Service above Self

Rotary has worked for our communities, largely behind the scenes, for over 100 years. The South Wairarapa Rotary Club has not been around quite that long, but has been very active in providing a wide range of facilities from Youth programmes, student bursaries and scholarships and international exchange programmes, to environmental and community projects and awards and of course the famous Martinborough Fair!

Recently, Mayor Viv Napier and Rotary Youth Leadership Award (RYLA) recipient Georgia McNeill addressed the members at a weekly meeting held in the South Wairarapa Workingmen’s Club.
The Mayor outlined aspects of the proposed council amalgamation plan. She indicated that the outcome of the current consultation process was not a foregone conclusion and elements within local government were divided on the issue.
Viv said she hoped there would be a poll and urged us to put in our submissions and then to make sure we cast a vote in any resultant poll.
The Mayor said that notable among the SWDC’s achievements since the recent election has been the wastewater-to-land project near Papawai, involving the amalgamating the Kapiti Gliding Club with the existing club at the Papawai site, and the provision of two gliding scholarships – one with the marae, the other with Kuranui College.
RYLA recipient Georgia thanked us for the award, coupled with a Martinborough Fair scholarship. She enthusiastically recounted some of her taxing but rewarding experiences on the RYLA course with highlights including: developing and executing a fund-raising exercise (eventually raising $1300 for Emergency Response Kits in the Pacific), lunch with Her Excellency the Governor General, raft building and conquering the High Ropes confidence course.
The South Wairarapa Rotary Club has been busy in the last few months, running the Martinborough fair in February and March and giving out over $20,000 in grants to community needs and organisations.
Each month, similar amounts are granted to a wide range of applicants. Funding applications can be made via our web site www.swrotary.org.nz/funding
The club recently celebrated the Martinborough Fair’s 40th anniversary with a very enjoyable function at the Martinborough Golf Club, at which further funds were made available to Inner Wheel and Martinborough Lions for their valuable assistance at the Fair.
Enquiries can be made by email to info@swrotary.org.nz, or by phone to 0800 4Rotary.