Contact us at

Category: Events

Categories
blog Events Members

‘Bouled’ Over!

Boules Competition 24/05/23 (1)
Competition in full flow!
Boules Competition 24/05/23
Boules Competition 24/05/23

Swanage beach was the venue for the inaugural Club Boules competition this week, superbly organised and run by one of our new members, Helen Hardy.

More than 30 Rotarians and guests assembled on the main beach, competitive juices flowing, for the event held on a beautiful late May evening with sunshine a-plenty and virtually no wind to spoil it.

Competitors drew partners from a hat (well, a tin actually!) and were split into four groups of three pairs teams. Each team played each other over 4 ends to decide the quarter final line up.

Boules Competition 24/05/23
Boules Competition 24/05/23

The knockout stage saw the eight remaining teams battle it out, leaving just two to contest the final.

President Chris LeFevre and his partner, Rotarian Peter Davies, were the ultimate victors, defeating husband and wife team Robin and Pam Briggs in what can only be described as a one-sided affair, winning 7-1.

Grateful thanks go to Helen for an excellently organised event and one which we are sure will be repeated.

Boules Competition 24/05/23
Categories
blog Business Partners Events

Celebrating Our Community

Presentation Night (1)

Rotarians and members of our community came together in Mid March to celebrate the achievements of the past 12 months.

Presentation Night (2)
Presentation Night (3)

Swanage and Purbeck Rotary’s Presentation Night is an opportunity to recognise everything that has been done with local groups to try and make things better for the community.

Representatives of many of the groups who have helped or been helped by Rotary attended and we were delighted to welcome Swanage Town Mayor Tina Foster and some of our Business Partners too.

After enjoying a sumptuous buffet, lovingly prepared by our very own ‘catering dream team’, attendees sat down to hear about the key arms of Swanage and Purbeck Rotary’s activities – Community, Youth and International – the chair of each committee highlighting their major events from the past year.

Presentation Night (5)
Presentation Night (8)

Then it was the turn of International and Foundation Chair Maggie Hardy to deliver the annual ‘surprises’ of Paul Harris Fellowships (the highest honours in Rotary) to members of the community who had demonstrated going above and beyond.

Incoming President Dai Hounsell concluded the formalities with an overview of the way in which Rotary interacts with so many other groups in the community, following which many remained to network with other groups (and make sure that the buffet didn’t go to waste!).

Many thanks go to everyone who attended to make it such a positive evening. Rotary is now starting preparations for the next 12 months of service and looks forward to seeing many more people out and about in the coming months.

Categories
blog Events

Silver Saturday Success

Swanage and Purbeck Rotary were delighted to host their annual Silver Saturday event at the end of February, celebrating the older members of our lovely community.

A gathering of over 100 people, including guests, Rotarians and entertainers, assembled at the Emmanuel Church in Victoria Avenue, our usual venue for this event, to enjoy a sumptuous afternoon tea, with sandwiches, cakes and other goodies a-plenty, lovingly prepared by our catering dream-team!

Entertaining those present was renowned local magician and entertainer Kevin Burke, who amazed those present with his sleight of hand, and the Ukelele Band, playing many of their favourite tunes. We were delighted that Swanage Town Mayor Tina Foster was also able to join us and cut the cake celebrating the 118th birthday of the Rotary movement.

Town Crier Andrew Fleming was on hand to ensure that everyone knew what was happening.

Generous donations amounting to over £320 were collected from the attendees, which will go towards local good causes supported by Rotary.

Categories
blog Events Students Around The World

Musical Youth!

Swanage and Purbeck Rotary held its annual local heat of the Rotary Young Musician competition on Sunday 5th February and we were once again overwhelmed by the depth and range of talent on display.

Performers playing and blowing instruments and singing demonstrated their prowess at Swanage Methodist Church with an enthusiastic audience of family and friends enjoying every minute.

President Chris LeFevre was on hand to present certificates to all participants and the awards for the winners, who will proceed to the District Final at Canford School in Wimborne on Sunday 19th February.

We would like to extend our grateful thanks to St Mary’s Junior Choristers and the Purbeck Youth Choir for performing during the interlude.

44b3e3a8 e43a 4c44 b6fc 99ac0a4be605
6465e16c 3cd4 42e6 9a6b 06a15245efa7

The winners were as follows:

KS2 – 1st Place: Guiliana Forte; 2nd Place: Indiana Sanders-Wishart; 3rd Place: Hannah Kent; Highly Commended: Lily Fawcett

KS3 to 5 – 1st Place: Martha Harwood; 2nd Place: Nicholas Aiko Dando; 3rd Place: Abbie Yew; Highly Commended: Rosie Kent & Suzanne Lejeune

Categories
blog Business Partners Events

A Big Thank You to Humphries Kirk!

png image
President Chris Le Fevre receiving the cheque from Mari Wilson of Humphries Kirk

Among the many stalls at the Rotary Summer Fête and Craft Fair, held on Sandpit Field on Thursday August 11th, was a popular tombola stand set up and run by local solicitors Humphries Kirk.

The money raised was recently presented to Swanage & Purbeck Rotary and we were delighted to receive a cheque for over £220!

Rotary President Chris Le Fevre said “We are hugely grateful to Humphries Kirk for their very generous donation which will go towards local projects. Humphries Kirk have been a long-standing and valued Rotary Business Partner and their continuing support is much appreciated.”

Categories
blog Business Partners Events Members

Summer Fête Hotspot!

President Chris LeFevre reports on a scorching hot day in Sandpit Field:

After a two year absence, we were delighted to hold our Summer Fête and Craft Fair on Sandpit Field on Thursday 11th August.

Temperatures were very high, but despite this we had a steady flow of visitors enjoying the wide range of stalls and entertainment on offer.

These included traditional favourites such as hoop-la and the tombola, as well as more recent innovations such as the Cornhole game.

db8b7f36 d40a 410b 85cd df0472d79755

The refreshment tent and BBQ were on hand to sustain those attending and other options included vegan soups, craft coffee and, of course, Purbeck Ice Cream!

There were plenty of crafts on display too, as well as the ever-popular Boutique In A Bus.

Charities presenting included Sustainable Swanage, Planet Purbeck and the RNLI.

6496b612 0172 4077 9f28 a4c93db917cb

There was no shortage of entertainment either. Kevin Burke did his magic show (when he wasn’t striding around the field on stilts!) and music was provided by Karen Grant, local musicians Jurassic Roll’n Roll and the Ukulele Band.

18dcacc8 526a 4e8b 8381 ceb3e06f13f0

The Grand Raffle was drawn towards the end of the day, with prizes, most of which were kindly donated by our Business Partners and other local organisations, presented to the lucky winners. Those winners not present will find their prizes delivered to them in the coming days.

All proceeds from this event provide valuable funds for the many good causes that we are supporting.

cc891122 aa96 45b8 bfda 374faa988ecb

Our most grateful thanks go to all those who have helped to support the fête this year, including Friends of Rotary, Business Partners, Harman’s Cross Fête Committee members and, of course, the members of our Rotary Group. Here’s to next year!

Categories
blog Events

The Road Ahead

long road hero

It’s that time of year when we start to look at our targets and objectives for the new Rotary year, which begins on July 1st.

The group holds an ‘Assembly’ every June to identify the events that the CIO plans to run and the areas that it would like to support, assuming we are able to raise the funds to do so, in 2022/23. These include:

  • The Rotary fete on August 11 2022
  • The Young Musicians competition for school children
  • Help with the Friendly Food Club
  • Environmental projects including helping Greengage and restoring the Rotary garden
  • A host of Christmas events including the street market, Santa’s sleigh and charity Christmas mail
  • Christmas shoeboxes for deprived children in parts of the world less privileged than our own
  • A pop up shop to raise funds for various international projects including Rotary’s disaster relief charities, Shelterbox, WaterAid and the people of Ukraine 
  • Support for pre-school and primary schools in Swanage and surrounding villages
  • A range of projects with Swanage School
  • Initiatives to help local children get involved with various sports clubs
  • Silver Saturday – an afternoon of fun and refreshment for Swanage’s older residents

We look forward to seeing our wonderful local community at many of the events and sincerely hope that we will be able to raise the funds required to fulfil these plans.

Anyone who would like to know more about the group, what we do and how they can get involved can contact us via email here.

Categories
blog Events

A Jubilee To Remember!

60fd0d55 3ca7 41ab a648 d9f9c18d6b2e
b1ac4885 b4fb 49de be98 ee17c7725e06

The Platinum Jubilee weekend brought the best out of Swanage and Rotary was right there to help the weekend go with a bang!

From preparing food and delivering it to the site of the Street Party on Friday 3rd June (at 6:30am!) to stewarding both ends of the High Street to manning the Corfe Castle event on Sunday 5th June, Swanage and Purbeck Rotarians were hard at it to ensure that all the hard work that had been done by the Platinum Jubilee Committee, under the leadership of Linda Welsh, went like clockwork.

47ece4ff f4bb 488a a48a 1243250303b1
43e24adc e107 4704 969f a38e3f696db3

As ever, the unflappable Sue Whitton was at the forefront of the Rotary element of the organisation, with David Pike jumping to the rescue when it was discovered that the street party was short of bread and ham!

The event was extremely well organised with as many people in the town on the Friday as many people could remember.

Celebrations continued in Corfe Castle on the Sunday with the gathering at the Millennium Sports Field in West Street, where people were invited to bring their own picnics. Entertainment was provided.

It was certainly a weekend that will remain long in people’s memories.

2dbaba62 521d 41b0 a3c9 7db9606a0215
2b43f2f1 01f6 4f9d a71c 3fb95e67e86d
9766561f fb4a 42aa 92cc 9499f8950ece
Categories
blog Events

Foody Fun!

35723545 dc1c 4114 9818 55d45a2700a7
4084624f 86ea 47c9 81c9 86f2f8d345ab
f918b1ca 1654 4664 a478 727319db4e4f

Maggie Hardy reports on a fun morning of food preparation:

The Friendly Food Club, supported and funded by Swanage & Purbeck Rotary, held an event in partnership with the Swanage and Purbeck Development Trust at Herston Village Hall this week.

Fifteen youngsters and their parents and carers attended to prepare and enjoy a delicious vegetable stew and some chocolate cornflake baskets.

dd20e9c4 d2a6 4038 b92a d0cf51a491c6
40850179 9cb9 4207 b52f 20e02cf62822

In addition to the food, Kim Gallagher provided a craft session just before lunch while the food was cooking. Judging by the amount of chocolate that ended up everywhere at the end (!) everyone present thoroughly enjoyed the day.

Categories
blog Events

Silver Celebration

a08f049c 39c9 493b 8799 2e53051558dd
Good food and good company!

Saturday 26th February was the date that ‘Silver Saturday’ returned to Swanage, celebrating the older generation in our community.

An annual gathering before the pandemic, we were delighted to once again welcome more than 50 people to Emmanuel Baptist Church in Victoria Avenue, where they enjoyed afternoon tea and company.

This was exactly what everyone had been looking for after the last couple of years and the atmosphere was great with everyone getting involved and catching up.

01a4647f d010 4832 ba59 dde43b1a6744

President of Swanage Rotary Deirdre Selwyn and President-Elect Chris LeFevre cut a cake to celebrate Rotary’s birthday and there was some excellent musical entertainment to round the afternoon off.

We hope that everyone present enjoyed themselves and we are already looking forward to next year.