Godalming Rotary – 90 Years of Service

For 90 years, Godalming Rotary has been bringing people together to make a difference in our local community and around the world.

Rotary began in 1905 with a simple idea: that people from different backgrounds could come together, exchange ideas and take action for the good of others.

Today, that idea has grown into a global network of 1.4 million members across more than 200 countries and territories. Rotarians are friends, neighbours and community leaders who share a common purpose – to create lasting, positive change locally, nationally and internationally.

Wherever you go, you’ll find Rotary making a difference. Locally, Rotarians support young people, champion community and wellbeing initiatives, help those in need and work to improve the environment. Internationally, Rotary supports projects providing education, clean water and sanitation, disaster relief and opportunities for communities to build a better future.

Perhaps the greatest example of Rotary’s global impact is its leadership in the fight to eradicate polio. In 1985, Rotary launched PolioPlus, the first major global initiative dedicated to eliminating polio. At the time, the disease paralysed hundreds of thousands of children every year in more than 100 countries.

Through fundraising, advocacy and the commitment of thousands of volunteers, Rotary helped establish the Global Polio Eradication Initiative alongside partners including the World Health Organization, UNICEF and the Gates Foundation. Together, this extraordinary partnership has reduced cases of wild polio by more than 99.9%.

What was once a worldwide threat is now confined to just a handful of areas. Millions of children have been protected from paralysis and given the chance to grow up healthy because of this remarkable global effort.

Polio eradication is recognised as one of the greatest humanitarian campaigns in history – and Rotary has been at its heart for more than four decades.

Godalming Rotary is proud to be part of that story. For 90 years, we have shown what can happen when ordinary people come together with compassion, friendship and a shared determination to make a difference.