09 Aug Could you help a local charity at the heart of the community?

Surbiton Rotary is asking Barwell Business Park occupiers to support its work in whatever way they can, from financial donations to volunteering time.

Find out more in this interview with David Twaite, President, Surbiton Rotary….

Can you briefly describe Surbiton Rotary?

Surbiton Rotary is a small club of enthusiastic volunteers that raises funds and provides support to local community projects and charities primarily in Surbiton, Chessington and Tolworth. We are part of Rotary International which is a long-established international charitable organization of 1.2 million people around the world. We meet a couple of times a month at various venues in Surbiton and organize other events and volunteer days.

What have you been doing this year?

We have helped at Kids Out day, an annual event when underprivileged children are treated to a day out at Chessington World Of Adventures. We also supported Chessington Fun Day which is organised and run by volunteers, and made a donation to the Alfriston Outreach centre to launch a cleaning service for older residents of the area. Then we rolled up our sleeves and helped to clear the car park and brambles at Yorda, based in Chessington, a non-profit organisation that works with children up to age 18 with severe learning difficulties. One of our major fundraising activities is the annual Christmas collection where we take Santa around the local area on our vintage milk float!

We are keen to build more links to local businesses and find out what interest there is for sponsoring or volunteering for community projects in this area. We are well-connected with the local community and a wide range of local charities which enables us to arrange events and volunteer sessions if needed.  We believe strongly in the power of local businesses to make a real difference in our community.

Businesses receive many requests for help from charities – why would they want to support Surbiton Rotary?  

Rotary is a long-established and trusted name which partners with businesses around the world. All of our overheads are covered by membership subscriptions and so you can be sure that every penny donated will reach the target charity or project. Surbiton Rotary is an organisation with a significant local focus serving the needs of communities in Surbiton, Chessington and Tolworth and we are well-connected with the local communities. We also contribute as a separate activity to projects around the world through our link with Rotary International.

How can I find out more?

If you are interested to find out more, or might like to contribute by becoming a member, making a donation or by volunteering some of your time, please visit our website. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to email us at surbitonrotary@gmail.com.