About Haddenham and District Rotary

Haddenham and District Rotary

Rotary in Haddenham and the surrounding villages and towns
is part of the world-wide Rotary International voluntary community
with 1.2 million members in 200 countries

Rotarians are people of good standing from diverse backgrounds
all with high ethical standards who:

- share a dedication to the ideal of Service Above Self;
- enjoy fun and fellowship;
- contribute time, talents, professional skills and energy to help people in need;
- gain personal satisfaction by making a difference.

Haddenham Rotary was founded in 1987
and have maintained a vibrant and active membership ever since

We run an active Programme of social and fundraising events throughout the year and
we have raised over £500,000 in support of the local community
charities and national and international community projects

Rotary is dedicated to supporting 7 specific causes:

Rotary in the local community

In and around Haddenham we give support to the community for instance
by funding village Noticeboards and developing IT capability at the library

We have provided benches at bus stops and at the church
and the public defibrillators at St Mary’s Centre and the Co-op store

In April we team up with Thame Rotary and the UK Stroke Awareness Campaign
to promote stroke awareness by offering free blood pressure checks
at the Thame Co-op supermarket

We contribute to local schools through ‘Kids Out’ – a fun day out to Legoland
for senior year special school children, tree planting and sensory garden initiatives
Marshaling the fireworks at St Mary’s School, Haddenham
and our increasingly popular Young Photographer Competition

We also provide Marshals for the WheelPower annual Tour de Vale cycle ride
with over 1000 riders taking part
We participate with a local college in the Rotary Technology Tournament
here pupils from local schools are given just one day to design and build
solution to a real-world challenge
and we interactively contribute to young people
preparing for life in business and further education

We fund candidates with demonstrable development potential
to participate in the annual Rotary Youth Leadership Awards Scheme

Each year we organise ‘The Waddesdon’
a 10-mile sponsored cross-country horse event for all ages
This unique event enables some 300 riders to enjoy the private Waddesdon Estate
by kind permission of Lord and Lady Rothschild
First run in 2003 this event helps to fund local Rotary Projects and Charities

In addition, we run ‘Christmas Santa’ in collaboration with Haddenham Garden Centre
enabling for 'Santa' to meet local children in the weeks before Christmas

Our ‘End Polio Now’ Quiz Night, Art Exhibition, Jumble Sale, Metal Detector Rally
and ‘Tin Shaking’ collections, also contribute to our Charity Fund

Haddenham Rotary in the International Arena

Our International Team work hard in support of the global initiative
to rid the world of Polio. Rotary and its partners have so far
immunized almost 3 billion children against polio
The more children we immunize, the more difficult it is to reach those remaining
but the initiative continues and our ‘End Polio’ Quiz Nights
raise sufficient to give the vaccine to nearly 2900 children each year

Our hands-on International Team have also been delivering humanitarian aid
to deaf schools in the Mount Kilimanjaro region of Tanzania, since 2005
originally through an association with Msandaka School for the Deaf

This identified an acute need for practical help
to improve the quality of the school's teaching and living accommodation
The team return regularly to continue their work to build new or
improve workshops and classrooms for teaching employment skills
such as woodworking and sewing, dormitory
toilet and cooking facilities, play areas and security fencing

Pilot Programmes to develop self-sustaining projects
are also being progressed with the schools
For instance the purchase and installation of water harvesting and water storage
to enable successful crop gardens to be established and to thrive
As well as our own fund raising, the team also works with partners
here in the UK and abroad to raise funds and seek out grants
that will enable this enterprising work to continue

Rotary is not all about business and fundraising

We enjoy fellowship and speakers on a wide range of topical subjects
We arrange social events and other activities
that provide a welcome distraction from hectic business life

Travelling Rotarians are warmly received and often given valuable assistance
by the worldwide network of Rotary volunteers
Many travelling Rotarians have been helped to find a local hotel
doctor, dentist, or lawyer, through the Rotary network

We welcome Volunteer Helpers

We invite you to contact us to find out more about Rotary
to help us with our events or to ask about joining one of our meetings

Forge new friendships, exchange ideas
and use your business and social skills to benefit people less fortunate than yourself

Help Rotary deliver humanitarian aid to local, national and international communities
and your business life can benefit too

More about Rotary Volunteers HERE

John Germ, President of Rotary International 2016-17

“People around the world live better happier lives because of Rotary
The people we help might not have met a single Rotarian
They might not even know that Rotary exists
But they are drinking clean water from a bore-hole well that Rotary dug
They’re learning to read with books that Rotary gave them
They’re living lives that are better, happier, and healthier
because of Rotary Serving Humanity”

Rotary President John Germ