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About us

Dawlish Water is a very friendly club that welcomes new members - men and women - who feel they would like to 'put something back into the community.'

We like to have fun, combined with great fellowship and the satisfaction of helping others. develop new skills and make new friends.

We use our skills and enthusiasm to help others and raise significant amounts of money for those in need of help - practical or otherwise. Our club centres on Dawlish but extends to men and women from all walks of life in an area stretching from Teignmouth to Kenton.

The wide range of activities includes fund-raising events, interesting speaker evenings and fun activities such as boules, bowls or skittles. There are also regular social events including special evenings for members and partners.

Fundraising supports numerous local and Rotary charities - a twice-yearly pub quiz and other major events form the backbone of this. Regular support is given to ShelterBox - the successful emergency aid charity -  Teignbridge Young Carers, Dawlish Community Transport, Assist Teignbridge, FORCE, the Children's Hospice South West,, Hospiscare, Devon Air Ambulance.

We have sponsored several major improvements at Strand Centre, the popular community hub in Dawlish, as well as other worthy causes. Substantial support is also given to other critical overseas projects such as polio eradication and provision of clean water and in recent times housing help for families made homeless by Russian aggression in Ukraine.

The club also maintain close links with local schools and each year donates cash prizes to schools taking part in the club's  annual schools' quiz; and we liaise with schools to organise a Christmas shoebox collection for Moldova and Ukraine, and run a Young Chef competition to encourage local students keen on a catering career.  Support continues to be given to local young people in many other ways.

If you would like to find out more about Rotary or membership, please contact: Ray Williams secretary, Dawlish Water Rotary email: secretary@dawlish-water.rotary1175.org

You can also find out more by visiting the Dawlish Water Rotary Club Facebook site.

 

Young Chef success for Dawlish College

One of the students of Dawlish College has proudly represented the College at the Rotary South West Peninsula Festival of Youth, taking part in the Regional Final of the Young Chef Competition in Newton Abbot.
 
Joni C was one of only seven students to reach this stage - an impressive achievement in itself! She had previously won the Local (Dawlish) competition and come second in the Area competition, held in Sidmouth.
 
"The standard of competition was extremely high, and Joni focused on her task brilliantly. We are delighted that Joni was up with the prizewinners, having been awarded third place in the competition, covering the whole of Devon and Cornwall.“ said Dawlish Water Rotary Youth Lead Stephen Allen.
 
Joni was given a certificate and a signed copy of a Rick Stein cookery book to add to the two trophies she had won in the earlier stages.
 
Joni's delicious menu was: Main -Tender slow cooked Moroccan style lamb tagine with aromatic spices served alongside basmati rice and a herby tangy yoghurt side. Dessert - Cinnamon and Apple crunchy crumble topped muffin served with vanilla custard.

 

Mega Quiz - another great success

Dawlish Water Rotary has held another amazing Mega Quiz  for pubs and clubs which raised more than £2,200  for local and Rotary charities.
 
The winners were the Bell Inn, Bovey Tracey, whose 18-person team  gained 140 out of a maximum of 150 points over the three varied rounds of questions. They win the coveted Heavitree Brewery trophy and £100 for their chosen charity.
 
Dawlish Warren Golf Club with 31 players came just behind with 139 points and win £75.00 for their chosen charity. Two teams tied on 136 points in third place but the Swan Inn, Dawlish, claimed the £50.00 cash prize as they gained the highest points on the last round.
 
Overall some 455 players from 30 pubs and clubs competed in the fun quiz and were supported by Otter Valley and Teignmouth Rotary Clubs as well as many friends and supporters.
 
The Bridford Inn in the Teign Valley attracted the largest team of players - 48 on the night - to claim a special cash ;prize of £50.00. Other top placings were:
 
4 -  South Devon Inn, Dawlish (136 pts).
5 = The Atmospheric Railway, Starcross, and The Globe, Chudleigh (135 pts).
7 = The Castle Inn, Holcombe, and The Fountain, Whimple (133 pts).
9 - West Hill British Legion ( 130 pts)
10 = Carpenters Arms, IIsington, and Bridford Inn, Teign Valley (129 pts).
12 = Palk Arms, Hennock, Teign House Inn, Christow, and The Artichoke, Christow (126 pts)
 
“ It was a great night thanks to all the people involved - and  a number of important charities will benefit as a result,” said Rotary organiser Peter Harrison.
 
The next Mega Quiz will be on Thursday, October 8. For further details contact Peter Harrison on 07767 894737 or  email  peterharrison500@outlook.com

 

Details will  also available on Dawlish Water Rotary Club’s Facebook page .

 

Help us with your holiday money

Have you been on holiday recently or are you planning a holiday break now ? Then please think of Dawlish Water Rotary Club when you get back.

Why is this important? Because it helps the club to raise money for local charities by converting left-over currencies. So if you have any foreign currency you don’t need, then Rotarians would be grateful if you could deposit this at one of the three Dawlish outlets who have kindly agreed to take part in the project. They are: 
 
Assist Teignbridge
The Strand Centre
..and a local travel agent 
 
Members of the Rotary club have also regularly contributed to the scheme which was devised by Dawlish Water Rotary President-elect Robin Buchanan and backed by the club.

“Please think of us when you come back from a holiday this year - there could be hundreds of pounds overall lying in old drawers and cupboards too, "says Robin. “ Individual amounts will probably be fairly small, but they all add up.”

From the latest foreign currency ‘pot' the club has just  agreed to give £50 each to Assist Teignbridge, the Strand Centre and the local travel agent’s charity. supporting the Dawlish charity AIMS.

 

Drive for new members

Dawlish Water Rotary Club  President Ed McLaughlin is a well-known figure in Dawlish, having  run the Swan Inn for many years with his wife Liz.

“ In this last year I have continued  efforts to establish a sound future for the club, which is one of the cornerstones of the local community.

“However, we need to keep on attracting new members to continue the survival of Dawlish Water Rotary and I am pleased that Robin Buchanan, who will follow me as President in he next Rotary year, §has taken on the specific role to increase membership. Many local organisations rely on our support and the recruitment drive is starting to prove successful.”

Chris White has the job of treasurer while Steve Marsh continues as head of community, Stephen Allen for youth activities and Gray O'Hanlon for International. Ray Williams also continues as secretary.

  • Luke Hill, a local Financial Adviser, was recently inducted as a new member and will; bring his skills to the Youth Committee


You can find out more about your local Rotary club also by accessing the Dawlish Water Rotary Facebook page.

 
PURPLE CROCUSES MARK POLIO CAMPAIGN
 
Despite the major work being carried out by South West Water, people living in Dawlish and visitors should still be able to admire sections of purple crocuses years ago in the town by local Rotarians -  but may not realise they also have a special meaning.
 
The crocuses are the symbol of Rotary’s greatest achievement, tackling polio - their purple colour matching the dye painted on the fingers of children who have been immunised. Hundreds of the purple crocuses were planted along the lower half of the stream and in a large circular bed nearby in the form of the Rotary roundel.
 

Rotary spearheaded the campaign at a time when there were over 1,000 polio cases a day in 125 countries, paralysing and even killing children. Today, the number of cases is down by 99.9% - an amazing achievement.

Polio, or poliomyelitis, is a paralysing and potentially deadly infectious disease that most commonly affects children under the age of five. The virus spreads from person to person, typically through contaminated water. It can then attack the nervous system. At its peak in the 1940s and 1950s, polio would paralyse or kill over half a million people worldwide every year, including the UK.
 
Today, polio remains endemic only in Afghanistan and Pakistan but it is crucial to continue working to keep other countries polio-free. If all eradication efforts stopped today, within 10 years, polio could affect as many as 200,000 children each year.
 

Dawlish Water Rotary Club is continually supporting this worldwide effort through regularly fundraising for the Rotary Foundation.

BELOW: Just a reminder of the crocus display before the extensive sewerage works got under way.

 

 

 

CONTINUING SUPPORT FOR FOOD BANK

Dawlish Water Rotary Club has continued to actively support the Teignbridge Food Bank - and this work has become even more vital with the pressure of rising food and energy prices.

Donations are made to HITS ( the Homeless in Teignbridge Support) food bank which provides the basic food requirements for households in financial crisis. They can also help with costs toward some essential services, such as electricity and gas.

The local food banks also help people in poverty by providing additional support to help them resolve the crises that they face, and, of course, they rely on the support of local communities to provide these needs.

 

PROVIDING CLEAN WATER - AND IMPROVING HEALTH

 

Dawlish Water Rotary Club is the organiser of highly-successful initiative to deliver clean water to the drylands of Africa. The project started in 2012 thanks to the late Roy East, International Chair at the time.

Clubs throught Devon and Cornwall have contributed regularly since that time, raising over £40,000 which has been match-funded by various sources. The funds - with contributions from other Rotary clubs in the UK - have been used to sponsor eight dams to date.

These dams comprise a reinforced structure build by the local community across sedimentary rivers to catch the flood waters that occur once or perhaps twice a year. The sediment builds up behind the dam and the water naturally filters down through the sand and sediment to create a underground storage and potentially a lifetime of clean water.

The water is protected beneath a layer of sand and sediment and from it comes the name Sand Dam. The water transforms communities, allowing them to improve health and hygiene and grow crops and trees to improve the local environment. Moreover, children can attend school rather than previously having to walk up to 12 kilometres to collect poor quality water.

It is a great example of how ROTARY REALLY IS MAKING A DIFFERENCE.

 

SUPPORTING SHELTERBOX IN DISASTER AREAS

 

Dawlish Water Rotary Club has again been recognised for its firm support for ShelterBox  - one of the most effective organisations for rapidly transporting emergency aid and shelter to disaster areas around the world.

The years of ShelterBox support headed by the late Bill Hande for 10 years and now by Rotarian and ShelterBox Ambassador  Gray O’Hanlon, chair of Dawlish Water International, have led to total donations of more than £33,000.

It has also earned the club a Silver Award and two Bronze awards in the last three years.

“This is an amazing result and, in many respects, due to the generosity of the people of Dawlish and the surrounding area,” says Gray.

Currently Shelterbox has been particularly active helping thousands affected by a hurricane in Jamaica, conflct in Chad and by a typhoon in the Phillipines.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Meetings & Venue

Where and when:

We meet on Tuesdays at 18.30

(Meetings venues vary but 3rd Tuesday meeting is on Zoom For further details, please contact: secretary@dawlish-water.rotary1175.org)


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Rotary serving communities through supporting foodbanks

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