History of TuT Rotary

The First Ten Years

1978:  First meetings in February in homes of members and first Tuesday evening meeting 14th March in Jolly Gardeners. Inaugural club meeting on 30th May. Officially chartered at RI on 18th September, Charter Meeting takes place on 7th October at the Winning Post, when first President Richard Muldoon accepts the Charter from DG Michael Lancet

1979: First Christmas collections raise around £500

1980: Visit of the Rotary Club of Le Havre 13-14 September

1981: First Fun Day takes place at Twickenham Rugby Ground, raising over £3000.  Wheelchair donated to Matthew Pritt aged 11 years presented by Michael Fish (no mention of hurricanes!)  Hot drinks and chestnuts sold at firework display at Twickenham RFU. With dusk falling, the lighting was provided by Rotarians’ cars!

1982: Table tennis tables and playing equipment presented to Vietnamese Boat Children at their Home in Hampton

1983: Annual Fun Day “It’s a Knockout” includes Honda IMPS motorcycle display team and a gymkhana and horse show in the rear car park area of Twickenham RFU

1984: Meetings moved to Cabbage Patch with buffet for £1pp. Defibrillator presented to St John’s Ambulance

1985: Richard Ward leaves TuT to start the new Kew Rotary Club. The first donation to Princess Alice Hospice £500

1986: TuT receives District 114 Significant Achievement Award for involvement in Richmond Tertiary College’s Young Enterprise Scheme. Sports wheelchair is donated to “Hurricane Steve”.

1987: Cry Freedom film proceeds bring the Club £4k for End Polio Now. David Attenborough and the heroes of the film Donald & Wendy Woods attend

Presidents: Richard Muldoon, Terry Green, Ray Denwood, Bill Gilliland, Barry James, Chris Ferguson, Ian Cave, Gerry McCafferey, John McCormack, Ken Smith

The Second Decade

1988:   Tenth Anniversary Celebration is exceptional, with Roy Castle as Guest speaker. He persuades Michael Horner to play the spoons!  Donation of intensive care cot to the special care baby unit at West     Middlesex Hospital following huge fundraising efforts by Audrey Smith, supplemented by the Club. Total donation £3300

1989: A chalet-style summer house donated to Strathmore School

1990: Band Concert for the Star & Garter has become an annual event.  Started in 1987 and continues each year until 1995

1991: First mulled wine sales: at Twickenham Rugby Ground. Later moved to Kempton Park

1992: First Bridge Competition at Star & Garter Home in Richmond, led by Barry James and Ian Cave. 3-minute Trolley Dash and a hamper were prizes presented by Mike Kelly, raising £1500 towards the Gift of Sight project.

1993: Gift of Sight: The Health Authority reduces the charge per operation from £1500 to £500 by supplying facilities and staff free. Over £10k is raised to conduct 20 cataract operations at Ashford Hospital and cut the waiting list by 25%.

1994: Golden Oldies trips are now established as an annual event led by Jim Stevens and this year venture to Portsmouth to view the recently recovered Mary Rose and tour the Victory

1995: The first Paul Harris Award to a member of TuT is given to Bill         Gilliland

1996: International Weekend trips are becoming established as an annual club outing, this year to Rouen

1997: Alan Holmes’s President’s evening is a fondly remembered cruise on the river with a jazz band on the M V Queen Elizabeth. £6000+ raised to buy a car for Mencap Home in Whitton, received on behalf of the Home by Chairman Brian Rix.

Presidents: Michael Horner, David Williams, Tim Bruce, Ray Wackett, Mike Kelly, Robert Pritt, Tim Ward, Bob Efford, Alan Holmes, Rod Gerrard

The Third Decade

1998: Over £6000 raised to buy a car for Mencap Home in Whitton, donated to Chairman Brian Rix. Rod Gerrard’s President’s “At Home” has a Caribbean theme. David Kilvington runs 1st meeting at Strawberry Hill GC

1999: Following earthquakes in Turkey, TuT buys six Aquaboxes and donates £1500 via Rotary Club of Istanbul to fund toilets and ground preparations in the local village. Offers of help follow leading to 6 more Aquaboxes & 334 boxes of clothes & shoes

2000: Golden Oldies trip to Arundel is a health and safety nightmare when the participants board a boat.

2001: Cricket Match Surrey versus Middlesex, with 3 Rotary Clubs from north of the river and 3 south. Middlesex win of course!

2002: Specially adapted trike provided for Madeline Bueno of Hampton nursery who suffers from cerebral palsy

2003: 25th Charter Evening dinner is a lively affair at the Mediterranean   Tapas Bar in Teddington

2004: Mark Scudamore brings TuT into the new millennium with the launch of the first Club website

2005: Plaque erected in Church Street Twickenham (with Twickenham RC). Judith Lovelace becomes first lady member of TuT, having transferred from Twickenham RC. First Shelterboxes donated to disaster areas

2006: TuT is awarded first place at HANDS Fair for the plant stall with a prize of £20! Annual Bridge Competition moves to Princess Alice Hospice in Esher. John McCormack trophy is presented to Founder Member Jim Stevens

2007: £2110 raised from sponsored walk and cycle for the League of Friends at Teddington Memorial Hospital, used to buy benches for the hospital grounds. 6 club members are  Marshalls at the Thames Bridges walk for Kidney Research

Presidents: David Kilvington, Adrian Hughes, Les Rushbury, Paul Kershaw, Jim Stevens, Gordon Peel, Alper Ozturk, Brian Burgess, Jan Doskar, Michael Horner

 2008 to 2018

2008:   Plaque erected by the river at Orleans Gardens unveiled by Vince Cable. First Club Garden visit led by Charlie Erskine to Wakehurst Place

2009:   First WWII presentation at Orleans Park School. TuT receives       Vocational Service Award. Young Chef Competition, Interview Panels and dictionary donations take place at local schools. Pirates and  Pantomime Dames invade Christmas Party

2010: Sand Dam in Kyumbai Kenya transforms the lives of the local people. Funded by TuT, Kew and Feltham with other clubs and a Global grant. Thanks for Life Week pop up shops are erected in Heath Road and London Road Twickenham

2010: Cycle team from TuT: Jim Stevens, Jack Ingram, Peter Wilson and Alper Ozturk complete London to Brighton and survive

2012: Ken Smith’s chess club at Heathfield School is established

2013: Vince Cable opens new kitchen/restroom and Training Room at Richmond Furniture Scheme. Restoration and tools have been     provided by TuT with a District grant

2014: Literacy project in Nanglebhare Nepal helps 147 adults (82% female) learn to read and write

2015: Pearly Kings visit on International Evening and would happily have sung all night.  Binod Amatya visits Nepal to see earthquake damage and TuT resolves to raise funds. Ann Galgon becomes first lady President of TuT 

2016: Lee Campbell artist of Eel Pie Island donates painting which is raffled for Nepal and Tania Mathias draws winning ticket. NZ Maoris dance, sing and stick out tongues at International Evening. First Peter Wilson quiz: Metropolis Necropolis

2017: Squires Garden Centre is the regular base for Stroke Awareness Day organised by Grace Gibbs with TuT & Twickenham RCs

Presidents: Mark Scudamore, David Kilvington, Mike Wilkinson, Bill Stevenson, Charles Baroudi, Les Rushbury, Jim Stevens, Ann Galgon, Dion Scherer, Mike Kelly and Ian Cave