Informal lunches and guest speakers
The club meets each Friday lunchtime and up to twice each month members and guests enjoy a talk by a speaker. Talks cover a wide range of subjects with most being community focussed. Others may cover a speaker's special interests.
Our social lunches are open to all and we particularly encourage guests to attend our speaker meetings as outlined on the forthcoming calendar. Please contact the Secretary or email PenzanceRotary@gmail.com if you are intending to come along.
Once an month the club also reviews club activities at our monthly Rotary Business lunch, at which updates are received on the progress of the club's various activities, and decisions are taken regards new and current initiatives.
Anytime you wish to attend, contact us at least a day before the meeting to check that there is no change to the programme.Penzance Rotary has an annual tradition of inviting the sitting Member of Parliament, regardless of who it is, to attend one of our weekly lunches, and update us on current topics.
Thank you Andrew George (pictured above) - we appreciate your time, your thought provoking insights, and your endeavours to serve the many and varied interests of communities here in West Penwith.
Speaking at a Rotary lunch is not an easy task for a politician, when you consider that Rotary is a non political, non secular organisation and we specifically discourage talk about party politics or religion at our lunches!
Past speakers have included:
A talk from Cornwall Air Ambulance.
Letitia Craig - Lifetime Projects, an international development charity.
William Bolitho - Cornish Hedge Building.
Justus Hattam - The Cornish Dialect
Dick Cliffe - former Mayor of Penzance brought Rotarians and visitors up to date regards the progress of the town's funding application under the government's 'Town Deal'.
Floyd Steadman - Former headmaster and the first black ccaptain of an English rugby club (Saracens).
Phil Westren - Local historian and the voice of the Cornish Pirates RFC.
Mike Sagar-Fenton - Hustorian and author, talking about lical history and the Newlyn Clearances
Jenny Salmon & Louise Perry from Cornish Talking Newspaper & Magazine
David Howard - Retired agent for St Aubyn Estates
Philip Rodda - Rodda's Creamery
Mike Temple - Mercy Ships
Jonathan Jones - Tregothnan Tea
Richard Thomas - Farmer
Ian Marsh - West Cornwall National Trust
Martin Tucker - Principal Truro and Penwith College
Keith Songhurst - Penzance Tennis Club Coach
Insp. Nick Clarke - Devon & Cornwall Police
Charlotte Somers - Hall for Cornwall
Simon Allison from the charity Sense (Caring for deaf blind people)
Zoe Curnow – General Manager of the Minack Theatre
Dr Bob Dyke on the subject of Steam Cars
The Shackleton Experience - The Greatest Survival Story Ever Told
Daphne Skinnard - BBC Radio Cornwall
Commander Blackmoor - Commanding Officer, Fixed Wing Aircraft at Culdrose
Anthony Power - Custodian of the Levant Mine
Hester Hunt – Penzance Town Clerk
Chanti from the RotaryClub of Vijayawada, India.
Informal lunches and guest speakers sub-pages:
Cornwall Rural Community Charity
more We were delighted to welcome Katherine Nissen, CEO of Cornwall Rural Community Charity (CRCC), to our recent lunchtime meeting. Katherine spoke with passion and warmth about her work leading CRCC and shared stories of projects that make a real difference.
Tuna Tag Saga!
more The club welcomed Jessica Rudd who gave a fascinating talk on predator-prey dynamics and post-tagging behaviour in Atlantic bluefin tuna - cutting-edge topics that form part of her Doctorate (PhD) research at Exeter University
Cyber Safety Essentials
more We were pleased to host Craig Lang, Cyber Protect Officer from Devon & Cornwall Police, for an engaging talk on staying safe online. His presentation highlighted the Top Twelve Cyber Tips - practical steps everyone can take to protect themselves
Floyd Steadman OBE - a remarkable role model
more Floyd Steadman visited Penzance Rotary to talk about his life so far including the hardship of his early childhood, family tragedy, racism, but above all, about determination and achievement.