November 2025 News

Supporting the GOFA Charity

The Rotary Club of Penzance with Mounts Bay is proud to have supported Good Old Furniture Available (GOFA), a much‑loved local charity dedicated to helping disadvantaged households. GOFA provides recycled household items to families and individuals of limited means, ensuring that essential furniture and appliances find a new home where they are most needed. 

Last year, the Club provided funding to assist with the cost of new decals for GOFA’s box van. This vehicle, a familiar sight across the community, plays a vital role in collecting and delivering items to households in need. Thanks to the grant, the van now proudly displays the Penzance Rotary with Mounts Bay logo, symbolising the Club’s ongoing commitment to supporting local initiatives that make a real difference. 

By partnering with GOFA, Rotary continues its mission of service above self - helping to strengthen community ties and improve lives through practical support. 

Hardship Grants Bringing Relief to Local Families

One of the recent highlights for the Club has been the launch of the latest round of Rotary Hardship Grants. This initiative is distributing up to £13,000 in total through local schools, providing much‑needed support to young families facing financial strain. 

Teachers, who are uniquely placed to understand the challenges within their school communities, are helping to identify those most in need and to devise practical ways of delivering assistance. While modest in scale, these grants offer a welcome boost to families struggling with everyday costs, ensuring that help reaches where it can make the greatest difference. 

Through the Hardship Grants programme, Rotary continues to demonstrate its commitment to service and community care, standing alongside families during difficult times and offering hope through tangible support. 

Paying Tribute on Remembrance Sunday

This year’s Remembrance Sunday was a solemn and moving occasion, as the Rotary Club of Penzance joined the community in honouring those who gave their lives in service. President Jon said it was a privilege to lay a wreath at the Penzance War Memorial near Battery Rocks. 
 

Rotarians across the world pause on this day to remember and honour the service and sacrifice that has enabled the people of Europe to live in freedom and democracy. In Penzance, Cllr. Steven Reynolds, Mayor of Penzance, led the town’s tribute to our servicemen and women, while our Vice President Derath conducted the public Service of Remembrance on what proved to be a wet and windy seafront. 

The ceremony also brought to mind our late friend and Rotarian Jack Dennis, the last of our members to have served in the Second World War. Jack was a proud member of the 7th Armoured Division of the British Army - The Desert Rats, and his memory remains an inspiration to us all. 

Our Rotary wreath, together with many others from service organisations across Penzance, is on display at the Chapel in the Memorial Garden adjacent to Penlee House, Morrab Road. 

Providing New 24/7 Defibrillators for Penzance

We are delighted to announce that plans are now in place for the installation of two new defibrillators in Penzance, ensuring round‑the‑clock accessibility for the community. 

The decision, taken in November, reflects Rotary’s commitment to enhancing public safety and wellbeing. Currently, many defibrillators in the town are located in venues that are not accessible “out of hours.” These new units will be positioned in locations where they can be reached at any time: * Outside the Queens Hotel * Outside the Rotary Shop.

Each defibrillator represents a vital, potentially lifesaving provision and the devices will proudly display the Rotary rondel. 

This initiative is a significant step forward in community care, and once installed, the defibrillators will stand as a visible reminder of Rotary’s dedication to service and saving lives.

Inspiring Young Voices and Creativity in the New Year

Arrangements are now underway for Club to host two exciting opportunities for local primary schools in the New Year: the Youth Speaks competition and the Young Artist competition. Both events are designed to encourage confidence, creativity, and self‑expression among young people in our community.

Youth Speaks

The Youth Speaks competition gives children the chance to develop their public speaking skills. Participants prepare and deliver a short speech on a topic of their choice, learning how to express ideas clearly, engage an audience, and build confidence in presenting. It’s a wonderful way to nurture communication skills that will benefit them throughout their education and beyond. 

Young Artist

The Young Artist competition invites pupils to showcase their imagination and artistic talent. Working to a theme set by Rotary, children create original artworks that reflect their interpretation of the subject. The competition celebrates creativity and provides a platform for young artists to share their vision with the wider community. 

Both competitions have long been popular in schools across the country, and we are delighted to bring them once again to Penzance and the surrounding area. They highlight Rotary’s commitment to supporting young people, helping them discover their potential, and giving them opportunities to shine. 

We look forward to seeing the inspiring speeches and imaginative artwork that our local pupils will produce in the months ahead.
 

The Penzance Rotary Club continues to thrive through service, fellowship, and community impact. Members look forward to another month of meaningful activity and shared purpose.