Submit your Club News & Events to share with District 9685 via email
April District News includes...
DISTRICT CONFERENCE 2025
DISTRICT GOVERNOR'S UPDATE
CONFERENCE MEDIA
EXPERT SESSIONS SERIES
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ANNUAL CLUB INSURANCE RENEWAL
STREETSIDE MEDICS OPPORTUNITY
STUDENT OUTREACH OPPORTUNITY
FLOOD EMERGENCY IN QUEENSLAND
RESCA 2025 UPDATE
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THE ROTARY FOUNDATION UPDATE
INSPIRING YOUNG CHANGEMAKERS
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UPCOMING EVENTS
9 APR ROTARY FOUNDATION REGIONAL WEBINAR
9 APR CASTLE HILL PRIDE OF WORKMANSHIP AWARDS
10 APR WINE & CHEESE FOR GOOD
12 APR E-FUN RUN FOR YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH
2 MAY RYDE ROTARY'S 80TH YEAR OF IMPACT
4 MAY 30TH ANNUAL LINDFIELD FUN RUN
16 MAY NORWEST SUNRISE VOCATIONAL EXCELLENCE AWARDS
DISTRICT CONFERENCE 2025
“You are not a drop in the ocean. You are the ocean, contained in a drop.” - Rumi
Rotary aims to make the world a better place. That is a big task. Sometimes we might wonder what difference we are making. Are we not a drop in the ocean?
Thank you to the members of District 9685 for attending in good numbers and supporting our annual conference last month. We had 600 people participate, including 150 non- members.
The team worked hard on multiple fronts to create a compelling and enjoyable experience – quality speakers and exhibits, the Pitch for Purpose innovation challenge, club videos interspersed with the speakers, a tightly managed schedule, a magical MC, and a high-quality venue that added to the overall atmosphere.
I hope you enjoyed participating as much as the team and I enjoyed putting on the show. And I hope you saw the ocean contained in a drop.
Rotary is changing. Our objectives and values remain the same but the methods are evolving. At times we might feel our organisation is on the defensive. At the conference, we experienced a way to change that, and for all of us to personally be part of advancing that change. There was much to choose from – ideas to consider, actions to take, connections to make. There is something for everyone in Rotary, regardless of stage in life and how much time you can make for service. Many ways of giving back through your time, talent, and treasure.
Why do people in their thousands all over the world do so much work for free, and pay their own way to do it? Why do 1.4 million volunteers pay a membership fee, effectively paying for the privilege of volunteering? That is the magic of Rotary.
Niranjan Deodhar District 9685 Governor
Rotary Club of Beecroft
DISTRICT GOVERNOR'S UPDATE
Dear Rotarians and friends,
“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together”. - African proverb
My theme for the last quarter of this Rotary year is to lift our capabilities in partnering with other organisations, with non-members, and with other districts globally. The Pitch for Purpose program is already creating broader interest within the school communities, with multiple invitations for us to present at school assemblies.
There were presentations at the conference from organisations who want to create enduring alliances. The Smart Centre at the UNSW wants to explore how our community reach can benefit their program of promoting sustainable practices in our lives and in our industries. They have already offered their 3-D printing facilities that use recycled material as feedstock, for the Finalists of the Rotary Pitch for Purpose challenge to create prototypes of their ideas. The students are eager to take that up. Multiple Rotary districts have expressed interest in conducting joint projects.
Lucy Hobgood-Brown was recognised with a Service Above Self award for her extensive work with HandUp Congo - "Offer a Hand Up, Not a Hand Out", positively impacting over 7,000 children and their families to date.
Rotary is seen as a desirable partner for doing good. That is a goodwill asset. To make the most of this asset, we need to have capability in the district team focused on partnering and making it easy for clubs to plug into these opportunities. I have discussed this with our incoming G-train – DGE John and DGN Michele – and both have expressed their support for this idea. Starting with the April to June period, I will continue to focus on this beyond this Rotary year.
So watch this space for updates on how we will partner more effectively. We will bring you specific and tangible opportunities to get involved, increase your community impact, and attract more members.
Yours in Rotary, Niranjan District 9685 Governor
Rotary Club of Beecroft
CONFERENCE MEDIA
The video clips presented at the conference highlighting key projects and impacts of Rotary around our local, regional and international communities are available online here.
Photos from the Conference events are now on the District 9685 website.
Huge thanks to Maureen and Rod Rose for their efforts capturing this event!
EXPERT SESSIONS SERIES
District 9685 Learning & Development invite you to join our Expert Sessions series of events. This series is designed to give you access to experts in various fields in Rotary work, practical guides and powerful information to enhance your Rotary experience and impact.
Each year at this time we ask Clubs in District 9685 to complete an annual insurance return. This information is used by our insurance broker Aon to negotiate the annual renewal of insurance cover for Rotary across Australia and beyond.
In past years, the annual insurance return was provided by each Club in the form of an Excel spreadsheet. This year, the Rotary National Insurance Committee, in collaboration with insurance brokers Aon, have developed a streamlined process to simplify data collection for this year's insurance renewal and for future years as well.
We apologise for the delay in getting this to you and the resultant condensed deadline - the project required careful planning to ensure a robust and user-friendly solution was available for Clubs submitting the information.
The development phase is now complete and Clubs are now asked to submit their annual insurance related information via a new online questionnaire.
Presidents, Secretaries and Treasurers have received more information by email. We ask that Clubs complete the submission of the insurance information by 11 April 2025.
Dallas Booth AM
District Insurance Officer
Rotary Club of Turramurra
STREETSIDE MEDICS OPPORTUNITY
“I hear the homelessness situation in Sydney is not as bad?”
My colleague in New York asked me during one of my business trips, as we walked past a group of homeless New Yorkers. Technically, he was right. Nevertheless, as I paused to consider the damning statistics in my mind, the words that came out involuntarily were “even one is too many”. Both of us fell silent for a while.
There are clubs in our district already focused on bringing dignity to the homeless. Some operate food vans; others donate to homeless shelters. Still others work on longer term help through partnerships with transitional housing providers.
We are working on a potential grant-funded project in this area. Some Rotarians from the medical fraternity donate their time and skills to Street Side Medics (SSM), bringing General Practitioner services to the homeless through their mobile van clinics.
Street Side Medics is a good example of a potential partner. We are discussing multiple options and ways of working together in a sustained way. Meanwhile, some immediate opportunities to help them have come up.
Van drivers wanted! If driving a van is your thing, SSM needs your help. The job will be to volunteer on a roster (choosing the frequency to suit your availability); go to their depot in Homebush and drive the van out to a pre-agreed location within the Greater Sydney Area. Other volunteers and GPs will then do their part, and your continued help in general arrangements would be very welcome. You will then drive the van back after a couple of hours. The whole shift will take half a day or so.
Collaboration wanted on planning van locations - If your club operates or is involved in the operation of other services for the homeless, like food vans, then SSM wants to hear from you and discuss if they should plan a clinic alongside your services.
If you would like to help, get involved, or know more, please write to me in the first instance. Depending on the level of interest, I will look into setting up a team to look after this.
Niranjan Deodhar District 9685 Governor
Rotary Club of Beecroft
STUDENT OUTREACH OPPORTUNITY
Space Kidz India, a pioneering Indian aerospace startup with over 7 years of dedicated efforts in Designing, Building and Launching student satellites predominantly advocating for girls in Space, has successfully launched 19+ Near Space Launch Vehicles (BalloonSats), 3 suborbital payloads, and 5 orbital satellites over the past seven years.
This is the first organization to engage high school and college students in these groundbreaking projects.
ShakthiSAT, a mission involving 12,000 girl students from 108 countries, will empower young minds with 120 hours of free STEM-based training, covering core areas such as Physics, Mathematics, Ham Radio, Coding, and PCB Designing.
This hands-on training will enable students to design and develop payloads that will be launched into lunar orbit. Beyond the technological achievement, this mission is a symbol of global unity, peace, and intellectual empowerment.
The ShakthiSAT mission involves building spacecraft to Moon, bringing girls representing each of their countries to India for building and integrating the payload. It is one of its kind opportunity to empower for girls in Space and STEM technology.
Following record-breaking rainfall, western Queensland is being inundated by the worst floods to hit the region in fifty years, with more rain forecast for the next few days.
Hundreds of residents have been forced to evacuate, thousands of homes are at risk and farmers are losing substantial amounts of stock, significantly impacting their families and livelihoods. The full scale of this situation is still unfolding, but it is expected to be severe.
Districts 9620 and 9560 are working together to support impacted communities. They have already appointed a disaster coordinator, conducted an initial needs assessment, and contacted state and local government authorities to collaborate. Addressing mental health issues will likely become a key focus of their efforts following the disaster.
How you can help
There are two ways you can support these efforts and be sure that the funds will help directly:
Donate to the District 9560 Disaster Fund Account (NO tax deductibility, therefore suitable for club and district donations, for immediate funding availability) - BSB 633000 and Account Number 186414595
and/or
Donate to the Rotary Foundation Disaster Response Fund (WITH tax deductibility in Australia, therefore suitable for individuals, in support of the Disaster Response Grant application that is being prepared by the districts) - DONATE HERE
Thank you kindly for your consideration.
Andrew Gillespie & Sue Mulraney
District Governors Rotary International Districts 9560 & 9620
The formal launch of the Rotary Emergency Services Community Awards (RESCA) for 2025 was cancelled due to the impact of Ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred.
All branches of the NSW Emergency Services Agencies worked together to provide a comprehensive response, over weeks, in support of the residents of Northern NSW and SE Queensland. In addition emergency services were maintained across the rest of NSW.
In this context RESCA considered it appropriate to conduct a ‘soft’ launch and has attached the brief audiovisual presentation below that we hope you will post to your organisation's web site to promote the 2025 Awards. There will certainly be no shortage of nominees in the light of the exemplary performance of all Emergency Services Agencies in responding to this critical incident.
What a truly inspiring and eventful month we’ve had together! The PELD Day was a fantastic opportunity where enthusiastic President-Elects,engaged meaningfully with our dedicated District Learning and Development team. It was a day filled with learning, connection, and shared purpose—a wonderful step forward in preparing for a vibrant new Rotary year.
The District Conference was equally uplifting. It was heartening to witness so many clubs showcasing impactful projects made possible through District and Global Grants.
These stories are a testament to the incredible power of our Rotary Foundation—the only charitable organisation that directly empowers us, Rotarians, to make a difference in the world. Through our collective efforts, we are advancing peace, improving health, providing quality education, preserving our environment, and alleviating poverty.
A heartfelt thank you to DG Niranjan and the organising team for curating such a fabulous and meaningful conference.
Special congratulations go to the Rotary Club of Penrith Valley, in partnership with RC Asheville-South (District 7679), for bringing our district’s first Global Grant Scholar through the scholarship program!
Ms. Maria Escobeda will undertake a Master by Research in ecology and entomology here in Australia, focusing on the vital interactions between insect pollinators, Australian crops, and habitats. Her work speaks directly to Rotary’s focus on protecting the environment and promoting sustainable agriculture. Maria is eager to share her research and journey with us—please consider inviting her to speak at your club to learn more about how our Foundation is investing in the future.
To the 8 clubs who have successfully completed their District Grant projects—thank you and well done! I encourage you to publish your achievements on the Service Project Center, and record progress in Rotary Club Central. By doing so, we not only share our impact with the world but also honour the contributions of every Rotarian who supports the Annual Fund and helps turn our visions into reality.
To the 24 clubs with ongoing District Grant projects—please aim to complete and submit your final reports by May 31st, allowing us to finalise the district grant cycle.
So far this year, 10 Global Grants have been approved, transforming lives from the Philippines to Sri Lanka. And many more are in the pipeline—including initiatives to support children with Type 1 diabetes in India and clean water access in Papua New Guinea.
These vital projects are only possible because of the generosity and commitment of clubs, Rotarians, and supporters like you.
As we begin April, our Annual Fund stands at USD 124,000, yet 17 clubs have not set a giving goal, and 19 clubs are yet to contribute. Remember, the funds we contribute this year will become available in Rotary Year 2027-28. I humbly encourage you to give generously—every gift, big or small, plays a crucial role in enabling future District and Global Grant projects.
And let us not lose sight of one of our most important missions: eradicating polio. We are so close, but the final steps are often the hardest.
As we approach the end of this Rotary year and the financial year, I sincerely ask that clubs consider making a significant contribution to the PolioPlus Fund, and that individual members explore making tax-deductible donations—together, we can and will finish the job.
Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for your continued service, generosity, and unwavering belief in the power of Rotary.
Haran Ramachandran
Foundation Chair E-Club of Greater Sydney
Learn more about The Rotary Foundation's impact at www.rotary.org
On Saturday, 22 March 2025, over 600 changemakers gathered in Penrith for Rotary’s Sustainability and Humanitarian Summit. These included school students, teachers, Rotarians, and community members. The summit was hosted by Rotary Sydney District 9685 under the leadership of District Governor Niranjan Deodhar. It provided a platform for discussing tangible solutions to some of the world’s most pressing environmental and humanitarian challenges.
INSPIRING YOUNG CHANGEMAKERS
A key highlight of the Summit was the Rotary Pitch for Purpose presentations. NSW school students showcased innovative ideas addressing sustainability and humanitarian needs. The program was designed to equip students with Design Thinking skills. It saw 260 students from 53 teams across Greater Sydney develop practical solutions for tackling issues including:
plastic pollution
advancing sustainable food systems
conserving water
improving air quality
creating waste-to-energy initiatives
implementing sustainable school programs.
HUB LEADER HELPS TO FOSTER INNOVATION
Hub Leader and UNSW SMaRT Centre Director, Prof. Veena Sahajwalla AO, was part of the esteemed judging panel for the final round of Pitch for Purpose, alongside Dr Alan Finkel AC and Jennifer Scott AM. Prof. Veena’s involvement aligns closely with the Hub’s ambitions to drive real-world impact through transforming views of waste to see it as a resource and supporting sustainable communities. By supporting young problem solvers in refining their sustainability ideas, Veena continues to foster the next generation of changemakers dedicated to environmental stewardship.
SUPPORTING CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT
Further amplifying the program’s impact, Prof. Veena offered finalists access to 3D printing facilities at the UNSW SMaRT Centre to prototype their solutions using Renew IT recycled plastic feedstock. This initiative provides students with hands-on experience in sustainable manufacturing.
The Hub actively engages with community initiatives like Pitch for Purpose to help inspire and equip future sustainability champions and communities. Through collaboration with organisations like Rotary, we continue to support science-based solutions as part of the transition to a more sustainable and circular economy.
THE ROTARY INTERNATIONAL THEME FOR APRIL IS PROTECTING THE ENVIRONMENT
We are excited to invite you to an important webinar hosted by the three Regional Volunteer Leaders of The Rotary Foundation in the South Pacific region. This event is designed to inform and inspire all members across our 1180+ South Pacific clubs about the critical role of the Rotary Foundation in supporting international humanitarian initiatives.
During this webinar, we will delve into how you can make a difference to the impact of all Rotarians around the world through the Rotary Foundation.
Our goal is to reach every member across our region and impress upon you the importance of supporting the Foundation, particularly within the clubs that have not yet contributed to The Rotary Foundation. Your contributions and involvement are vital in making a significant impact on communities worldwide. This is a unique opportunity to learn how you can be part of a global movement for positive change.
Funds raised at this event will go towards the Lifespan Health and Wellbeing Centre who partner with North Ryde Rotary in organising the eFun Run, and operate the Cool Kids Program.
On a sunny day in March 1996, at Roseville Oval, 310 runners crossed the start line of the very first Lindfield Fun Run. This great community event was founded by Lindfield Rotary Club (now managed by Ku-ring-gai Rotary). Over the years the Fun Run has grown and in 2024 was enjoyed by 2150 runners.
The next Fun Run on 4th May is our 30th birthday, and we look forward to celebrating this with many of our previous runners.
The 2025 Lindfield Fun Run will be held
on 4th May 2025 at Roseville Oval.
There will be runs of 10 km, 5 km and 2 km.
You can register as an individual or in a family of 3 to 6 members at a single fixed price.
Norwest Sunrise continues with the theme: ‘Making a Difference’.
Rotary is all about making a difference, locally, nationally and internationally, and we recognise that outstanding employees have that same impact.
