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.
Annual RAP Book Fair - 4th & 5th June
After a year's hiatus due to COVID, we are again holding our annual Book Fair at Albert Park College in combination with their LitFest on
- Friday, 4th June: 4:00pm - 6:00pm
- Saturday, 5th June: from 9:00am
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.
Cash or Eftpos available.
| Meetings/ Events | Wed, 9 June | |||
Speaker | Multi-club Event | Susie Cole | Lesley Thomas | |
Topic | IDAHOBIT Day | RIMERN | "Finding Fabulous Over 60" | Committee Reports |
Venue | Dick Whitington Tavern 32 Chapel St, St Kilda | Bleakhouse Hotel | Bleakhouse Hotel | Bleakhouse Hotel |
Time | 6:30pm start | 6:00 for 6:30pm start | 6:00 for 6:30pm start | 6:00 for 6:30pm start |
Rotary Marks IDAHOBIT Day - Monday, 17th May
International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Intersex-phobia and Transphobia
Instead of our usual meeting on Wednesday, we will be joining other clubs in the Port Philip and Stonnington clusters to stand together with all Rotarians & Rotoracters including our LGBTQIA+ community and allies, to make the world a better place for all LGBTQIA+ people, and also to showcase the opening of the new Victorian Pride Centre in St Kilda as a potential community engagement opportunity for Rotary clubs in the area.
It will be an evening cocktail party type event at the Dick Whittington Hotel in St Kilda on Monday 17th May. We shall have Judy Tang from the Pride Centre to talk on the progress on the Centre, and Dean Accuri aka "Community Darling Frock Hudson" as entertainment for the evening.
To book, go to https://events.humanitix.com/rotary-marks-idahobit
Susie Cole
Rotary Inner Melbourne Emergency Relief Network
Susie Cole is the recycled President of Rotary Prahran, in the chair for a second term after joining Rotary 6 years ago. She was recognised with the District 9800 Royce Abbey Champion of Change in 2018, a State Premier's Volunteer Champion Award for leadership the same year, she is a presenter on the Rotary & Community Service Radio Show on 94.1fm, for 4 years ran Rotary Prahran's Homework Club on the local housing estate and established RAMP, Rotary Aiding Mobility Program and Rotary Sews.
Susie is co-chair of RIMERN, Rotary Inner Melbourne Emergency Relief Network, which will be the third Emergency Relief Network established to supply household needs to a wide range of people in need across Melbourne. A past District 9800 End Polio Now ambassador, Susie is a proud & passionate Rotarian who believes that 'if you've done well you should do good". Susie is a mum, grandmother, feminist & traveller and lives her life with a profound 'attitude of gratitude' & a big sense of humour!
Susie will talk about RIMERN, and how Rotarians and friends can get involved in this exciting, multi-club Centenary of Rotary in Australia project.
For an update on RIMERN, go to (here)
Lesley Thomas
"Finding Fabulous Over 60"
Lesley recently self-published a book she wrote in Covid-19 lockdown after losing her full-time job and being popped onto the old-age pension by the government. :)
Her book is called "Finding Fabulous Over 60" and is about overcoming trauma, addictions, weight/health issues with yo-yo dieting, and detaching from a nightmare relationship.
She will speak on any of these topics, but the book is also about the journey, the miracles she experienced, some hair-raising experiences, and some crazy and funny experiences.
Her book is called "Finding Fabulous Over 60" and is about overcoming trauma, addictions, weight/health issues with yo-yo dieting, and detaching from a nightmare relationship.
She will speak on any of these topics, but the book is also about the journey, the miracles she experienced, some hair-raising experiences, and some crazy and funny experiences.
Solar Smiles Dental Clinic - 23rd May
After a delay caused by COVID, Solar Smiles Dental Foundation, Melbourne will be holding its first dental clinic on Sunday, 23rd May. This arm of Solar Smiles will be giving free dental treatment to the homeless and food insecure in and around Albert Park.
This has been made possible through a strategic partnership with Rev Sophie at St Silas.
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 Australia
We’ve been asked to ‘project manage’ a one-off fundraiser via Wheelchair for Kids for Heroes Day Care – a facility specializing in support kids with Cystic Fibrosis in Rwanda (which is next-door to Uganda, if you aren’t familiar).
166 wheelchairs have now been loaded for shipment to Rwanda.
Thanks to all those who helped out by donating.
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 22nd May
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.
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.
Alfred Hospital Care Packs Update
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.
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 https://www.wintringham.org.au/port_melbourne_hostel.html
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.
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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