International support
End Polio Now
Rotary joined the battle against polio worldwide in 1988. In partnership with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Rotary continues the fight. In January 2018 two Winchester Rotarians, one a polio survivor, travelled to Amritsar and Delhi to take part in the Indian Immunisation Programme. A further trip was made in January 2019 by four members. Polio cases have been reduced by 99.9%. Now there are only a handful remaining which must be eradicated or the numbers will rise again to frightening figures within a decade.
Tools For Self Reliance (TFSR)
Along with other local clubs, we have supported this project for over 30 years. The aim is to reduce poverty in Africa’s poorest regions by enabling people to build sustainable livelihoods through the provision of quality, refurbished tools. In addition to financial support and volunteers, they receive vocational, literacy, business and life skills training, plus numeracy and micro- finance.
Education – Uganda and Albania
These two projects were initiated by Winchester Rotary. In Western Uganda, we have orchestrated the provision of books and libraries for primary schools plus a medical laboratory and ablution block for the local hospital. In Albania, radical remedial repair and rebuilding works has been carried out to an isolated, dilapidated mountain school.
South Sudan
Working with another Winchester based charity, The Brickworks, we’re helping civil war-torn South Sudan and its many refugees. We have given funds for medical text books and have donated £1.8K for building education blocks to house children during the rainy season, when under tree schools are useless.
Other overseas projects and connections
We have built water tanks and toilet blocks in Tanzania, contributed to the international Shoebox Appeal which sends Christmas gifts to deprived children in many countries. We have collaborated on a project in St Lucia, (Gros Islet), to provide adapted wheelchairs for disabled children.
We have overseas contact clubs: Le Havre de Grâce in France and Oberhausen Antony Hütte in Germany, where we enjoy regular exchange visits, plus links with Kolkata Central, and St Lucia, (Gros Islet).
We have sponsored annually a student from Winchester to go to Georgia, USA to take part in the Georgia Rotary Student Programme.
Latest news
Winchester Rotary Continues to Support Tools For Self Reliance
Winchester Rotary has been supporting Tools For Self Reliance (TFSR) for some 40 years. Based on Netley Marsh, their primary aim is to create brighter working futures by supporting people in Africa to learn a trade. We have helped TFSR in many ways, but primarily by acting as their official collector of used tools and […]
Another Anniversary supporting Lend with care
It’s hard to believe that it’s been nearly 6 years since our club first joined Lendwithcare and began supporting low-income entrepreneurs around the globe through Lend with care. In August last year, we reached our 5th Anniversary, and as you can see on the right, over the last 12 months we have provided 284 micro loans, […]
Tripartite Weekend 24 – 26 April 2026
Our hosts this year for the annual Tripartite Weekend was the Rotary Club of Oberhausen Antony-Hûtte. On arrival at the very pleasant Hotel Melia in the centre of Aachen, we were welcomed by President Thomas Merz. Immediately we were among so many German and French friends, all of whom welcomed us with smiles and hugs […]
Uganda revisited
This was the fourth visit made by Winchester Rotary to Kasese, Uganda to share and develop the Projects we have with Great Lakes Peace Centre (GLPC) and Kasese Rotary Snow Peaks, which started in 2019 with a visit by myself and Rtn Luke Addison to their second Peace Conference. I visited for the next three […]
A personal visit to Rotary in Action in The Philippines
Graham and I had the good fortune to connect with Jane Walker of the Philippines Community Trust when in Manila last month and receive a guided tour of all the Projects in which she is involved. This was particularly poignant for me as Jane was my first Speaker at Rotary dinner when I was President […]
Carriacou Senior Citizens Care Home Re-opened
Following the devastating category 4 Hurricane Beryl, Winchester Rotary donated approximately £1,500 in December 2024 to help refurbish a senior citizens care home on the small island of Carriacou, part of Grenada. A 2 Phase recovery initiative was launched. Phase 1 prioritised urgent structural repairs to the roof, doors, windows and electrical systems to the […]
Shoebox preparation……
Winchester Rotary is on target to add 700 Christmas shoeboxes again to the annual Wessex Rotary Shoebox appeal. With contributions from 8 primary schools and 2 playgroups as well as individual donors, churches and other organisations, Rotary provides the boxes to be filled with age related presents, educational and hygiene items for disadvantaged children in […]
August Breakfast – Sam Carter – Ukraine expedition
Our Breakfast Chair Rob Carter’s nineteen year old son Sam joined us this month – he spoke with great passion of his recent trip to Ukraine. A group of twelve university students drove trucks and domestic vehicles through Poland and across the border into war torn Ukraine. The vehicles loaded with aid were to be given to […]
Lend with Care 5 year report
We started involvement with Lend with Care, part of Care International, in September 2020 with a £30 loan to a farming cooperative in Rwanda, and our latest on July 30th, our 996th – a £30 loan to a hairdresser in Zambia. The money we lend, once repaid is then leant to other fledgling businesses worthy […]
Social Meeting – 28 April – Uganda visit presentation
Our “4th Monday” social meeting at the Golden Lion on 28 April was again well attended. We were pleased to welcome four guests: Jane Oakes, George Porter, Paige Anthony – and “birthday boy” Thomas Bwambale (our Rotary scholar). Thomas was surprised later in the meeting with a cake complete with candles! Following club announcements – […]
Maternity Ambulance for Kasese region
Club members will recall that Winchester Rotary UK has teamed up with several other Rotary Clubs with the name Winchester Rotary in the USA. Two of those clubs helped us in the purchase of a Maternal Ambulance for GLPC in Kasese, Uganda to take pregnant ladies from remote areas in labour to the local hospital […]
The Tripartite Weekend – March 20 – 23 2025
This year we were the guests of the French Club of Rotary Le Havre de Grâce, together with the other guests, the German Club of Rotary Oberhausen Anthony-Hütte. President Michel Rigal warmly welcomed us all. The “Winchester Team” was Paul and Gill Russell, Les and Val Haswell, Nick Bell, Diana Brooks and Deborah Macartney. The […]