Welcome to the website of the Rotary Club of Silloth-on-Solway
If you would like to read the Silloth's own local newspaper click:
2012/13 President Geoff Betsworth
The Club received its Rotary Charter on the 22ndJanuary 1976 and the first President was school headmaster Ray Jones (deceased). Since then the Club membership which currently stands at 16 has fluctuated between 36 and just 13.
At District level P.P.Tony Markley & P.P.Chris Greenwood (moved away) served on the membership committee while P.P.Ray Johnson who now lives abroad served on the Foundation committee.
One of the main events in the Rotary year at Silloth is the Open Golf Tournament which is always a sell out and raises a substantial amount for Rotary charities. Other events include persuading Father Christmas to visit to hand out selection boxes to the children of the town and helping with the annual kite festival on the green.
The senior citizens of the town have in the past enjoyed an annual sing-along at the social club, a coach trip which takes place in August and the Christmas party also in the social club which are all organised by the Community & Vocational chairman.
For a number of years now P.Ps.Tim Barker & Geoff Betsworth using local newspapers have recorded a monthly newsletter on cassette which is distributed by the club members to anyone in the area who is blind or partially sighted. If you have a relative or friend who would enjoy listening to the latest newsletter it is now also available here in MP3 format. If you require further information about the above please contact the Community & Vocational chairman for further details
In 2004 former member and P.P. Charlie Harrison took part in the trip to “Jinga” Uganda as part of the Rotaract school building project.
The Club's Centenary project was to plant an Oak tree on The Green. The project included seating constructed by club members and installed around the base of the tree.
The club and in particular P.P.Peter Gilmour has been responsible for getting the Rotary logo put on the side of the Great North Air Ambulance. Peter was also the driving force behind the setting up of the Silloth First Responders.
The Silloth Club enjoys taking part in the various sporting events the district has to offer and has in the past repeatedly had the honour of winning (four times in six years) the much coveted (NW) District Darts Pool & Dominoes trophy. The club has also won the district quiz in the past.
The “Dialect Competition” which was the brainchild of P.P. Walton Slack was very popular for a number of years but ceased following his death. However, the club under the supervision of P.P. Tim Barker reinstated the competition in 2003 and it is now regaining its former popularity with competitors travelling from far and near to recite their chosen (usually self penned) pieces in Cumbrian dialect.
Due in no small part to the generosity of the people of Silloth and the surrounding areas, the club has been able to donate no less than ten Shelterboxes in the past eighteen months. When you consider that half our catchment area includes amongst others shrimps, flatties, dolphins and maybe even mermaids of the Solway Firth, that is a significant achievement.
Silloth veteran and Past President Jim Aird PHF is a well known figure in the area having been the town’s police sergeant for a number of years as well as a stint as the Mayor. There are many of us who think his finest moment might well have been on the 19th January 2012 at Stanwix Park where, on his 77th birthday, he successfully swam 77 lengths of the indoor pool. The pool there is 29 metres long and by our reckoning (with a bit of help from Google) that equates to 2233 metres or 1.38 miles. The purpose of Jim’s amazing effort raised over £1200 for the Rotary PolioPlus programme for the worldwide eradication of Polio.
Silloth Rotary Past President Jim also has the unusual distinction of having achieved 100% attendance at the club in his 36 years of being a member and that is a total of 1892 meetings!
If you are a fellow Rotarian and plan to visit us, please try to contact the secretary or another club officer beforehand. That way we can ensure that a meal will be available and that you will be properly welcomed. Please note that Rotary meetings are not open to non-Rotarians unless invited by a member of the Rotary Club of Silloth-on-Solway or they are accompanying a visiting Rotarian.
A slightly unusual view of Silloth-on-Solway
