We have also worked with the Michael Sobell Hospice, the Ruislip-Northwood Old Folks' Association at the Tudor Club in Eastcote by providing food, transport, and on occasion entertainment and with the Hillingdon Dementia Action Alliance

We enjoy raising money to help charities

One of our biggest fund-raisers each year is the annual Christmas Santa collection around the streets of Ickenham and Hillingdon. It has become a tradition over many decades. We have added to that sum by hosting supermarket collections the week before Christmas.

We work abroad too

We support many international projects, directly through the Rotary Foundation, one of the world's largest private charities, but also through a variety of other international charities.

As a Rotary club, Elthorne-Hillingdon actively supported the Freda Carr Hospital and Nursing School in Ngora, Uganda, by helping to fund health professionals to train medics in the country. 

We recently donated uniforms, books and book storage facilities to the Shalom School in Uganda.

But one of Rotary's most significant challenges has been its role at the forefront of a global campaign to combat polio, as part of the End Polio Now campaign.

Over the last 30 years, Rotary has donated US$ 2 billion to the eradication effort and has protected over 2.5 billion children from the disease through vaccination programmes. Inspired in part by Rotary's volunteer commitment and fund-raising success, the Global Polio Eradication Initiative was launched in 1988.

The Rotary Club of Elthorne Hillingdon, chartered in 1978, has a Trust Fund which is a registered charity (No.1032574).

An International Project that the Rotary Club of Elthorne-Hillingdon are involved in:

ROTARY CLUB OF ELTHORNE-HILLINGDON DONATION TOWARDS SCHOOL UNIFORMS AND TEXTBOOKS PROJECT – SHALOM SCHOOL IN UGANDA

Shalom School

The school was officially opened in 2022 to give disadvantaged children the opportunity to have a better start in life, achieve great outcomes, make a positive contribution, and achieve economic well-being. Initially, the school started with 10 pupils, increasing to 200 by 2024, as a result, the need is now even greater.

School uniforms and textbooks project:

In 2020 the Uganda government introduced the new school curriculum. Despite the announcement, several schools were teaching the new curriculum using materials from the old curriculum. Shalom School is in a remote area and the majority of pupils are underprivileged, this meant that the school could not afford new textbooks nor could many of the parents afford school uniforms. Education in Uganda is not free to all and the available state schools are often miles away from some communities. So, parents have to pay school fees and fund all requirements. As a result, parents of pupils at Shalom School needed help to buy school uniforms and new textbooks.

An Elthorne-Hillingdon member who had connections with the school identified the need and presented it to the club. It was agreed that an initial donation of £200 would be made towards the purchase of 30 school uniforms which were distributed to unprivileged pupils, some of whom were orphans.

In 2023-2024 Past President John Greening suggested that we apply for a district grant and club members agreed that the amount received would be matched by the Elthorne Hillingdon Club. Our President-Elect for 2024-2025, Sarah Nakintu travelled to Uganda in December 2023 to visit the Shalom School and completed a local assessment to identify their most pressing needs. School uniforms and textbooks were found to be a priority as other needs (clean water and school buildings) were being met by charitable organisations from the USA. 

The Club's application to District was successful and we received a grant of £300. On receipt, this was matched by the Club, so £600 was donated to the school. The grant meant that Shalom School could buy textbooks (Maths, English, Social studies, and Dictionaries) as well as a welded aluminium book storage locker. 

As a result, 200 pupils now have access to textbooks for numeracy and literacy. They will learn to read, write and count. In the long term, the club hopes that this donation will help to increase graduation rates and result in self-sustaining citizens in the community. 

Rotary is for all ages

Rotary in Great Britain and Ireland (RIBI) runs several nationwide competitions for young people - entries are organised locally by clubs. with winners going forward to area, regional and eventually national finals. This includes public speaking and cookery competitions, as well as technology tournaments.

Elthorne-Hillingdon works closely with the Northwood School Interact Club. A club for secondary school children aged between 12 and 18. This is a young people's club which has raised thousands for local charities and helps to provide the students with skills for the future.

Rotarians from the club work with other schools in the London Borough of Hillingdon by helping with reading and also careers sessions.

In September 2020, the Rotary club launched the  Rotaract Club of Hillingdon, which is for young people between the ages of 19 and 35.

Rotaract clubs around the world bring together young people of university age and older, enabling them to exchange ideas with each other and leaders in the community. It helps to develop leadership and professional skills and allows the students to have fun through enterprising activities whilst raising funds for local and international charities.

Join our weekly walk

Rotary is about having fun and socialising, so why not join us on a Sunday morning for our weekly walk?

Every Sunday, we gather at either the Ruislip Lido cafe or the Rickmansworth Aquadrome car park for a leisurely mile-and-a-half to a two-mile stroll. Then we get down to the important business - coffee and a chat!  

To find out where we're walking this week and let us know you're coming with us, drop us a line using the Contact form dropdown and select Weekly Walk.  

We look forward to seeing you.