People making a difference in our district

• Every two weeks, the Beacon publishes a feature dedicated to showcasing the invaluable work of various local charitable organisations with the aim of raising awareness and appreciation for the contribution they and their volunteers make in the Eastern Bay.
• This week we shine a light on EBOP Rotary Clubs.
• Who are EBOP Rotary?

Rotary is recognised worldwide for the fundraising and on-the-ground services they provide within their own regions and overseas, that support community projects, international relief, youth development and vocational needs.

They have been active in the Eastern Bay of Plenty for over 75 years and members share that belonging to Rotary has meant that they have developed life-long friendships by working as a team to make a measurable difference in the lives of others.

In Whakatāne, the club meets fortnightly on the second and fourth Monday of the month.

The Kawerau Rotary Club plays a big part in the wellbeing of its community and complements the wider reach of Rotary internationally.  

The Kawerau club meets fortnightly on Wednesdays.

Rotary Clubs’ priorities have adapted over the years as different generations have taken differing approaches and prioritised different projects that reflect the needs at the time.

It is this intergenerational flexibility that has seen groups come, go and amalgamate.

They often work collaboratively and support the efforts of other charitable organisations to achieve significant outcomes.

• What do they do?

The Whakatane club’s focus is on young people and in particular helping young people discover and meet their potential.

They run an annual golf tournament to raise the money needed to achieve this objective.  

An important annual focus is to sponsor young people in the 19-26- year age group to attend the Rotary Youth Leadership Programme (RYLA), which is a weeklong residential programme in Cambridge that develops leadership, team building skills and personal development.

Our local Rotary responded very proactively in recent times to fund and support the recovery in Wairoa after the major flooding emergency that had caused significant damage to property.  

They also regularly contribute towards shelter boxes and emergency relief kits to assist people around the world who have lost their homes in humanitarian disasters such as war or extreme weather events.

There are several local coastal environmental projects they have set up and that require ongoing development and maintenance.

They support other charitable organisations like Tāneatua Community Garden, run the annual Whakatāne Christmas Parade, run the annual Trolley Derby with the assistance of Blue-Light and Men’s Shed and help Riding for the Disabled with hands-on projects that they need assistance with.

Rotary supports Interact Clubs run in both Trident and Whakatāne High Schools, that encourage the up-and-coming generation to consider how they can make a difference in others’ lives.

• How can I contact Rotary?

If you want to learn more or are interested in supporting one of our local EBOP Rotary Groups, you can contact the following people:

Whakatāne Rotary: Shelley Bremner, [email protected]

Interact Whakatāne High School:  Linda Bonne, [email protected]

Interact Trident High School: Amy Wildash, [email protected]

Kawerau Rotary: Lynette Dolman,  027 567 4686

• To be considered for this feature, or learn more about charitable initiatives in the community, visit EBOP Community Network facebook page, website www.tent.org.nz or email [email protected].