Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is Rotary? A: Rotary members are enthusiastic, fun-loving and active volunteers who give their time and talents to serve communities both at home and overseas. These are dedicated people, men and women from business and professions, who share a common interest in helping others.
Rotary International in Great Britain and Ireland (RIBI) has over 55,000 members in 1,840 clubs. It is an integral part of Rotary International, the world's first service organisation.
Each member enjoys business as well as social networking opportunities, whilst giving something back to those less fortunate, learning new skills and having a huge amount of fun!
Rotary runs countless humanitarian projects both
locally, nationally and internationally, and also partners with many
charities worldwide.
Members organise community projects that address many of today's most critical issues, such as violence, drug abuse, health, hunger, the environment, and illiteracy. Rotary clubs determine service projects based on local needs.
Q: What is Rotary Foundation?
A: The Rotary Foundation is Rotary's own charity. It is supported by
voluntary contributions from Rotarians and friends of the Foundation and
generous donations from the general public who share its vision of a
better world. Rotary Foundation in the United Kingdom (RFUK) is an
Associate Foundation of the international charitable trust. Based at
Alcester in Warwickshire, RFUK handles Gift Aid, legacies, covenants and
ordinary contributions from Rotarians and individuals.
The mission of The Rotary Foundation is to enable Rotarians to advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through the improvement of health, the support of education, and the alleviation of poverty. It has become one of the foremost non-governmental foundations with the educational support programme being the largest private scholarship endowment in the world.
It is said that every minute of every day Rotary will touch the lives of millions somewhere in the world.
Q: I've heard that Rotary is trying to eliminate
polio
A: In 1985 Rotary International started a
campaign to immunise the children of the world against polio.
In 1988 the World Health Organization (WHO), Rotary International, UNICEF, and the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) forged the Global Polio Eradication Initiative to eradicate polio as a global imperative. The goal was to remove it permanently so that surveillance, screening, and control measures, such as vaccines, would no longer be needed.
Since then, the number of cases has dropped dramatically, but the disease still exists in a handful of countries. Although worldwide efforts to distribute a vaccine reduced polio by 99 percent, young people are still being infected
As at 2008, Rotary has contributed $700 million, a figure that will increase to more than $850 million once polio is eradicated. Yet, the Global Polio Eradication Initiative faces a global funding gap of $490 million for 2008-09, of which $135 million is needed urgently. The governments of the world, particularly the G8, must continue to make significant contributions.
Rotary support however is not limited to raising funds. Rotary members in non-endemic countries personally volunteer their time to support the immunisation programme in the endemic countries. They seek to ensure that the message gets to the people who are cut off from the mainstream by conflict, geography or poverty and that the children living in these communities are immunised.
Rotary members in endemic countries volunteer to help with the immunisation events by delivering vaccine via the cold chain,recruiting volunteers, transporting health workers and volunteers and administering the vaccine. They also organise and support meetings of religious and community leaders to ensure that the whole community is involved in the programme.