Rotary Club of Horsham

We received 84 requests to Making a Difference in the first year of operation and donated over £15000

 The Rotary Club of Horsham introduced a new scheme from March 2011 which aims to try and 'make a difference' to some individuals, families and organisations  in and around Horsham. These are tough times and probably many people in our lovely country town will be affected by the cutbacks, price increases etc that are expected in the coming months. The Rotary Club has existed in Horsham since 1923 and in those 88 years has helped many people and organisations..in 2010 alone we donated over £25000 to many local, national and international causes . 

 In recent years we have become mainly noted for organising events, especially for children,  such as the Kidz Stuff Festival, Trick or Treat Competition, Town Centre Pancake Races, Halloween Activities, Charity Markets etc.  These are fun to arrange, add to the Community spirit and also raise much needed funds.

In 2011/12 we would like to demonstrate the giving and service side of Rotary. Rotary's motto is 'service above self' and the Horsham Club has over 40 men and women from a wide variety of backgrounds who give freely of  their time and energy, and  in return gain considerable enjoyment and satisfaction.  Rotary is a global independent  Charity , widely trusted,  and therefore is an ideal organisation to assist all sectors of the Community.

We are going to allocate  at least £1000 from our funds each month to help individuals , families and not-for-profit organisations with small donations, small items or the provision of services where this assistance will...'make a difference' . Anyone can apply for help...and the whole process will be simple and speedy....just tell us what you need, and why you need it  and how it will 'make a difference'  to you, your family or your organisation .  Since it is unlikely that we will be able to satisfy all requests received, we intend to work with the local media to advise the community of what we have achieved and what requests we cannot fulfil. We hope that by making the needs of our Community public, other organisations or individuals will be encouraged to lend their assistance to this initiative  and hopefully donate funds to enable more requests to be satisfied.

How to apply to 'making a difference'

Any individual or not-for-profit body can apply by  going to the 'Contact Us' page and sending us a message containing  your details, the help that you need and the difference that it will make. We may  contact you to discuss your request. Our award panel aim to review all requests received and make their decision within 2 weeks. If Rotary cannot help then we will, with your permission, publicise the request in the media. The names of applicants, successful or not,  will remain confidential unless you give permission for us to use it.     

If you prefer to apply in writing, please send requests to the address below.

How to donate to 'making a difference'

Donations to the fund can be made by sending a cheque ( preferably with Gift Aid authorisation where appropriate) to the Rotary Club of Horsham, Birkdale, Greens Lane, Mannings Heath, RH13 6JW. Cheques should be made payable to 'Rotary Club of Horsham Making a Difference'. If you wish donations to be for a specific cause or request, please tell us . We will publicise in the media and to the recipients all donations made unless requested not to.

Together we can try to help each other get through these difficult times.

In the first year of the scheme we received 84 requests and donated over £15000 in satisfying most of them.