In 2011, Barbara Parkins left her comfortable home on the mid-north coast of NSW and boarded a plane for Kenya. She could never imagine that this would soon become her permanent home. “As I landed in Kenya, I felt like I was coming home,” Barbara says. “I travelled throughout the...
It’s Not Just a Cookbook
Under the leadership of Jennifer Hartnett, the Rotary Club of Upper Blue Mountains Sunrise Cookbook Project honours the legacy of the late Irene Reid and the selfless work she undertook within the community as a chef, hospitality manager and caterer. Launched on November 29, 2022, It’s Not Just a Cookbook...
From Pub2Pub to Beach2Beach
It started out as a race between two pubs – the Dee Why Hotel and the Newport Arms – but in three decades it has grown into one of the most popular participation events on the Northern Beaches. Back in the 1990s, both hotels were owned by the Bayfield family,...
Mama Wimbi and The Heart of Africa Proposal
In 2012, Penelope Vos, now a member of the Rotary E-club of Greater Sydney, received a message from Goma in the Democratic Republic of Congo: “Ĉu vi povas helpi nin?” The writer was a member of a tiny local charity, Solidareca Bonvolo (SBV), supporting the poorest orphan children by paying...
Rotary DCaf: A fun social space for dementia sufferers
Rotary DCaf was first launched as a pilot study in November 2018. It was the brainchild of a group of Rotarians on Sydney’s North Shore, who wished to provide a fun and safe social space for dementia sufferers. The team came up with the catchy name and a plan of...
The Didi Foundation
By Kylie Hatfield When then Rotary International President Jennifer Jones visited Nepal in December 2022, she stopped by The Didi Foundation, one of only two organisations to receive a visit during the whirlwind trip. Described as “such an honour” and “inspiring” by The Didi Foundation’s founder, Jan Pryor, Ms Jones’...