PEOPLE looking in from the outside often believe Rotary Clubs are social groups for middle class members of society and professionals in their middle and later years.

And there’s no doubt that Rotarians like to enjoy themselves – having fun is one of the keys to their success.

But the underpinning philosophy of the Rotary movement is “Service Above Self” and one of Worcester’s clubs is celebrating 50 years of raising funds and supporting good causes - and enjoying themselves in the process.

The Rotary Club of Worcester South has never had more than 30 or so members and yet it can boast many achievements, has received much acclaim and has raised £250,000 for good causes in the past 15 years alone.

Chairman of fund-raising for the club David Scott said: “There is a great satisfaction in doing things for other people. All Rotarians want to give something back to society for having a good life. Everything we do is about helping people and that is what Rotary is about.”

He said in 2003 founder member John Bennett, of Lower Wick, negotiated with health officials to obtain redundant hospital equipment from the closed Worcester Royal Infirmary and Ronkswood Hospitals to send to Uganda.

The members of the Rotary Club of Worcester South filled a 40ft container and sent it to Masindi in Uganda. “They were so surprised and grateful for it all and that was amazing. I went out to see where it had gone a year later and they treated us like royalty,” said David.

“What we do is never a chore. We make sure we enjoy it.”

This particular club, one of four in the city, was chartered on April 22 1968, with the help of Worcester Rotary Club which made sure this fledgling get off the ground.

The first president was Ron Morris, who also became the Mayor of Worcester in the same year, and the early lunch-time meetings were held at the Old Talbot in Sidbury before moving to the Gifford Hotel as numbers grew. Members had to live south of The Cross, which was considered Worcester’s centre.

The club soon became very active and, in 1972, was one of only three clubs worldwide to be awarded a Significant Achievement Award from Rotary International. This was for the sponsorship of a trained physiotherapist in a remote region of New Guinea to help overcome goitres and congenital defects in children due to a lack of iodine.

For many years the club has supported the Rotary Foundation End Polio Now campaign and the Joe Homan Trust, which helps children growing up in poverty in South India and Thailand.

It sent a shipment of Braille books and clothing to the Institute for the Blind in Worcester, Cape Province, South Africa and collaborated with the Worcester Muslim Association in sending ambulances to Kashmir and a container-load of clothing following the huge earthquake in Pakistan. In 2009 it was awarded a Gold Award by the ShelterBox Trust as one of only five clubs in the UK to fund over 100 ShelterBoxes, offering emergency disaster relief across the world.

The club’s activities are too numerous to mention but it has always done a huge amount of fundraising for local, national and international charities. Its annual Michaelmas Market at Worcester’s Guildhall from the late 80s to the late 90s was a favourite.

It also organised the annual Dragon Boat Race Festival on the River Severn at Worcester from 2003 to 2008 - raising £50,000. Its mulled wine and mince pies stall at the city’s annual Victorian Christmas Fayre raised more than £100,000 over 20 years until 2016.

The club has also taken a keen interest in young people and one of its members, Geoff Elliot, ran Music for Youth from 1983 until 2012 and more than 100 musical instruments were bought for use in Worcester primary schools.

In 2006 it started a reading project helping primary school children with their reading on a one-to-one basis. It continues today.

It also created Swap or Shop, providing second hand books for pupils to read and keep, or swap for others and has run Young Writers’ Competitions and organised inter-schools quizzes.

Over the years it has also presented hundreds of Dictionary4Life books to Year 6 primary school children and supported the District 1100 Rotary Youth Leadership Award (RYLA) for about 10 years.

Other activities have included helping other Worcester Rotary Clubs with Christmas Parcels – a scheme providing food parcels for the elderly and needy in the community.

Members have organised coach trips and parties for people who don’t get out much and, for the past three years, have helped to organise a Christmas Peace & Friendship Party to bring together the very diverse communities in Worcester.

David explained that today the club, with just 19 members, is the smallest it has ever been and despite its ageing profile is still very active, meeting twice a month at the Severn Suite at Worcestershire County Cricket Club - with friends joining once a month.

Rotary Clubs used to be the sole domain of men but about 20 years ago opened its doors to women.

The first females to join the Rotary club of Worcester South were Gilian Woodbridge, Margaret Davison and Valerie Firminger, who all started in 2015. Shortly afterwards Gilian because Junior Vice President and presides as President during the 50th anniversary year.

She said: “I have the privilege of being the club’s first lady president.” She pointed out the many achievements, proud moments and relentless work put in by members. “This year we have supported charities, organised coffee mornings and a party for elderly people. Incidentally some of us were older than the participants.

“We wished to plant trees in memory of past members. This proved to be very challenging until we heard about an agreement between Rotary International Britain and Ireland (RIBI) and the Woodland Trust, who supplied trees that we have now planted at Dines Green Primary School.”

She pointed out: “There has also been a great deal of camaraderie and good fun.”

Denis Spiller, RIBI President, said: “Many congratulations, Worcester South Rotary, on this magnificent milestone in serving the community at home and abroad. Rotary is proud of you.

“The club has been closely bound to the community since the start and Worcester South has an admirable record of project success continuing to this day.”

District Governor Alan Hudson said: “Worcester South Rotary has been active over all its 50 years and has received plaudits and awards for its ground breaking projects, both in the local community and abroad, particularly in the fields of health and education - areas which are still of vital importance - and it’s good to see that the club’s work continues with the primary school reading project.”

Members and guests are marking this milestone with a Celebration Lunch and President’s Lunch at the Bank House, Hotel, Bransford, Worcester, on Saturday April 21.

Anyone interested in becoming a member of the club can contact club secretary Ed Reeves on 01905 352819 or via https://www.rotary-ribi.org/clubs/contact.php?ClubID=633