Welcome from our President

                                                                                                      
 
Are you an established professional who wants to make positive changes in your community and the world? Our club members are dedicated people who share a passion for community service and friendship. Becoming a Rotarian connects you with a diverse group who share your drive to give back. 
President: Mike Englefield
 
Contact Us
Eltham

Service Above Self

We meet In Person
Thursdays at 6:45 PM
Enquiries: Secretary Denese Billings 0438 704 983
Heidelberg Golf Club
8 Main Road
Lower Plenty, VIC 3093
Australia
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Our District
Venue Map
 
 
Club Stories
 
Welcome to the Rotary Club of Eltham 2022-23
Posted by Dale Atkins on Jul 01, 2022
 
Rotary is a global network of over 1.2 million volunteers who share common interests in helping to create sustainable change – across the globe and within our own communities.
 
Locally, the Rotary Club of Eltham is an active and inclusive group of people committed to supporting those in need. We work on projects that support our local community, we support young people through education, self-development and student exchange programs and we also support international projects that address poverty, disadvantage and disasters.
 
In 2021-2022, the Rotary Club of Eltham donated $29,000 to projects in our community, and a total of $81,000 to both local and international projects. The full details of the Club's activities are contained in the Rotary Club of Eltham Annual Report for 2022-2023, which can be read online here.
 
Our club has 61 members, comprising men and women of all ages from a diverse range of backgrounds. We meet weekly for dinner at the Heidelberg Golf Club, have an active and stimulating program of guest speakers along with a number of projects on the go at any one time. And it’s not all hard work as we have plenty of friendship and fun too!   
 
If you would like to find out more about Rotary and the Rotary Club of Eltham, please contact us as we would be delighted to chat with you and invite you to a weekly meeting where you can meet others, enjoy a meal and learn more about what Rotarians do. 
 
President:       Mike Englefield   0408 514 850
Secretary:       Denese Billings   0438 704 983
Membership:  Lisa Kirton           0428 220 367 
Treasurer:       Lou Bolzonello    0411 885 600
 
admin@rotaryeltham.org.au
 
P.O. Box 134
Eltham, 3095
 
Community Organisations in Nillumbik and Environs
Posted by Kevin Hadingham

 

The Rotary Club of Eltham has compiled a listing of Community Organisations in Nillumbik and Environs.

If you are a prospective or new resident looking for ways to participate in the community? An existing resident seeking new community, sporting or recreational interests? A community organisation wanting to contact other groups with similar or complementary objectives? Then click on this link to download a copy with included web links to the organisations.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1IhoeCMVS5DNLwWFPQmY-99addDKv2aSe

 

 
2021 Can Food Drive
Posted by Kevin Hadingham
 
STREET-BASED CAN FOOD DRIVE – SEPTEMBER 2021

TAPPING INTO THE GENEROSITY OF OUR COMMUNITY
 
 
Many families and individuals are experiencing severe financial and mental stress due to the effects of the Covid pandemic and restrictions. The demand on food relief services in our area has more than doubled in the past 12 months. In response, the Rotary Club of Eltham decided to conduct a simple, Covid-safe Can Food Drive in September 2021, building upon the success of the 2020 appeal.

Rotarian members used their daily exercise allowance to letterbox 20 or so neighbours with an invitation to leave a can or two of food by their letterboxes for contact-free collection the following Saturday morning.

The cans were subsequently collected by each Rotarian while exercising and a “Thank You” note was left in the letterbox of donors. Five Rotarians (issued with Authorised Worker Permits for Emergency Food service) subsequently collected from groups of Rotarians homes and transported nearly 3000 cans to the Diamond Valley Community Support “Food Collective” project store by 4pm that day.

The generosity of our community came to the fore as neighbours donated nearly 3,000 cans to the Diamond Valley Community Support “Food Collective Project” to provide some relief for the many families in our area who are in need at this time. 

Kellie Wishart, Manager of the Food Collective project store summed up the food drive neatly:

 "That was an impressive haul. What an amazing community we are part of and (what) a terrific community group Eltham Rotary is." 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The Rotary Club of Eltham Takes Up the Environment and Sustainability Call

Rotary International recently announced their 7th pillar of Community Service around the world, which is ‘Environment and Sustainability’. The Rotary Club of Eltham was the first in Australia to organise a committee to explore their community’s needs. 
The Eltham tree canopy is disappearing, so they want to put in place an ongoing effort to turn that around. There are also concerns for our disappearing ‘habitat links’ and they are keen to reinstate them.
The plight of our great pollinators, our bees, are also in their sights.  Joining with Rotary Club of Canterbury, the team will get action started on community awareness, and the need for specific plantings in home gardens and reserves.
One of the centrepieces of their plans is to promote National Tree Day each year. A school program has been developed to encourage the next generation to enjoy and care for our environment. 
The target is to plant 6,000 indigenous trees in the first year.  While so many people are talking about the plight of our environment, they felt that it is important to roll up their sleeves and act on it immediately. With many supporters in the community, including: Nillumbik Shire Council; the Victorian Government through Vicki Ward MP and Major Road Projects Victoria; Eltham Men’s Shed; Edendale Farm, and other community groups, the Rotary Club of Eltham would welcome any other groups or community members who might like to join with them in this important ongoing initiative.

 
 
 
 
 
 
EndTrachoma Project
Posted by Kevin Hadingham
 
The Rotary Club of Eltham adopted the EndTrachoma toiletry kits project as a Covid Safe activity in the lead-up to NAIDOC week 2020. PP Kevin Hadingham encouraged members to participate. We had Dr Jim Poulter guest speaker to the club on the subject of "Marn Grook", the tribal aboriginal game which was a pre-cursor to Australian Rules football and some club members also subsequently accessed the online screening of "Homeland Story"
Some members purchased their own toiletries, whilst others wanted to support the project, but without doing the shopping exercise! P.E. Sally Squires offered to do some bulk buying and those members made a payment to cover the toiletries, bags and estimated shipping costs.  Sally sacrificed her lounge and dining rooms for a while to sort the kit components.
The sewing production team of Chris Field, Ann Lynch and Irene Cant rolled out 35 toiletry bags in one day!
Jan Aitken of the NRG (Nillumbik Reconciliation Group) and C.A.V.E. (Community and Volunteers of Eltham) delivered 15 completed toiletry kits. A great contribution, with every bag a different colour and pattern. This coincided with Irene delivering her contribution to Kevin's place.
The iron-on Rotary labels duly arrived in the mail and Ann ironed them onto the 50 bags without any burns or bubbles in the process!
All that was left then was to transfer Sally's contents packs into the completed and badged bags. Ann again led the charge one Saturday evening with the help of Brenda Ibels, Jill Ramsay and some bubbly to add sparkle to the process!
Kevin's garage then became the holding bay for the bags, while he arranged the final step of transport to Alice Springs.
The 50 kits were packed into 4 x 100 litre HD Bunnings containers, providing protection in transport and handy storage containers for subsequent use by the school. A good quote was obtained from Pack and Send, Eltham. They offer excellent service and have given us great support with a significant discount on the transport and warranty costs. The kits will arrive at the Education Stores office in Alice Springs (as instructed) when staff are back on deck after 18 January 2021. They will subsequently be forwarded to the Harts Range School (Atitijere).
 
 
 
 
 

 

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