The Rotary Club of Southport is hosting a special exhibition to celebrate its centenary.
The organisation, whose motto is ‘Service Above Self’, was founded in 1922.
You can discover more through the display on the ground floor of The Atkinson on Lord Street in Southport town centre, running until Saturday 24th February 2024.
The exhibition is free. Volunteers from Rotary will be on hand for anyone who would like to call in, say hello, discover more about the items on display, or find out about joining.
There are books of pictures of Rotarians over the years, lots of memorabilia, and plenty about their many projects to improve communities both locally and internationally.
They include their shoebox appeal, their work over Christmas, and their immense campaign to eradicate polio
The Rotary Club of Southport is one of the North West’s most senior clubs – certainly as measured by length of service!
The first Rotary Club in this region was started in Liverpool back in August 1913, followed by second place Chester (February 1922) and third place Southport, which was chartered as Rotary Great Britain & Ireland Club No.88 on 13th December 1922.
A special exhibition celebrating 100 years of The Rotary Club of Southport is taking place at The Atkinson in Southport. Photo by Andrew Brown Stand Up For Southport
For over 100 years, generations of members have been doing their bit to make Paul Harris’s vision of ‘Service Above Self’ a reality.
Many people do not know about a lot of the work that the Rotary Club carries out. This includes bringing people together and making connections and looking at ways to help protect the planet. The most significant humanitarian goal is to eradicate Polio.
Glenys Critchley from The Rotary Club of Southport said: “The exhibition is here until Saturday 24rh February 2024. We would love to welcome people to come and see it.
“We will have volunteers from Rotary here throughout the event if anyone would like to chat with any of us.
“If you have been a Rotarian, it will bring back some great memories – we have lots of memorabilia and lots of photo albums,.so it will be enjoyable looking through and recognising some faces you know!
“It has been a real undertaking sourcing everything and putting it all together.
“It’s only when you do something like this that you realise quite how much that Rotary does and how much it has achieved over the past 100 years.
“The overall campaign by Rotary to eradicate polio worldwide is the biggest one, and we also have one of the ShelterBoxes that we send out to disaster zones that make such a huge difference to families at a time when they need help the most.
“This is all about sending support directly to the people on the ground who need help in the most practical and effective way possible.
“There is plenty that Rotary has achieved in Southport too. In recent years, Southport Rotary has replaced storm damaged trees at Victoria Park in Southport; held shoebox appeals; organised charity pedalo races on Marine Lake; and created a memorial garden at Victoria Park.
“We raise a lot of money at Christmas that goes to support a variety of good causes locally.
A special exhibition celebrating 100 years of The Rotary Club of Southport is taking place at The Atkinson in Southport. Photo by Andrew Brown Stand Up For Southport
“We have some fabulous exhibits that people can admire, including pennants that we have exchanged with Rotary clubs from around the world.
“We have a minute book from the first Rotary Club of Southport meetings in 1922; it is so beautifully written. Handwriting was a real skill back then.
“In those days, there was only one person from each profession allowed to join.
“Many visitors might remember the popular Game and Country Fairs that The Rotary Club of Southport used to organise at Meols Hall in Churchtown every year.
“It was a massive fundraising event enjoyed by thousands of people, and we have some great photos of those days.
“There is lots to look back at and we hope people will call in and see the exhibition while it’s here.”
A special exhibition celebrating 100 years of The Rotary Club of Southport is taking place at The Atkinson in Southport. Photo by Andrew Brown Stand Up For Southport
Rotary and ShelterBox have worked together for more than 20 years, offering aid worldwide to thousands of families that have been devastated by disaster and conflict. Founded in 2000 by a Rotary member in the United Kingdom, ShelterBox provides emergency shelter and essential supplies to help communities through their toughest times.
Every disaster is different, and every community is different. ShelterBox doesn’t believe that one set of solutions works in all situations, so its team members spend time talking with affected families to make sure it can help them in the right way. By putting families first, ShelterBox provides the support families need to transform their own lives.
https://my.rotary.org/en/shelterbox-and-rotary
Do you have a story for Stand Up For Southport? Do you need advertising, PR or media support? Please message Andrew Brown via Facebook here or email me at: mediaandrewbrownn@gmail.com
