’s occupation as an opportunity to serve society;

THIRD: The application of the ideal of service in each Rotarian’s personal, business, and community life;

FOURTH: The advancement of international understanding, goodwill, and peace through a world fellowship of business and professional persons united in the ideal of service.

We all work together with the Four-Way test in mind:

The Four-Way Test is a nonpartisan and non-sectarian ethical guide for Rotarians to use for their personal and professional relationships. Of the things we think, say or do:

Is it the TRUTH?                                              Is it FAIR to all concerned?

Will it build GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS? Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?

We are a friendly club of just under 50 men and women, sharing lots of fun and fellowship.  In the 21st Century the Rotary Club of Burton upon Trent has been awarded the trophy for the best Club in the District (out of then 57 Clubs) on five occasions.

On Mondays we meet at Pirelli Stadium, the home of Burton Albion Football Club.   Usually, after lunch, a speaker presents a topic relevant to our community, our charity work, or to Rotary more widely.

To help those in need - locally, nationally and internationally - we raise funds through the Pirelli Stadium Parade, street collections, concerts and shows, quizzes, suppers, dinners, and anything else that springs to mind!

To read more about our Club and the Rotary movement in general, do explore 'What we do' in the menu top left.   An example of one of our projects can be seen below.

If you would like to put something back into the community while gaining a whole new group of like-minded friends, come and see us in action.   Contact us to arrange a visit to one of our meetings.

Congratulations...to David Buchanan, the new Club President of Rotary Burton upon Trent for 2024 - 2025

 We are thrilled to announce that David has taken over the reins from the hard working Andy Archer, who deserves a round of applause for his outstanding leadership throughout the entire year of 2023 -2024. 

Dr David Buchanan comes from Edinburgh but has lived near Burton on Trent for many years.   He studied theoretical physics at St Andrews University and spent his career in research and research management, finally occupying the position of Chief Executive of the UK’s Health and Safety Laboratory.   He is a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering.

David joined Rotary in 2011 and has been Chair of the Membership Committee, Chair of the Fundraising and Entertainment Committee, and Club Treasurer.    For many years he and his wife, Joan, have organised a Rotary Quiz at Burton Golf Club.   Outside Rotary David likes to play golf.

With David at the helm, we can expect  his enthusiasm, dedication, and fresh perspective to our beloved Rotary club. Together, let's continue to make a positive impact on our community and create a brighter future.

David comments that: The aims for 2024-25 include fully integrating the former members of Bretby and Etwall & Hilton Rotary Clubs into the Burton Club.    Several of our committees will be chaired by some of those former members.   Continuity from previous years is important and the Club will continue the works begun by others.   As with many organisations, a significant proportion of the work is done by just a few people.   All members of the Club are encouraged to involve themselves in at least one project.   The preference is for local projects and donations for the community but, of course, international and individual involvement will also be considered.   Already there are plans in place for several projects and events.   So, welcome to all on our journey for this year.

Pictured  Andy Archer (Left) Immediate Past President and (Right) President David Buchanan             

Latest News

Welcome to the Latest News from Rotary Burton upon Trent!

ELDERLY HOSPITAL PATIENTS RECEIVE A LIFELINE FROM BURTON UPON TRENT ROTARY CLUB

MORE than 150 elderly, vulnerable people have been given a helping hand after being discharged from hospital thanks to a Burton Rotary Club project. The Home from Hospital Packs project ensures that patients, often elderly and living alone, will return home from University Hospitals of Derby and Derby Discharge Unit in Burton upon Trent with essentials such as milk, tea and soup to help them settle back home after a hospital stay.

A similar project was running in Caterham Rotary Club and after a review of their project by the Burton upon Trent Rotary Club it was decided in 2019 to launch a similar scheme. By the end of 2019 the University Hospitals of Burton NHS Foundation Trust, via the Derby and Burton Hospitals Charity, had confirmed that they would support the project and had nominated a team to discuss it in more detail. Having their backing the next challenge was to contact the local supermarkets community departments and in June 2020 Waitrose backed the project with a £333 donation which went towards the purchase of 200 special jute bags to start the initiative. The use of jute was based upon it being a renewable resource making it a more sustainable alternative to synthetic fabrics and it also has a low carbon footprint. At this point due to Covid restrictions and the immense impact upon the local hospital, the project was put on hold but was restarted in August 2021 and working with the Discharge Assessment Unit, the contents of each pack were agreed and the first four were provided on the 28th September 2021.

The contents of the bags include: Tea bags, UHT semi skimmed milk, Two tins of baked beans, Cream crackers, Tins of tomato soup and vegetable soup, Two packets of biscuits & Two tins of fruit.

The scheme was so successful it received the Ernest Pappin Award for the best project in District 1220 for 2022-2023 with Burton Rotary Club facing competition from more than 60 other clubs in the District. Mel Thomas, Past-President of Burton Rotary, said: “One of the core aims of Rotary is to support quality of life for people in their communities. We are constantly looking for major projects that will benefit the community and this led us to identify a need for the ‘Home from Hospital Packs’ initiative. We have been delighted with the support we have had from the hospital and the response from patients receiving the packs and we work very closely with the team at the discharge unit who let me know when they need some packs. Every time I deliver the packs, besides the big thank you, I get to see the faces of the nursing staff light up with a big smile showing their gratitude, this alone makes the project worthwhile.”

The award-winning project has had a big impact on the local community. Jill Matthews, Chief Officer at Derby & Burton Hospitals Charity said: "We are extremely very grateful for the wonderful work that the Rotary are doing to support our older patients to ensure they have access to the essentials they need when they are discharged from hospital such as milk and tea. It's these little, but important touches like having milk and tea available, so that they can get the kettle on and make a cup of tea. These packs really are making a huge difference and helping people settle back home after being in hospital." Marc De-Haviland, Uttoxeter Branch Manager at Waitrose, commented: "We are always keen to support local charities and grow authentic relationships within our local communities. Having helped support the initial start-up of the hospital project I'm truly delighted that we continue to work together."

Taken on 31st July 2024 at the Discharge Unit at Queen’s Hospital to mark the delivery of the 150th pack. Pictured left to right are: Michelle Gregory-Frost, Lead Discharge Nurse, Jilliane Goc-Ong, a registered nurse, and Mel Thomas.

The Rotary Club of Burton upon Trent Trust Fund is a Registered Charity.
Charity No. 512286