We all know about Rotary, right? A closed-off group of men of a certain age who get together for a meal a couple of times a month and do some fundraising, right? Actually, that’s a long way from the truth.
Anton Rudgalvis, Chair of the Membership Committee of the Rotary Club of Rushden, describes Rotary as a ‘best-kept secret’ and is keen that regular communication, such as the recent Open Evening, go some way to dispel some of the myths and help the club carry on attracting members, both male and female, from all sections of society.
“Everyone has an idea about what Rotary involves, and the less they know the more they build up their own ideas, and we’re on a mission to change that,” said Anton. “We have a whole range of membership packages in addition to Full Membership, including Corporate Membership, because the business community can play a big part in what we do. There’s also Associate Membership for those who aren’t sure whether it’s for them, and they can be Associate Members for a year before they commit.”
The Rotary Club of Rushden, like Rotary Clubs across the UK and internationally, is a friendship and fundraising organisation, as likely to be sending support and aid to clubs on the Polish border helping those caught up in the conflict in Ukraine as they are to be organising floral displays to mark the Platinum Jubilee in Rushden
town centre.
What is important is to encourage input from as wide a membership as possible, with the business community increasingly finding myriad benefits from getting involved.
“Firstly, there’s the Corporate Social Responsibility angle and the potential tax incentives from supporting us financially, as well as the opportunity to sit down with a room full of potential new clients on a regular basis,”
said Anton.
“The club benefits from not only their experience and skills – whether that’s ad hoc legal advice, or some IT support, for instance – and also from getting a completely different point of view.
“Similarly, many people don’t realise it’s not solely a men’s organisation these days, and the female point of view and approach to tackling issues is enormously beneficial to the group. More than 25% of our members are female – which certainly cannot be said of many clubs.”
Corporate Membership of The Rotary Club of Rushden allows a business to send two of its team to the fortnightly meetings at the Stanwick Hotel. Although it’s a maximum of two, it doesn’t have to be the same two each time and anyone from that business is welcome.
“It’s all part of putting something back into the community, organising events such as the Northampton Male Voice Choir Lite concert we arranged recently, or raising money for the local food bank – we use newsletters and social media to publicise the work we do, and that’s a great opportunity for local businesses to show they’re involved.
“Anyone who wants to join us just needs to get in touch and we’ll explain more about the club and how to join. We want to encourage people to play more of a part in what we do because the more people we have, the more we can do to help.”
To find out more about the Rotary Club of Rushden, contact Anton Rudgalvis on 07542 822385, email anton.rudgalvis@btinternet.com or visit the website www.rotaryclubofrushden.org
