Thank you for visiting Rotary Albert Park's website.
Rotary Albert Park (part of Rotary International) is a group of neighbours, friends, and community leaders providing humanitarian service, encouraging high ethical standards in all pursuits and helping build goodwill and peace locally and worldwide. Our club was established in 1992 and has a long history of service. We have a membership of about 40 with a 50:50 gender balance.
Join us for Dinner where we can introduce you to the Club & its members, and answer any questions you may have about membership. For more information, contact us at any time.
We also have a Facebook Group and share many of our upcoming events there.
Interested in volunteering in and around the City of Port Philip? We're always looking for help! Register your details here.
Iron Will - Bill Gates Video
"Our foundation joined the polio fight almost 15 years ago. And in all that time, I cannot think of a more important moment than right now. Thanks to the commitment of Rotary and other partners, as well as the dedicated political leadership of polio-affected countries, I’m confident that we can create a world where no child will ever be paralyzed by polio again."
Watch video from Bill Gates about the fight against Polio in conjunction with Rotary, and its relevence now.
For full article, see https://www.gatesnotes.com/Health/An-important-moment-in-the-fight-against-polio?WT.mc_id=20210720100000_PolioUpdate_BG-EM_&WT.tsrc=BGEM
Meetings/ Events Click on date to book | Wed, 4 August | Wed, 18 August | ||
Speaker | John Croker | Dale Hoy | TBA | |
Topic | Human Rights Victoria Police | Club Social Night | District Governor | TBA |
Venue | Bleakhouse Hotel | TBA | Bleakhouse Hotel | Bleakhouse Hotel |
Time | 6:00 for 6:30pm start | 6:00 for 6:30pm start | 6:00 for 6:30pm start | 6:00 for 6:30pm start |
John Croker
Human Rights Victoria Police
John Croker is the Managing Principal Solicitor - Human Rights within Victoria Police. In this role, John delivers training to police on the protection of human rights in everyday policing, and also provides legal advice on a wide range of topics relating to human rights law.
John has previously provided specialised human rights advice and training across the Victorian Government as the Project Manager of the Charter Education Project whilst working at the Victorian Department of Justice and Regulation.
John is a solicitor and has previously worked as a lawyer and migration agent for individuals seeking asylum in Australia, along with previous roles in the Commonwealth and ACT Governments. John has qualifications from the University of Melbourne and the Australian National University.
Club Social Night
Venue Details - TBA, possibly the Bleakhouse Main Bar or Beer Garden
By popular demand, we're going to try a monthly Social Night.
Bring a friend, bring an appetite, bring a story, expect a chat.
No speakers, no formalities (unless something important arises), just a friendly catch up.
Solar Smiles Dental Foundation Melbourne has finally launched!
This is the Melbourne arm helping local community who are homeless, food or socially insecure.
We meet some beautiful people who identified as refugees from Russia & Brazil. As we delivered treatment they told us stories of their lives as professional musicians & being seperated from their young children in Brazil due to COVID. In our clinic we provide free dental treatment, lunch and a goodie bag with toothbrush, toothpaste and a range of beautiful Sukin products as a little pamper gift. The thing I found most interesting was although we delivered free treatment to help them, each offered their time or services to help us raise money for the charity
. In no way did this feel like a hand out but more a little helping hand up in these weird COVID times.
. In no way did this feel like a hand out but more a little helping hand up in these weird COVID times.If you would like to donate to this project, go to 
All donations above $2 are tax deductible in Australia
All donations above $2 are tax deductible in AustraliaWheelchairs for Rwanda - Update 7 July
Yesterday, thanks to Rotary Clubs here in Australia, including Albert Park, that have the power to connect & to take action when there is a need, we are celebrating the 1st rough-terrain wheelchair being fitted to a child in Rwanda. The 1st to help 1000+ children who have been diagnosed with cerebral palsy & need our help so they have better mobility so they can reach their full potential in life. How wonderful it is to think that we can help children on the other side of the world in this way.
Thank you again to the team that has bought such joy, not only for this child but for the entire family & I would imagine the community in Rwanda who see a child being helped in this way. That team connected together because of Rotarians taking action!
One of the greatest rewards in life is seeing a smile like this on a child’s face. Rotarians across the world give of their time freely to achieve a project such as this to help a child somewhere, as they know this great joy, time & time again!
Thank you.
Jenny Foster
Bay Street Book Stall - 2021
After our successful Book Stall in December last year, we are continuing it for this year It will be held on Saturdays in front of the Holy Trinity Church on Bay Street between 9am - 4pm. At this time, we are probably running it every two weeks.
The next Book Stall will be on Saturday, 24th July (TBC)
Every dollar we raise goes back into local community projects - medical and dental support, homeless hygiene care packs, under represented sporting groups, Dolly Parton Library recipients & so much more! We have quality recent release books as well as some old time favourites in almost every genre. Starting at just $2, you can't go wrong finding that next holiday read or finding that good quality stocking filler.
Cash and Eftpos Available.
Thirty five aged homeless and socially insecure residents live in Port Melbourne at Wintringham Hostel. They pay 85% of their pension to live in the facility and struggle financially with hygiene products, clothes and some small items of furniture for their rooms. This club project will be filling the needs directly of the residents through a strategic partnership with Wintringham management.
Wintringham is a specialised welfare company that provides housing and care to elderly, frail men and women. The sole motivating philosophy at Wintringham is that of social justice. For more information, go to (here) 
We have recently donated some lounge chairs to the hostel, see right
If you would like to help with this project, go to Donations above $2 are tax deductible in Australia.
Donations above $2 are tax deductible in Australia.
Our GG1982894 has just completed its target of 110 teachers training sessions and 4840 teachers.
Due to Covid-19, since March 2020, we shifted from actual physical training sessions (only 5 were conducted in Feb 2020) to online teachers training sessions from 4 June 2020. Online sessions meant 2 hours sessions per day for 3 days followed by online mentoring and assignments sessions for 3 months. This switch to online teaching allowed the project to save on all transportation expenses and number of banners needed. Plus exchange rate benefits and interest provided for extra funds gave an additional amount.
We now will conduct an additional 10 teachers training online sessions (440 teachers) for government aided schools in the same Pune district area plus give certification, awards and recognitions to the top performing schools and teachers.
Due to Covid-19, since March 2020, we shifted from actual physical training sessions (only 5 were conducted in Feb 2020) to online teachers training sessions from 4 June 2020. Online sessions meant 2 hours sessions per day for 3 days followed by online mentoring and assignments sessions for 3 months. This switch to online teaching allowed the project to save on all transportation expenses and number of banners needed. Plus exchange rate benefits and interest provided for extra funds gave an additional amount.
We now will conduct an additional 10 teachers training online sessions (440 teachers) for government aided schools in the same Pune district area plus give certification, awards and recognitions to the top performing schools and teachers.
Last year, during the lockdowns, little was able to be done except for packing care bags, and sorting donations that were and are being received.
We can’t believe the donations Brand new clothing, trakkies. T shirts, bras, undies, cosmetics etc, etc. We were given boxes and boxes of green and yellow trakkies, which we had to take them out to DIK
We have managed to get into the Unit twice this year. Basically tidying shelves and making sure stock is plentiful. At present we need trakkies (grey or black) together with socks.
There are so many donations it appears they are getting g ahead of us. The project is run very well in so far as one looks after the finances, Barry Smith has given us his factory to store and sort, Sylvie is the procurement person All in all we have our specific jobs. Bronwyn overseers everything
It is a great ongoing project and the Alfred are so grateful.
Despite the restrictions barring travel to Timor Leste, in country, they have still been able to proceed with the preventation part of the program. Attached (here) are some recently received photos.
If you would like to help this project, donate at All donations above $2 are tax deductible in Australia
All donations above $2 are tax deductible in Australia
In the destitute villages of Bodhgaya region of Bihar state of India, where normal children are considered by their parents as assets and those with mental health issues as liabilities, Bodhi Tree Special School was established with a clear vision to bring about attitudinal change. The school, through its very limited resources, offers help to approximately 1,000 families, as well as assists with the sanitisation of village hutments.
If you would like to help this project, donate at All donations above $2 are tax deductible in Australia.
All donations above $2 are tax deductible in Australia.
Women over 50 are the fastest growing group of people experiencing housing instability in Australia – often as a result of pay inequity, little to no superannuation or savings, divorce, domestic and family violence and time taken as unpaid carers. Adequate supply of social housing and affordable housing remains an enduring issue across Australia. Currently there are more than 40,000 applicants for social housing, on the Victorian Housing Register alone.
The Lakehouse is Melbourne's first Pop Up Shelter for women in need of temporary housing. For the Study report, go to (here)
Presentation of donation of $4,500 to One Ball. For more photos, go to (here)
OneBall is a free community program designed for young people aged between 8-18 years. The program provides opportunities for young people from CALD (culturally and linguistically diverse) backgrounds across Melbourne to play soccer in a social setting and encourages them to:
- be fit and active, and to enhance both their physical and psychological health and wellbeing
- develop positive cross-cultural relationships with others, and
- feel more connected and empowered to make a positive contribution to their community.
Presentation of $1,000 to Geoff Amor to support Orange Sky Laundry, see https://orangesky.org.au/where-we-are/melbourne/
Great District Working Bee at the Rotary Park in St Kilda, see (here)
This park is now in the planning process for a redevelopment in the new year
The shortage of emergency response vehicles is a serious problem being faced in the Western Cape, South Africa, with the numerous fires that need to be contended with. The lack of vehicles often leads to emergency services taking up to 40 minutes to arrive at disaster scenes, especially in more remote areas. It goes without saying that the vital lost time can literally mean the difference between life and death. With the help of Rotary Albert Park, The Rotary Club of Newlands were able to donate a multipurpose vehicle to the Emergency Volunteer Services (EVS).
Below are some stories and video of the project:
Rotary Albert Park runs a book recycling project where it collects books from local libraries and from direct donations, sort, redistributes and sell them in various ways (including on-line) to benefit the community. On the third Saturday of each month at the Farmers Market at Gasworks Park (weather permitting) we have a wide selection of these recycled books for sale. We are located at the back of Priscilla Jones' Cafe in Graham Street, Albert Park.
We also hold a book store on Saturdays in front of the Holy Trinity Church on Bay Street.
For more information on our book recycling project, go to (here)
Other Media Pages
The club is also on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter & Instagram. There are often additional posts entered by members and by other clubs, and it is a great way to get notified of events and functions.
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