Full support for Inner City News

Carlton Rotary is delighted to be associated with Inner City News and wishes publisher Sean Car and editor Katie Johnson every success in providing free hyperlocal information on issues of interest and impact for local residents and businesses in our community.

Initially chartered in June 1985 by the Rotary Club of Melbourne (which celebrates its 100th birthday on April 21), Carlton Rotary has followed the International credo of “Service Above Self” while focusing on always remaining “The Friendly Club” to our members, partners/families and guests.

We have three key areas of service to our local community: Service to the wider national and international communities and, just as importantly, service to our own club members .

This year, the year of the coronavirus pandemic, has been a year like no other. So for this reason, we created a special Leadership and Resilience During Hardship (COVID19) Award for a Year 12 student at both University High School and Princes Hill Secondary College.

Students were nominated by their schools and each winner received a $500 Readings Book Voucher to assist them with future studies. In the past, Rotarians have also provided mock-interviews to Year 10 and Year 11 students to help prepare them for workforce job interviews.

The next program coming very soon is to assist parents, teachers and students at some local schools with the ever increasing concern with cyber safety. The program (specific details will be available in the next edition of Inner City News) will be led by Robyn Trevaud, founder of Cyber Safe Kids who is a globally recognised expert in online safety and digital wellbeing. Robyn was guest speaker at the Rotary Carlton Zoom Meeting on Tuesday, February 9 and made such an impact she was invited to provide this online service to our wider community.

On service to the broader Australian community, Carlton Rotary has provided drills and angle grinders to the East Gippsland victims of the catastrophic 2020 bushfire as well as three renovated caravans to families whose homes were destroyed in the fires.

Through funds raised from the popular Book Fair (originally at the Kathleen Syme Library and Community Centre but now at a pop-shop in Lygon St) Carlton Rotary has provided ongoing financial assistance to youth mental health through the respected Australian Rotary Health. Just last month, $5000 was provided to fund a bed at the Royal Children’s Hospital.

Internationally, we provide financial support to the End Polio Campaign and to post graduate students studying overseas through Rotary’s Global Grant Scholarship Program. Currently we have a junior doctor studying for a MPhil in basic and translational neuroscience (dementia research ) at Cambridge University.

Carlton Rotay used to meet every Tuesday at lunch time (1pm to 2pm) at Graduate House (Melbourne University) but during COVID, has been meeting by Zoom. Lunchtime meetings are about to begin – probably once or twice a month. Contact president elect Keith Ryall on 0418 589 144 for further details •