Our fundraiser for End Polio Now on 5 June at Winchester Science Centre was well-attended – and both informative and entertaining. Our local MP, Dr Danny Chambers (a veterinary surgeon) and our own Professor Kordo Saeed (Consultant Microbiologist at University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust) discussed anti-microbial resistance (AMR).
After a welcome from President Mark Butcher, Kordo began by demonstrating through a series of slides that bacteria are the oldest lifeform, and how relatively recent human life is. Danny followed, explaining that from the battlefields of Ukraine to hospitals across Europe, antimicrobial resistance is becoming one of the greatest threats to global health and how modern conflict fuels the rise of drug-resistant superbugs, and why we cannot afford to ignore the warning signs. The “One Health” approach recognises the intrinsic, interdependent link between the health of people, animals, plants, and the shared environment.
A lively Q&A session followed, providing opportunities for wider discussion.
Kordo and Gill Russell are both polio survivors. In closing the event Gill reminded us how important the complete eradication of polio is. It is the cornerstone of Rotary International’s humanitarian work, in partnership with World Health Organization (WHO) and others – but must be adequately funded, to ensure the elimination of a disease which mainly affects young children and has lifelong consequences.
Thank you to all involved – particularly Colin Cook for sterling work behind the scenes, but also Nick and Paul for reception – and it was also a first outing for the fantastic new slideshow about Winchester Rotary created by Steve Feeney, which was much admired. Not forgetting Kordo and Danny of course – for sharing their knowledge with us.
We are also very grateful to Ben Ward, Kirsty Meade and the team at the Winchester Science Centre for their help with this. Wonderseekers, the Science Centre charity, has been supported by Winchester Rotary for the 2025-26 Rotary year.
Click here for photos
Click here for Hampshire Chronicle report
For anyone who missed the event, recordings of the presentations and the Q&A are available on our YouTube channel:
