Club in Focus – Rotary Club of Beckenham

The Rotary Club of Beckenham was formed in 1934 and is one of over 1,700 Rotary clubs in Great Britain and Ireland and 35,000 clubs worldwide. For more than 110 years, Rotary’s volunteers have used their passion, energy, skills and intelligence to take action on sustainable projects.

All Rotary clubs have local projects and Beckenham is no exception. In the run up to Christmas each year we accompany Santa’s sleigh around the neighbourhood collecting money for children’s’ charities.

In 2018 we collected over £11,000 which we have donated to many local charities including the Freddie Farmer Foundation, CASPA, Petts Wood Play Group, Churchfields Music Therapy and the Friends of the PRUH. We also provide volunteers to help the fundraising efforts of other charities including acting as marshals for St Christopher’s Hospice Fun Walk.

We support national charities too. In fact, our biggest project each year is to organise the Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal in Beckenham. This is a six-week operation from the distribution of the poppies to over 300 collectors to gathering and counting the donations. Last year we collected £37,000 for the Legion. 

At the end of September we hold a Community Swimalong where we encourage swimmers of any ability to join us in swimming a cumulative marathon.  In 2018 we raised over £3,000 for BBC Children in Need and this year we are supporting the Royal National Lifeboat Institution. Our annual quiz also raises money for international charities.  In recent years we have supported Shelterbox, Médecins Sans Frontières and Safe Anaesthesia Worldwide. 

All in all, Beckenham raised nearly £60,000 for charitable causes last year and had fun doing it. For more information contact Peter Braithwaite at: Peter.braithwaite45@gmail.com