Ilfracombe Rotary Club History

A brief history of Ilfracombe Rotary Club


A short history of our club with links to more details.

A Brief History of Ilfracombe Rotary Club

14 April 1926– 90 years ago: That is the date the club was chartered and so is the official beginning of the club. However, you could argue that the club was actually born on 1 February 1926, because it was on that day that Rev Johnson, Vicar of Holy Trinity Church and Prebendary of Exeter Cathedral, was elected President, along with officers and committee members. The club subscription was fixed at £1 – 11 – 6, and weekly lunches were to be held at Southcombes Restaurant on Wednesdays. The Rev Johnson and 13 other men were the founder members of the club, and were soon organising the sorts of things Rotary Clubs do, including a Christmas Tea and Entertainment for Old Folk which was started in 1927 and carried on until 1964.

28 July 1962: That was when St Nicholas Chapel on Lantern Hill above Ilfracombe Harbour was opened to the public by the Rotary Club. I think St Nicholas Chapel is a most fantastic project for the club to have been involved with. It is a story of how a building in a state of disrepair but of enormous historical interest was rescued by the Rotary Club, and, after much fund raising and detailed discussions with Ilfracombe Urban District Council, was restored and opened to the public. Over 50 years later, although the building is owned by North Devon Council (with whom we have an excellent relationship), the chapel is still managed by the club and is one of the finest attractions for visitors and residents. It is in outstandingly good condition and I doubt whether there is any other Rotary Club that has the privilege of managing a Grade 1 Listed building as a prime tourist attraction.

7 March 1992: That was the date of the first Startrek. This really is an amazing event which has been going for 24 years and still going strong. The idea of a sponsored tough 16 mile night orienteering event, meticulously organised with the welfare and safety of participants of paramount importance, has appealed over the last 24 years to 8239 walkers. On 7 March 1992, Startrek, organised by a committee under Peter Hughes’ chairmanship with Hunter’s Inn as the base camp, attracted 220 walkers who raised £9,800. Since then, Startrek has raised over £3/4 million – a truly astonishing amount. The amount raised in a single year peaked in 2008 at £62,000, but this year’s Startrek (2016), under Ann Doody’s chairmanship, has been another highly successful event.

9 March 2004: Controversial to some at the time but now so normal, this date marked the admission of the first women to Ilfracombe Rotary Club. Pioneers they may have seemed at the time, Erica Castle and Diane Denney were the first of many more women who have enriched the club in so many ways. Now, in a club of just over 40 members, 16 are women. That we are a mixed gender club is now so natural that anyone might wonder what all the fuss was about. The club has members, some of whom are male and some of whom are female. All can and do fill all positions in the club, including President. In our succession plan for the next 10 years or so, there are an equal number of men and women expecting to become President.

10 June 2015: We have recently sponsored an Interact Club for 6th formers at Ilfracombe Academy, thanks to the hard work of Martin Mather and others. The Interact club was chartered on this date and is flourishing. It must be to young people that we look if Rotary is to move forward during the rest of this century.

Further information can be obtained by visiting this link to a pdf file: History of Ilfracombe Rotary Club

With grateful thanks to Rotarian Ian Stuart for providing this information and allowing us to use it here.

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Ilfracombe Rotary Club Logo

About Our Club

back This is a brief overview of our club and its history. Please feel free to explore additional pages.

'What We Do' Main Pages:

Supporting Ilfracombe Academy, Ilfracombe Interact and local junior schools at ilfracombe and West Down

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The photo shows the two essential Oxygen concentrators being unpacked at Kagando Hospital alongside two local Rotarians are Canon Dr Benson Baguma the hospital Director and with the stethoscope is Dr Kemigisha the emergency doctor.

A recent delivery of essential medical equipment was couriered from North Devon to a remote Hospital in Western Uganda.

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Ilfracombe Interact Club organised 25 boxes for the Rotary Shoebox Appeal

Ilfracombe Rotary Club is the sponsor Club to Ilfracombe Academy Interact Club and we act as mentors and guides as they carry out projects

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President Jan Parkin as bingo caller

For World Polio Day 2021 we organised a fund-raising Bingo night with a purple theme

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Here are the details of the recent Young Chef Area Final at Petroc College, Barnstaple with photographs of the District Final.

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Honey Farm Project in Swaziland

Ilfracombe Rotary Club provided finance to kick start a honey Farm in Swaziland

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Our lunch meeting on 24th May 2016 had a speaker from the Devon Air Ambulance Trust.......and it was Young John's birthday!

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Ilfracombe Rotary hold a 'pop-up' Charity Shop each year to raise money for local good causes.

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We raised money to help finance the Kira Farm Training Centre Project in Uganda. Empowerment through Education

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Rotarians carried out a beach clean at Hele Bay as part of Environment Week 2021.

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Ilfracombe R C Treasurer Rtn Nigel Vince; ilfracombe Academy Associate Member Deputy Head Steve Rogers; Ilfracombe R C President Pam Cox; ilfracombe Academy Associate Member, Principal Sharon Marshall; Rotarian Ian Stuart; Ilfracombe Academy Assistan

Ilfracombe Rotary Club is branching out in offering Corporate Membership to organisations, corporations and Schools, inviting them to participate in giving back to the community through the well-organised systems and structures of Rotary.

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Rotary Citation Award 2019-2020

Our club were delighted to receive the Rotary Citation for presidential year 2019-20, the most significant award a Rotary club can achieve, for our commitment to achieve our goals, helping strengthen Rotary and shape our future.

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Short clip of our activities / fund-raising / fun events

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Members at our 90th Charter Lunch at Ilfracombe Golf Club.

This is a brief overview of our club and its history. Please feel free to explore additional pages.

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The youth committee and club have been supporting Ilfracombe Youth Football with the supply of their new strip.

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Ilfracombe Rotary joined in the Rotary International Billion Seed Challenge

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President Ann Doody

President Ann Doody taking on the role of President of Ilfracombe Rotary for the second time

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Our 'Pirate' Theme stall at the Sea Ilfracombe Maritime Festival

We had a fund-raising stall at the recent Sea Ilfracombe Maritime Festival with Treasure Hunt, Name the Pirate and raffled a Luxury Hamper

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So many local community groups have benefited from funds raised by Ilfracombe Rotary

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Rotary Opens Opportunities for All - Help us make a difference in our Community - we welcome anyone from 18-80

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St Nicholas Chapel perched on Lantern Hill

St Nicholas Chapel, restored in 1962 by Ilfracombe Rotary and run by volunteers during the season.

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New 'Friends of Rotary'

A new initiative 'Friends of Ilfracombe Rotary Club' has been introduced.

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HRH The Duchess of Cornwall talking to Rotary Paul Williams at the 30th Anniversary of CHSW

Rotarian Paul Williams was invited to represent Ilfracombe Rotary Club at a recent visit by HRH The Duchess of Cornwall to Children's Hospice South West for their 30th Anniversary

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Disaster aid and Sustainable Projects

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May Pole Dancing

The Club is involved with many local community events. This can be in the form of marshalling at the Ilfracombe Jack in the Green procession for May Day, The Carnival in August, Lighting the Lights and other major events.

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Presentation of cheque to North Devon Hospice

Organised by Ilfracombe Rotary Clubs, Startrek was an annual orienteering event which raised in excess of £900k, most of which has been donated to North Devon Hospice and Children's Hospice SW

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Looking after the welfare of the club

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Kira Farm Project 2010

Ilfracombe would like to hear from other District Clubs on any project they are undertaking and would like partners to help with funds and achieving matching grants

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