Meet Our Members

This is why just some of our members joined....

I attended the Reachout event to help out a friend who was a Rotarian. I really enjoyed the welcome and camaraderie of the event and liked the impact we had on our guests. I wanted to do more like that and so shortly after became a member and haven't looked back since. For me, Rotary is a group of friends who club together to do really impressive things that none of us would be able to do on our own and we have a great time doing it.

At my secondary school the head master was a Rotarian who asked all sixth formers to join with Christmas collections. I went along and enjoyed the fellowship with Rotarians whom I had grown up with in the local community. I worked with Rotary each year until I was asked to join Rotaract (a sort of junior Rotary Club) . It was great fun and after a few years in Rotaract I was invited to join Rotary. For me it is about the difference we can make as a group to the lives of those most in need. Community service is at the heart of everything we do locally and internationally. Go Rotary.

I joined the local Rotary Club at the invitation of someone well known to me. The reputation of Rotary seemed to offer a positive role in life and activity I expected to enjoy. I was not wrong.

My reason for joining was simply that I met someone whose daughter was at school with my daughter, he involved me.

Following recent retirement, we wanted to meet and make new like minded friends (which we have now in abundance), where we could contribute our time to make a difference to our local community and support a worthwhile charity. The whole experience has been such fun to !

I make no bones about it when I joined Rotary I thought it would be good for my business! I found there were many more opportunities to give time rather than receive orders for my company. As time went on I really understood this is what I needed.

When I was young I could just pick up disabled or mentally challenged youngsters and take them home to my parents house for tea (this was what they wanted a normal family environment) Now thanks to progress & health & safety you stand no chance! Thanks to Rotary I am now Midas trained DBS checked & many other things that are needed to do a little bit of social work. This is all done so that our club can do the functions in the community that we want to do legally. It also means when I or my wife want to pick up a disabled person or a child with problems to take to any function we can borrow a van (for a donation of course to the charity) & drive them to wherever & whatever they wanted to do. I am now in early retirement able to do the things I enjoyed as a teenager! Well some of them!.

Thank you Rotary there is no way I would of worked my way through all the red tape required

Happy Days

I was attracted to joining the Club by the persuasion of a Member I met. It was after joining that I found two very good reasons for staying. The first was the way the Club was dedicated to serving charitable causes, the second that it was also dedicated to being

sociable and friendly to all the members. ”

For me it was a combination of reasons. I had happy memories of my time in Rotaract before Medicine and rearing children made it too difficult. I was raised with experience of raising money for charity and helping in the Community as a pupil of Croydon High School. When I retired I found time, at last, to become a member and have found some lovely friends who share my interests in Fundraising while having loads of fun together.

I feel that Rotary reigns world wide giving its members opportunities to use their skills for service in their community.

I joined Rotary because I met some of the members and discovered

that their aim was to genuinely support others who need help

regardless of their personal circumstances. In joining, I have discovered

a beautiful group of people who recognise they are blessed and can be

a blessing to others. Scientifically it has now been proven that helping

others has significant positive mental health benefits and this is evidenced

within the group who remain cheery and encouraging even when life throws

its inevitable curve balls.

It is a pleasure to be a member of Sanderstead and Selsdon Rotary.

My reason for joining the Rotary first and foremost is about service of others. The value to give back to the community and change lives as well as the opportunity to connect while supporting people in most need. It is gratifying to be a part of an organisation that place service above oneself. Being a member of the Rotary club, I enjoy the community spirit and the ever ready to help attitude. Love the fun activities particularly the young person’s challenge, celebrating success and the Annual Christmas hampers for the elderly. It is nice to see the big smile on the face of people on a Christmas morning!

Sometime back possibly 2005 my company reroofed Bernard Goss's house and he invited me to a

Rotary lunch at Elio's restaurant in the village, I attended possibly 2 or 3 meetings but soon realised

that a lunch really meant probably three possibly 4 hours out of my day which wasn't feasible at the

time moving forward possibly 5 or more years I went to a potential clients house who I new from

previous business dealings who had in fact retired said he was involved in Rotary and really enjoying

himself, knowing Tom Ho who was a good friend of mine from the early eighties and a keen Rotarian.

I asked him if he was still involved... Tom being a man of few words said without flinching "I will pick

you up at 12 wear a suit" six days later at 12o/c he arrived on my drive. And as they say the rest is

history. It was certainly the right time for me at that moment So sad that Tom is not with us but

certainly his memory lives on in our hearts and with the Tom Ho Bus. GOD BLESS YOU TOM.

When we both joined we were encouraged by Ben who was President at the time, someone we had known for years and who extolled the virtues of giving your time for charitable work whilst at the same time enjoying the company of new friends and acquaintances. I have thoroughly enjoyed the new friendships, certainly got me out of the house (when such a thing was allowed, of course!) and despite the hard work involved on occasions thoroughly enjoyed our events and outings for ourselves and others. An excellent organisation

with great ideas.

Why did I join Rotary? Well it was all due to Father Christmas. One year one of the

Father Christmases that Rotary provide to staff the grotto was not able to do it so

in desperation I was asked if I could step in. I enjoyed brining so much pleasure to

the children that when I was asked the following year to help again I willingly

agreed. It was then I started to learn who the Rotary Club were and what they did,

although it was some years later before I was in a position that I was able to become

a full member. I had seen the care they took in selecting the causes they supported

and the real difference their support made that attracted me. And the fact that I had

so much fun while raising the money kept me in the club. I was never expected to

put my hand in my own pocket unless I wanted to but just give a little time to help

out at a fundraising event, and over the year they were able to raise thousands of

pounds, last year raising over £20,000 even though we were in lockdown!

Of course I have made a lot of new friends who are only too willing to help me if I

need it. I have missed being able to meet up face to face so I look forward to the time

when we can all get together. Have a drink and plan the next event.

I have always wanted to do something about the problems faced by poorer communities across

the world, but how much can one person achieve ? That’s where Rotary is such a winner. As a team we can do so much more, as well as seek each other’s expertise in so many ways, all while having fun and making friendships. What could be better?

I joined Rotary as a fresh outlet for my energy and an enthusiasm, having been retired

for 5 years from a very active and public committed role for over 50 years and not

wishing to become too sedentary . We had at stable family life with few commitments,

and I’d had to postpone my active motorsport interests with several clubs and leading

London Walking historical tours, due to a medical condition and suspension of my

driving license. Rotary offered me the camaraderie of working together with like minded

people on initiatives supporting the well being and promoting events for the benefit of

lonely individuals, the local and wider community.

It was all an accident really. I just happened to bump into an acquaintance in Selsdon whilst on my way to the bank (when we had one). It was a lovely sunny morning and Roger suddenly appeared from nowhere to ask how I was…..the usual exchange of pleasantries followed.

At that point I’d been retired for about 18 months, although I was still working 1 or 2 days a week. Roger suggested that I was far too young to be retired (he was always a smooth talker) and that I would need to find something to occupy the copious quantities of time that I would now find available to me (even after tackling the “to do” list at home).

I had to agree that I would need a new focus….and an excuse to get out of the very long list of work items around the hous….that’s when he sprang Rotary on me! I remember thinking that Rotary membership would be a great way to “give something back to the local community” and to “make new friends”. My existing circle of friends mostly includes ex-work colleagues and school/college friends none of whom live in or near Croydon, so this presented me with a great opportunity to generate new friendships closer to home.

A few lunchtime meetings later, having enjoyed great conversation and much laughter and jollity, it was clear to me that membership of Rotary would be a great way to spend time. I have made lots of new friends and have enjoyed being involved in local community projects over the last 4 years and I fully plan to continue doing so into the future.

The clubs’ focus is local but our reach is global via the wider Rotary organisation. The club has a great gender balance and although most members are at or approaching retirement age, collectively we have a far younger mentality and outlook. Join us and find out for yourself.

I joined Rotary after I retired in order to become involved in the local community

and help others, especially the elderly I’ve made many good friends in Rotary

and had lots of enjoyable and memorable experiences

Why Didi I join Rotary ?

I often feel, that I have been a Rotarian for a life time. It is certainly the most important part of my life now. I would find it hard to be with out ,the caring and loyal friends in my club. They some how find the time ,to support each other ,through the joys and grief in our daily lives. Long standing membership is appreciated As so many of my family and friends here in the UK ,and abroad have been members of their clubs. And I have supported their clubs.

Especially in Canada ,where I have been an honouree member of a large Toronto club. They support the Canadian Opera company and many charities like the AZOOR Society that I set up ,when my daughter Liz Upchurch who lives in Canada ,developed this very rare condition. My club have been wonderful and always supported fund raising rambles and events for the AZOOR Society. In Rotary I can share the same principles of the British Red Cross Society Humanity, Impartiality, Neutrality ,Independence, Voluntary ,Service, Unity & Universality. And the power of Kindness ,that I believe is fundamental in every Rotary principle and action carried out by a Rotarian.

Not forgetting the fun and friendship. So that is why I joined Rotary as a full member. Rotary Rocks for me and always will.

ROTARY SANDERSTEAD & SELSDON

Meet our Members

This is why just some of our members joined....