In August 1840, sight unseen from London, Henry Dendy purchased 5120 acres (2070 ha) of Port Phillip land for 1-Pound Sterling an acre (AUD190 equivalent value today). “Dendy’s Special Survey”, as it became known, formed the basis for the settlement of Brighton. In sharp contrast, the current median house price in this affluent subdivision is about AUD2.7m.
But affluence in a community often disguises need, and this is where Rotary Brighton excels. Proud of its high impact initiatives, not only in hands-on community projects, but also with “FUNdraisers” [sic], the Club supports needs such as youth training and mentoring, domestic violence counselling and extensive philanthropy across the local community and in developing countries.
Formed in September 1973 with 23 Charter members, the Club now has nearly 100 members, making it one of the largest, numerically, in Australia and, certainly through its diverse membership and big events, one of the biggest fundraisers.
To quote President Robert Ward: “This year has been a tad more challenging than most with our traditional fundraisers and vibrant face-to-face meetings on hold due to COVID-19.” This of course is an understatement, applying to all Clubs across the Rotary world, but…hello Zoom!
“Zoom certainly made changeover interesting, which was a full uniform Star Trek affair,” advised President Robert. Amazing… ‘Trekkies’ are everywhere!
One notable Club fundraising initiative concerns face masks. The Club has enabled a migrant Ugandan community to be more self-sufficient by teaching them to sew, not only feminine hygiene packs and school uniforms, but also face masks. Sales are open to everyone with the masks coming in great patterns and being DHHS compliant. Click on this link for information on how to purchase them: https://store.yimbauganda.org/
Another new fundraiser and one that is open to all Rotarians, is Rotary Wines, an online site where you can order selected wines for delivery that have a small margin for the Club. Click here to order yours: https://rotary-wines.myshopify.com/
As with all clubs, current times are not easy, but President Robert’s philosophy is: “We’d never let a little something like a global pandemic get in the way of Rotary… so stay tuned!”