Oh we all know about Rotary – they have lunch and do good works.

Well that may be true, but it’s not the whole truth. Read on……..

We are one of two Rotary clubs in Grantham, the other being Grantham Kesteven. We at the Rotary club of Grantham meet in the King’s Hotel on Monday at 12.55 for a meeting that includes a lunch, and we finish promptly at 2.00 p.m.

Like all other Rotary clubs we have men and women from business and professional background who wish to give of their time, expertise and efforts to make the world a better place. There are some fifty odd (some would say very odd!) of us who support local and international causes, have fun and learn about what makes the world around us tick. We also have a President who is the head of our club. This year 2009 - 2010 it is Rosalba Bertram, our first women President.

Over the years we have developed a Swimarathon. This is an event over the first full weekend in February when 200 teams come to the Meres Leisure Centre to swim and be sponsored for local charities and causes. Lasting as it does over three days it requires the dedication of all of the club members to make it work – no that’s the wrong word – to make it FUN. The swimmers and their supporters return year after year – and we started in 1989! – because they enjoy it and in the process raise loadsamoney. 2009 Swimarathon raised over £35000 for schools, homeless people, special Olympic swimmers, struggling families and on and on.

The club has supported many international projects too. We helped build a village in Sri Lanka after the 2004 Tsunami; send shelter boxes every year to disaster zones;  help primary schools buy Life Straws to ensure clean water for school children in developing countries and keep in touch afterward; help to found a project to prevent babies of HIV positive mothers being born with HIV.

These are just a few of the things we get involved in, but we have fun too!

For some years now we have a trip abroad, where possible meeting Rotarians; we support the Grantham Carnival, usually building and attending to a float for a local school; send young people on what has been described as the best leadership event in the UK; support handicapped youngsters to attend an outdoor adventure centre in the Lake District.

When you join Rotary you immediately have a family of over a million people who will come to you, shake your hand and offer friendship as soon as they see the Rotary badge you wear. They will embrace you – sometimes literally – as someone who has the same values of giving to those who need it most. Visiting Rotary clubs of the world is in itself a life expanding experience. It is not a soft option joining Rotary, but you only get out of it what you put into it. Rotary is fulfilling; it is challenging; it is a way of life if you let it be – and not a bad one at that. We have room for people with talent, integrity and energy who realise how privileged we are to be able to do all of these things, and as proof we as a club are growing all the time – but there is always room for one more!!!

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