When I first thought about writing this summary, I felt it should be brief. The challenge, however, lies in doing justice to the extraordinary work being done by so many Rotarians across our District. The generosity of time, talent, and treasure that you dedicate to your communities is inspiring, and I am truly proud to serve alongside you.
Since the last newsletter, I’ve had the pleasure of visiting Hills-Kellyville RC, Woy Woy RC, Wahroonga RC, Springwood RC, and attending the Blue Mountains Rotary Clubs Police Officer of the Year Awards. I also joined the District Rotaract Club Hub meeting and enjoyed Turramurra RC’s Trivia Fundraising Night, raising funds for Books in Homes for a school in Moree. Attended the RAWCS Eastern Region meeting and heard about so many exciting and worthwhile projects.
Recently visiting the Flooded Roads Smart Warning System, a major project headed by PDG Mina Howard and her team and Clubs, very timely given the wet weather at the moment.
DG PARTNER PROJECT UPDATE
(Funds a PHD Scholarship to research Mental Illness for ages 0-12 years)
Thankyou Lane Cove RC and Gosford RC for your contribution. Please consider supporting Mental Health research for young children, 0-12 years. They are
our future.
BLUE MOUNTAINS POLICE OFFICER OF THE YEAR AWARDS
A fantastic night at Katoomba RSL on 13 August. Congratulations to all nominees and winners of the 2025 Rotary Police Officer of the Year Awards for the Blue Mountains Police Area Command. Thank you to all the Blue Mountains clubs for delivering such a wonderful event.
Congratulations & Announcements
New District Role – Corporate Partnerships will be led by PP Anna Lindsay
Zone 8 Conference Sponsorship – D9685 has contributed $500 to assist Zone 8 neighbouring island attendees.
New Interact Club – Castle Hill High School Interact Club chartered on 18 June with 38 members. Congratulations to sponsor club Castle Hill RC and to District New Club Formations Chair, Ubah Gabris. [More on Interact]
MEMBERSHIP & NEW CLUB DEVELOPMENT MONTH
August focuses on Membership. While many clubs are attracting new members, we are still losing too many. Retention is our biggest challenge, often due to unmet expectations. I encourage every club to conduct a Club Experience Survey to better understand members’ needs and strengthen engagement. The District will be sharing retention strategies soon to help us all grow stronger. More Membership Resources.
DISTRICT NEWS & UPDATES Model United Nations Assembly (MUNA)
The 2025 finals were held 16–17 August at Canberra’s Old Parliament House. District 9685 was represented by:
Katoomba High School – People’s Republic of China INSERT PICS
The Hills Grammar School – Brazil
Central Coast Grammar School – Iran
Two teams sponsored from our Rotary D9685 were placed 2nd and 3rd. All three teams did an outstanding job, and we thank our District representative, Russell Grove, for his leadership.
Club Survey Results
Thank you to the many club leaders who completed the recent Regionalisation survey. Results will be shared at the next President’s Meeting.
World Polio Day – Train Ride to End Polio
Thursday 24 October 2025
Mark and Dave Anderson will again lead this iconic event. Let’s make this the year every club in Greater Sydney supports it! Get your red End Polio Now shirt from RDU Supplies and join the train ride.
District/President Meetings Update
The gap between Meetings 1 and 2 is intentional to allow RCLs time for 1–2 sessions without overwhelming clubs. Our District portfolio leaders in Community, International, Foundation, Membership, and Vocational will soon be contacting their Club Chairs to arrange a group face-to-face meeting.
District Website Refresh
Thank you to Marilyn Kenney, who is assisting with website updates and refreshing our homepage.
2026 Newcastle Conference
20–21 March 2026
Districts 9660 & 9685 will come together for the “Together for Tomorrow” conference in Newcastle. Register now for early bird rates: www.togetherfortomorrow.com.au
CLUB HIGHLIGHTS
Mergers: Northlakes Toukley & Wyong Tuggerah have merged to form Toukley Wyong RC (chartered 13 June). Blackheath, Katoomba & Central Blue Mountains have merged to form Greater Blue Mountains RC (chartered 27 July).
Turramurra RC packed 100 kits for Smiles2You.
Walk Ride run against Domestic violence – Sun 24/10/25 Rotary Club of Windsor, supported by the Rotary Clubs of Richmond and Kurrajong–North Richmond
Beach2Beach Charity Fun Run & Festival – 24.8.25 - Warringah RC
Transitional Community Housing Fashion Parade - Friday, 29th August 2025- Kenthurst RC
Run for the Hills – 7.9.25 – Castle Hill RC
More events on the District website and DG Facebook
50th Anniversaries in 2025–26
Hills-Kellyville RC – Chartered 25 Aug 1975
Umina Beach RC – Chartered 20 Jan 1976
Wahroonga RC – Chartered 10 Nov 1975
Looking forward to celebrating these incredible milestones!
CALL TO ACTION
RYLA 2025 – Encourage your club to sponsor a young leader for this life-changing program. [Application Link ➝ https://www.d9685ryla.org.au/apply]
Share Your Stories – Please send your club events, projects, and highlights for inclusion in the District Newsletter and website. Email: communications9685@gmail.com
Stay Connected: District Facebook Page: Michele Ellery – District Governor
Please like, follow, and tag this page in your club posts for greater PR reach!
FINAL WORD
Thank you to all our clubs and members for your dedication, hard work, and the many projects you deliver. Your commitment to serving the community is truly making a lasting difference.
As RI President Francesco Arezzo reminded us, the 2025–26 theme “Unite for Good” calls us to be a force for unity in a divided world. Together, we can and do make a difference.
Please continue to use our District website for the latest updates.
Stay safe and well and thank you for all that you do.
Yours in Rotary, Michele District 9685 Governor
Rotary Club of Lower Blue Mountains
VOTE FOR ROTARY : WESTFIELD LOCAL HEROES
One of our members and Treasurer, John Hartley, has been nominated as one of three finalists for the Westfield Local Heroes award at Chatswood.
The winner is voted online and the finalist with the most votes receives a $20,000 grant for their chosen charity. John is representing the Rotary Club of Chatswood Roseville, and this funding would make a real difference to the many community projects we support.
We need all the support we can to help John succeed. Votes close on 8th September.
Thank you to the clubs and Rotarians who have voted already. Please share the link with your networks to give Rotary the best chance of winning these funds and see Rotary's work promoted by Westfield.
Phil Dunbar President
Rotary Club of Chatswood Roseville
PARTNERSHIPS : FOCUS MOVING FORWARD
District 9685 Partnerships Committee
Rotary does some of our best work when we do it in partnership with other organisations. The
objective of the Partnerships Committee is to make it easy for clubs to work with partners. We will do this by finding and nurturing partnerships with other not-for-profits (NFP), governments (especially councils), schools, professional associations, and other Rotary districts.
The 2025-26 Partnerships Committee is:
Committee lead – IPDG Niranjan Deodhar, RC Beecroft
NFP partner engagement – PP Trish Wetton, RC St Ives
Council engagement – PP Anna Lindsay, RC Ryde
Professional Associations engagement – PP Neville Hansen, RC West Pennant Hills and Cherrybrook
Other Rotary Districts engagement – Niranjan
Note – commercial partners and corporate sponsorships is not in scope for this team, and will be
handled in another part of the District Team.
PDG Niranjan Deodhar District Partnerships Committee
Rotary Club of Beecroft
YOUTH PROTECTION TOP TIPS
TIP #2 KEEPING GOOD RECORDS
All records related to youth protection must be kept in a confidential manner. This means access to the documents and information is restricted to those people who need to have the access, and involve security measures to enforce the restricted access. It is good practice for two members of your club to have the ability to access confidential information.
Clubs must create, maintain and retain confidential records of WWCC verifications for at least seven (7) years.
The following records are required under legislation:
Full name (including first, middle and last name)
Date of birth
WWC number
Verification date (the date you verified them)
Verification outcome (clearance, barred, interim barred or not found)
Expiry date (when the WWC number expires)
Status of the worker (paid or volunteer)
Clubs must retain completed Volunteer Declarations for at least seven (7) years. Volunteer Declarations should be repeated every 3 years for ongoing volunteers.
Michelle Westlund District Youth Protection Officer
Rotary Social Impact Network
RAWCS NEWS
We have over 80 RAWCS projects in our district with many busy Rotarians flying under the radar as the work tirelessly to make a difference.
This month I want to highlight two great projects – an overseas project and a local one.
PROJECT 33/204-15
SENTRU FORMOSAUN BA JEVENTUDE - CENTRE FOR LEARNING FOR YOUTH
Dili, Timor-Leste
Project Manager – Elizabeth (Libby) Bleakley – Greater Blue Mountains Rotary
Libby thought up the idea of the centre whilst on deployment to Timor-Leste with the Federal Police.
The Centre consists of a gymnasium, English school, a Sewing Centre and vegetable gardens, offering a safe haven for Timorese youth and community that encourages respect, education and crime prevention assisting them in the progression of their Nation. The Centre also conducts outreach programs and emergency relief to those in need or after natural disasters.
Sanitary kits and birthing kits have been distributed by Blue Mountains East Timor Sisters who have been affiliated with our Centre since its inception. Maintenance and upkeep of the Centre has been conducted by our Centre Managers and gym members. Vegetable gardens are tended to by staff and families.
The great news is that after ten years Libby is closing the project off in late 2026 and handing the Centre over to the two managers who she has been preparing and training for the past nine years.
Roasters with Altitude (Libby and Chris Bleakley's business) has sponsored those two managers to come out to Australia for 10 days in October. They will present to RAWCS staff, Rotary Clubs and the main sponsors of the project.
The Centre for Learning for Youth has been a stunning success from its inception, not only because it will be self-sustaining but for the fact that Libby’s efforts have changed the culture of violence and abuse to one of cooperation, respect and pride, not to mention raising the level of economic independence and education for so many.
Libby is to be congratulated on her achievements and we are all very proud of her.
Everyone takes pride in the grounds of the Centre which has become a beautiful haven of greenery and peacefulness.
PROJECT 2/2020-21
PROVIDING NEEDY FEMALE PATRONS OF THE MAX WEBBER LIBRARY, BLACKTOWN WITH SANITARY PRODUCTS
Project Manager: Sharina Shanaz – The Ponds Rotary
The Max Webber Library in Blacktown provides a safe place for disadvantaged community members through a number of educational and volunteering services. It serves a large number of females from disadvantaged backgrounds within the community with over 10,000 clients visiting the library each month, a proportion being those from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander descent or non-English speaking backgrounds.
The Dignity Vending Machine enables free sanitary packs to be dispensed to those clients.
The Dignity Vending Machine at Max Webber Library remains a vital resource for the local community, ranking among the top vending library sites in NSW. It has dispensed 9,745 period packs so far, averaging 229 packs per month.
From January to June 2025, the machine provided 1,376 period packs. The Ponds Rotary Club supports Share the Dignity with an annual $5,000 donation for the products. The vending machine is supported by Blacktown RSL, Blacktown Workers and Blacktown City Council.
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Each month I will share some more of these good news stories. If you are looking to support a good project check out the RAWCS website. Project managers would be delighted to receive your contributions.
PDG Mina Howard District RAWCS Chair
Rotary Club of Greater Blue Mountains
THE ROTARY FOUNDATION
Another month has passed, and what a month it’s been for impact, inspiration, and international goodwill.
Congratulations to the 32 clubs across our district awarded District Grants this year. Together, you are “uniting for good,” bringing to life projects like:
Early childhood environmental education modules
Eye camps to prevent childhood blindness
Solar-powered refrigeration to support remote communities
...across 11 countries and 3 continents.
Your Foundation gifts from two years ago made this possible. A total of AUD 89,000 in DDF was allocated, and clubs contributed AUD 127,000 in matching funds, resulting in a combined impact of over AUD 216,000. That’s the power of your giving in action.
Global Grant Champions: A special shout-out to Beecroft, North Ryde, and Toukley-Wyong Rotary Clubs for successfully launching three Global Grants already this Rotary year. These clubs are building sustainable change locally and globally through collaboration and vision.
Annual Fund Goals: Celebrate Progress, Close the Gaps: Thank you to the Rotary Club of Beecroft for setting a bold USD 20,000 Annual Fund goal, and to Greater Blue Mountains and the E-Club of Greater Sydney for already reaching 50% of their goals just two months into the Rotary year.
But… 26 clubs are yet to enter their Annual Fund goals into RCC. And 5 clubs did not contribute at all last year.
The Annual Fund is the lifeblood of all we do, powering both District and Global Grants. Whether you give monthly as a Centurion or through your club, every dollar creates opportunities.
PolioPlus Momentum: Thank you to Lower Blue Mountains and Greater Blue Mountains for your strong pledges to PolioPlus, honouring the legacy of tireless eradication advocate PDG Bob Aitken OAM. Yet, 53 clubs have not entered PolioPlus goals, and 14 clubs did not contribute at all last year.
As we approach World Polio Day on 24 October, let’s recommit to our promise: a world where no child suffers from polio again.
This is Your Foundation: The Rotary Foundation empowers your club, your members, and your vision. It is your tool to scale hope. Your giving comes back, multiplied and transformed into clinics, classrooms, water wells, scholarships, and peace projects.
This September, let’s keep the momentum going. Let’s set our goals, share our impact stories, and inspire every Rotarian to be part of something bigger.
Need help setting your goals or planning a Foundation talk? Reach out. Let’s continue to build the future together.
DGN Haran Ramachandran District Foundation Chair
Rotary E-Club of Greater Sydney
YOUTH SERVICE UPDATE
As District Co-Chair for Youth Service, We’ve been visiting a number of clubs to share and promote the programs organised by our District committees and supported at the club level.
These include RYPEN and RYLA for leadership development, Youth Exchange for cultural
immersion, and initiatives like the Science and Engineering Challenge that spark interest in STEM. All of these programs are designed to inspire young people, build confidence, and prepare them as the next generation of leaders.
It has been encouraging to see the enthusiasm of clubs across the district, with many eager to get involved and support youth participation in meaningful ways. A particularly exciting development is the growing interest in initiating Interact clubs, which would give high school students the opportunity to lead service projects of their own while building a direct connection to Rotary. Harnessing this momentum and supporting clubs in their efforts will ensure we continue to empower young people and strengthen Rotary’s impact in our communities.
Bass Bhaskaran District Youth Service Co-Chair
Rotary Club of Bella Vista Sunrise
COMMUNITY SERVICE HIGHLIGHTS
August has been an extremely busy month. So much hard work is being carried out by members in our communities to make life better for others, it was difficult to decide on which activities to highlight. However …
Fantastic work by Wahroonga RC led by President Sallianne McClelland. Sallianne and her team are Uniting for Good through her project, Tubs for Taree, sending a truck load of goods in plastic tubs to be distributed to families who are still suffering from the aftermath of the terrible floods that occurred there recently.
Thank you to the clubs that supported this project and also to those of you who donated funds to the two Rotary Taree flood appeals. Rotary Clubs in D9660 have been able to distribute $500 vouchers to those in need, and there are many!
PDG Tony Castley OAM, founder and PP of Rotary E-Club of Greater Sydney, just keeps on giving. Thank you, Tony for donating three sewing machines, an overlocker, fabric and accessories to Regional Youth Support Services on the Central Coast.
On a sunny warm Sunday recently, there were two locations in our district where Rotarians brought to fruition many months of planning for their respective communities.
The three Hawkesbury Clubs, Kurrajong North Richmond, Richmond and Windsor had their inaugural ‘Walk, Run, Ride Against Domestic Violence’ raising around $80,000 for services working at the coal-face for DV victims, an amazing result and sure to make a difference in the Hawkesbury.
It wasn’t all hard work. PP Rod Hartas, Windsor RC enjoying a Mr Whippy while the walkers get the red flag.
At the same time Warringah RC supported by Balgowlah, Upper Northern Beaches and Belrose clubs held the annual ‘Beach to Beach Fun Run’, an event that just keeps on growing with 6,500 entrants, bringing the community out for a fun day together and raising more than $300,000 funds for local community groups
PDG Pam Pritchard AM
Turramurra RC held another successful Trivia night to raise funds for their ‘Books in Homes’ project supporting students from Moree East Public School. This project, led by PDG Pam Pritchard AM has been making a difference in raising literacy levels as well as building a genuine relationship with the Aboriginal Elders and their families for several years now and it just keeps getting better.
Rotarians from the District enjoy the annual trip on the North Western Xplorer train to present the books, meet the students and immerse themselves in the beautiful regional town of Moree (and sometimes indulging in the steamy hot springs).
Turramurra Rotarian Warren Zoos, DG Michele Ellery and President of
Wahroonga RC Sallianne McClelland.
Kurrajong North Richmond RC has installed a 24hr AED in the village of Kurrajong Heights, a great asset for those residents who reside in a more remote part of the Hawkesbury.
A community training session followed up the installation of the AED.
Paramedic Carpet Hughes showing local residents how to use their newly installed AED unit in the St David’s Church rear car park.
And finally, how’s this for a happy Bunnings BBQ’er? Kathryn Dodd from Ryde Rotary promoting their event for a cause on Facebook.
Promoting your cause might induce people to buy two sausages and has the potential to start a meaningful conversation.
Thank you everyone for your continuing community service.
PDG Mina Howard District Community Service Chair
Rotary Club of Blackheath
ROTARY LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
The Rotary Leadership Institute (RLI) is a professional and personal development program for members which started on the east coast of USA in 1992.
The overriding goal of the course for club Rotarians is to create enthusiasm for Rotary by opening to them the world of Rotary outside of their own clubs and showing them the great potential of Rotary service for the benefit of the world that can be furthered with excellent leadership in our clubs.
Our newly revamped program is now in full swing, offering development opportunities for all Rotary members - from newcomers to seasoned leaders seeking to refresh their skills and amplify their impact.
NEXT PROGRAM AVAILABLE
LEVEL THREE: Graduate Program
Level Three: Experienced Rotarians can take their leadership to the next level with advanced techniques. By bringing real opportunities to the workshop, participants can enhance their impact, through insights from the program and the peer coaching & mentoring from facilitators and fellow Rotarians.
Level 3 via Zoom : Sunday 12th October 2025 9am - 3pm
Please reach out with any queries or suggestions via email.
Andrew McIver District RLI Convenor
Rotary Social Impact Network
OPPORTUNITY : SHELTERBAGS
The Bowral-Mittagong Rotary Club has recently taken over the management of Shelterbags in Australia. This involves the importation and distribution of the bags to Rotary Clubs in most Australian States.
The bags are produced by Sheltersuit in South Africa in a social workshop which employs disadvantaged workers. We have to pay for the bags when we place an order and thus look to participating Rotary Clubs to pre-order any bags that they wish to distribute. The freight costs are then invoiced to the Clubs when the bags arrive in Australia. More details can be seen in the attached information sheet.
We plan to place a factory order for a full container of 1,200 bags in early October, this will mean that the bags will be here for distribution well before next winter. To do this we need Club orders with payment before the end of September.
Ryde Secondary College is establishing a Bush Tucker garden and is seeking support from Rotary. No contribution is too small! If your Club is able to assist, please contact me in the first instance via email.
BobSelinger District First Nations Partnerships Coordinator
Rotary Club of North Ryde
OPPORTUNITY : AUSTRALIA DAY GRANTS PROGRAM
Since 2021, the National Australia Day Council has supported over 3,000 Australia Day events through the Australia Day Community Events Grant Program, assisting councils, not-for-profits, and community groups in delivering inclusive and accessible events.
For Australia Day 2026, the program offers a $10,000 Base Grant, with an Additional $5,000 Grant available for events that include significant Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander elements. Alternate Grants of $2,000 are also available to top-up budgets or cover the cost of a smaller event.
To apply or find out more including frequently asked questions, guides, toolkits and translated resources follow the link Australia Day Community Events Grant Program - Australia Day. A grants briefing is also attached for your information.
OPPORTUNITY : WORLD POLIO DAY FUNDRAISER
In recent years, the Polio Movie Event has been incredibly successful in attracting audiences to your film screenings to raise funds for Rotary’s number one priority, Ending Polio.
This year, we have secured an exciting new Australian movie release for this year’s Movie Event. Our partner SONY PICTURES is making this major release available for your special events and exciting social gatherings - a great opportunity for Rotary members and people in our communities to have some fun together!
Please contact your local cinema for all bookings!
All Rotary screenings of THE TRAVELLERS must take place between Thursday 2 October to Thursday 30 October 2025.
Marketing materials are available, and individuals can use Raise for Rotary as a fundraising platform.
District 9685 is proud to recognise and celebrate the achievements of our clubs through the Rotary Club Excellence Awards 2024–2025.
These awards honour clubs that have successfully achieved their annual goals, demonstrating strong leadership, service, and engagement in their communities. Each award reflects the collective efforts of dedicated Rotarians working together to create impact.
Certificates have been issued to the winning clubs, and District Governor Michele Ellery will be presenting framed certificates personally at club meetings. Presidents are invited to share suitable dates so that these presentations can be celebrated together with their members:
Balgowlah
Beecroft
Belrose
Castle Hill
Central Blue Mountains
E-Club of Greater Sydney
Gosford City
Gosford North
Kenthurst
Lane Cove
Lower Blue Mountains
North Ryde
Northbridge
Norwest Sunrise
St Ives
The Ponds
Turramurra
Upper Blue Mountains Sunrise
Warringah
West Pennant Hills Cherrybrook
Congratulations to all the clubs receiving this well-deserved recognition—your achievements inspire us all!
OLAYINKA BABALOLA : ROTARY PRESIDENT 2026-27
Olayinka (Yinka) Hakeem Babalola of the Rotary Club of Trans Amadi, Rivers State, Nigeria has accepted the nomination and will immediately become the Rotary President Elect. His term as President will begin 1 July 2026.
🏋️♂️ Fitness & Pilates Packs, Gym Memberships — $450+
🐾 PetO Vouchers — $50 × 5
🍷 Southwood Wines • Porter’s Liquor • Wildflower Winery
🍝 Dining Vouchers from Rice Den, The Diddy, Longueville Hotel, Johnny Gio’s
💆♀️ Massage & Acupuncture Sessions — Healthspace Lane Cove
🎁 Gourmet Hampers, Gift Cards, and more!
📌 HOW TO GET TICKETS
📞 For more info or ticket enquiries: contact silvio.gmur@bigpond.com
🌐 facebook.com/rotarylanecove | Instagram: @rotarylanecove
BEACH2BEACH 2025
A record breaking 6500 entrants in yesterday’s Beach2Beach event! The inaugural half marathon saw ~2000 entrants.
A fabulous day for all thanks to the amazing work of the Beach2Beach team, Rotary Clubs of Warringah and Rotary members from other Northern Beaches Clubs!
The Hills are alive in 2025 …. With the sound of Jazz!
The much-loved Jazz at The Pines is on again for 2025/ 26. Jazz at The Pines is held in the historic grounds of Roughley House, Dural. Run by The Rotary Club of the Hills-Kellyville in conjunction with The Hills Shire Council, the first successful Jazz event was run in February attracting over two hundred people. There are 7 events in total with 3 in the coming months:
Sunday 21st September – Carolyn Packer’s Stompin’ Rhythm Aces
Sunday 19th October – Geoff Power Jazz Band
Sunday 16th November – Bridge City Jazz Band
John van den Burg, President of The Rotary Club of The Hills-Kellyville, said “Jazz at The Pines has been entertaining visitors to the Hills for more than 20 years and attracts people from all over the state. This is one of the great events in the Hills District.
On a Sunday afternoon what’s better than to sit outside in the fresh air, unwind and spend the afternoon with family and friends lapping up good music, food and views of this original homestead under the shade in its historic gardens. We are grateful to bring music to the Hills with great support from the Hills Shire Council, a long-time supporter of these events as a service to the community.”
Tables and chairs are provided so visitors can bring a packed picnic lunch and take a seat among the tall pines and lavish gardens which surround Roughley House. The homestead was built in 1856 and has been associated with the Roughley family for more than 150 years. Clive Roughley – James’ grandson – bequeathed the property to the community several years before his death.
Freshly baked cakes, tea and coffee will also be available at every Jazz event. Entry tickets cost: $30 adults, $25 concessions and $60 family.
Online reservations are encouraged at www.jazzatthepines.org.au. Apart from the website, details can be obtained via email to info@jazzatthepines.org.au or by calling Dural Information Centre on 9651 4411 (attended part-time).
Funds raised go entirely to projects of The Rotary Club of the Hills-Kellyville. Local programs include Literacy Initiatives for students. Further afield the club continues its Bourke Public School Breakfast Club project, helping school attendance. The club has been proactive in providing support for drought and bushfire affected communities.
The Children’s Medical Research Institute purchased new state-of-the-art equipment to assist with cancer research work with funds organised by the Club. On the international front, the Club is also involved in major humanitarian projects in Sri Lanka and India. To be part of an inspired group that is making a difference, contact the club through our website www.hillsrotary.org.au or our Facebook page.
Our annual Run For The Hills is back and bigger than ever and this year, we’re calling on every Rotary Club in our District to join us to make this event a true celebration of Rotary in action!
Run For The Hills is Castle Hill Rotary’s major fundraiser, drawing hundreds of participants from across the Hills and beyond. Last year, our efforts resulted in record fundraising and runner turnout, with a fantastic atmosphere created by Rotary volunteers, market stalls, and the strong community presence. In 2025, we’re setting our sights even higher:
Our goal is 1,000 runners and $100,000 raised - all going directly to local Hills Shire projects including youth mental health ( Youth Insearch & Positive Vibes), Transitional community housing for women in crisis, Hills Community Aid & Rufftrack teen mentoring & vital local community initiatives. Every runner gets to choose where their funds go this year.
Here’s where you and your club come in:
This year, we’re asking every club in the district to join us to run or walk together as a visible force. Rally your club members, put on your Rotary club shirts, and register as a team. We'd love to show the Hills community the strength and heart of Rotary like never before. Your collective presence will help us inspire the public, raise our community profile, and serve as a brilliant membership opportunity. People want to join groups that get things done and have fun doing it!
Event Date: Sunday, 7th September 2025, Bella Vista Farm
(part of the Orange Blossom Festival)
Distances: Family-friendly walk/run (colour run for the kids) intermediate, and longer run options, There’s something for everyone, no matter your fitness level
Goal: If every runner raises just $100, we’ll hit our target and make a huge difference for local youth and families in need
Why get your club involved?
You’ll boost Rotary’s visibility, attracting new members who see Rotary in action
Enjoy a great team day out—bring family, friends, and future Rotarians
Help raise critical funds for youth mental health and Hills support services
Get your club featured in event media, social posts, and community PR
How to register:
Form a club team, get your members (and their families!) signed up, and let’s create a sea of Rotary blue and gold on event day.
Register now at: www.runforthehills.com.au
Let’s make 2025 the year Rotary leads the way—see you on the start line!
Ryde Rotary is hosting a number of special events in our "80th Year of Impact" in 2025-26. Rotarians, Clubs and visitors are welcome to join these online sessions with internationally significant guest speakers.
Tamworth Regional Council is listed alongside Rotary International as a growth partner for the Dolly Parton Imagination Library. This session will strengthen our connections with Regional NSW and look for opportunities for Rotary to support education and literacy in programs and collaborations like this in our local and regional communities.
Join us for a relaxed and joyful Rotary District 9685 picnic designed to celebrate YOU – the people who give so much to others. This is a chance to fill your cup with laughter, connection, and gratitude, surrounded by fellow Rotarians, families, and friends.
Sunday 1st February 2026
11.30 am - 3.30 pm
Fagan Park, Carrs Road 1 & 2 Picnic Areas, Carrs Road, Galston NSW
Event Highlights
Fun lawn games and light-hearted competitions
Great food and drinks – BYO picnic or use the BBQ facilities available
Family-friendly activities and picnic vibes
Connection, conversation, and community
Family and friends welcome
Why "Cup-Full of Connection"?
Because even the most generous hearts need time to pause, breathe, and be with those who understand the joy of service, let this day be a gentle reminder that you matter, your well-being matters, and fellowship is one of Rotary’s greatest gifts.
Bring your picnic rug, your Rotary spirit, and your favourite people – and let’s fill our cups together.
Join us in Taipei, Taiwan, for the Rotary International Convention 13–17 June 2026!
This dynamic city is the perfect place to celebrate Rotary with friends old and new. From inspiring sessions to unforgettable cultural experiences, you won’t want to miss it!
Save when you register and pay between 21–25 June 2025 — don’t miss this limited-time offer!
