What is Rotary

Eynsham Rotary Club was founded in 2011 by twenty residents of Eynsham and the surrounding villages. Over the years we have grown to 27 in number, a mix of men and women working in local business, government and a few retirees. Our aim is to play an active part in the local and international community.

To further that aim we have raised thousands of pounds for local charitable and community organisations including Eynsham Day Centre, Bartholomew School's eco-club, Eynsham Youth Club, Eynsham Cricket Club,  Eynsham Education Fund, the British Legion, the primary schools in the surrounding villages and many other organisations and worthy causes in the area. We also give our time helping with delivery of the Eynsham Newsletter, village litter picking and organisation of the Eynsham Carnival.

Slightly further afield we have helped to assist with fundraising days for Helen & Douglas House, deliver food to Oxford Gatehouse for the homeless and have donated to organisations such as Maggie's Centre, See-Saw, Wheelpower, the Children's Air Ambulance and Yellow Submarine.

Internationally, we have donated to Rotary's major fund raising project to help rid the world of Polio, bought Shelterboxes for disaster relief, and helped fund the provision of water and sanitation to schools in the Kilifi area of Kenya, improving the conditions for over 3,000 children, working with the Rotary Club of Kilifi. 

We raise our funds in a number of ways including our annual Race Night, our Santa's Sleigh, Barn Dance, Film night and joint events with the Bartholomew Players.

Of course we also find time for some fun amongst our charitable and community efforts and amongst other things have organised a skittles evening, barn dance, many walks and attended other Rotary club's events such as a Casino Night, Petanque evening and dinner dances.

In October 2024 we became the Rotary Club of Eynsham & District to better reflect that many of our members and potential members live in the villages and settlements around Eynsham.

If you'd like to know more about the Eynsham & District Rotary Club please e-mail membership@eynshamrotary.org.uk.

Rotary International

The Eynsham & District Rotary Club is part of Rotary GB&I, Rotary International in Great Britain & Ireland and also part of Rotary International. It is a service club whose stated purpose is to provide humanitarian services, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations and help build goodwill and peace in the world. There are over 1.2 million members in over 34,000 clubs worldwide, volunteering to work on projects that benefit their local and global communities.

It is a secular organization open to all persons regardless of race, colour, creed, religion, gender, or political preference. Rotary's programs for young people include Rotary Scholarships, the world's largest scholarship program of its kind, which, since 1947, has helped over 40,000 men and women from 100 countries to study abroad.

Rotary's primary motto is  Service above Self.

The Rotary Foundation transforms your gifts into projects that change lives both close to home and around the world. As the charitable arm of Rotary, we tap into a global network of Rotarians who invest their time, money, and expertise into our priorities, such as eradicating polio and promoting peace. Foundation grants empower Rotarians to approach challenges such as poverty, illiteracy, and malnutrition with sustainable solutions that leave a lasting impact.

Strong financial oversight, a stellar charity rating, and a unique funding model mean that we make the very most of your contribution. Give and become a part of Rotary's life-changing work!

Philosophy

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

• The development of acquaintance as an opportunity for service;
• 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;
• The application of the ideal of service in each Rotarian's personal, business, and community life;
• The advancement of international understanding, goodwill, and peace through a world fellowship of people united in the ideal of service.

This objective is set against the Rotary 4-way Test, used to see if a planned action is compatible with the Rotarian spirit. The test was developed by Rotarian and entrepreneur Herbert J. Taylor during the Great Depression as a set of guidelines for restoring faltering businesses and was adopted as the standard of ethics by Rotary in 1942. It is still seen as a standard for ethics in business management. The 4-Way Test considers the following questions in respect to thinking, saying or doing:

1. Is it the truth?
2. Is it fair to all concerned?
3. Will it build goodwill and better friendships?
4. Will it be beneficial to all concerned?

Areas of Focus

Rotary International (RI) has identified specific causes to target to maximize its local and global impact. At the same time, it understands that each community has its own unique needs and concerns.

Through global grants and other resources, RI helps clubs focus their service efforts in the following areas:

Promoting Peace
Today, 42 million people are displaced by armed conflict or persecution. Through RI's partnerships with several leading universities, Rotary Peace Fellows develop the skills to strengthen peace efforts, train local leaders to prevent and mediate conflict, and support long-term peace building in areas affected by conflict. RI provides up to 100 peace fellowships per year at Rotary Peace Centers.

Fighting Disease
More than 100 million people are pushed into poverty each year because of medical costs. RI aims to improve and expand access to low-cost and free health care in underdeveloped areas. Its members educate and mobilize communities to help prevent the spread of major diseases such as Polio, HIV/AIDS, and malaria. Many of RI's projects ensure that medical training facilities are located where the workforce lives.

Providing Clean Water
More than 2.5 million people lack access to adequate sanitation facilities. At least 3,000 children die each day from diarrheal diseases caused by unsafe water. RI's projects give communities the ability to develop and maintain sustainable water and sanitation systems and support studies related to water and sanitation. Eynsham Rotary Club's work with five schools at Kilifi, near Mombasa in Kenya, has provided clean water for over 3000 school children.

Saving Mothers and Children
At least 7 million children under the age of five die each year due to malnutrition, poor health care, and inadequate sanitation. To help reduce this rate, RI provides immunizations and antibiotics to babies, improves access to essential medical services, and supports trained health care providers for mothers and their children. RI's projects ensure sustainability by empowering the local community to take ownership of health care training programs.

Supporting Education
Sixty-seven million children worldwide have no access to education and more than 775 million people over the age of 15 are illiterate. RI's goal is to strengthen the capacity of communities to support basic education and literacy, reduce gender disparity in education, and increase adult literacy.

Growing Local Economies
Nearly 1.4 billion employed people live on less than $1.25 a day. RI carries out service projects that enhance economic and community development and develop opportunities for decent and productive work for young and old. It also help strengthen local entrepreneurs and community leaders, particularly women, in impoverished communities.

Please Contact Us

If you're interested in joining Eynsham & District Rotary Club, please Contact Us and we will arrange for you to attend a meeting where you can find out a bit more about the club.