Rotary Club of Grantham celebrate 90th anniversary with Wyndham Park benches
New picnic benches have been installed in Grantham’s Wyndham Park, courtesy of the Rotary Club of Grantham.
The latest show of support for the park marks the club’s 90th anniversary.
Three benches are outside the park’s visitor centre and another three have been placed near the outdoor paddling pool. Two have fixed extensions, making them accessible for all.
Rotary club president Rod Tyler said: “We wanted to mark our anniversary with something the town and residents could use and what better place for the benches than Wyndham Park, which is used by so many people of all ages. They are made of cast iron so not only will they be used by all generations now, they will also be there for generations to come.”
The benches were paid for by the Rotary club, donations from its members and a grant from the Rotary District Foundation. Among the club’s previous contributions to the park is a popular outdoor gym, paid for with money raised from its annual RotarySwimarathon.
Guests at the unveiling included Rotary district governor Peter Berry, the chairman of South Kesteven District Council Councillor Breda-Rae Griffin, cabinet member for commercial and operations Coun Peter Moseley and Mayor of Grantham Coun Dean Ward.
In thanking the Rotary club for the donation of benches, Coun Griffin said: “It’s wonderful that the Rotary club recognises the special place Wyndham Park has in the hearts of so many people and we are very grateful for the contribution it has made to the to park’s continuing popularity.”
Over its 90 years of service to the town and its community, the Rotary Club of Grantham has organised careers exhibitions, concerts and teas for the blind, school concerts in St Wulfram’s Church and persuaded shops to stay open in an evening so that Rotarians could bring in elderly people who could not get out in the daytime.
A town meeting was called to revive the League of Friends of Grantham Hospital, a new committee formed and defibrillators provided for local ambulances, while a new kitchen was provided for Grantham Mencap at Fairview Farm.
The club has held mock interviews for students leaving local schools to prepare them for the real thing. Finance has been provided for local young people to attend week-long youth leadership courses, and disabled people have been taken to district rallies and adventure courses.
Much of this work requires funds, and this has been raised in various ways over the years. An evening boxing tournament and auction was held for many years, but since 1990 the club’s principal event has been its annual RotarySwimarathon, which for 2021 is taking place this weekend. In its 30-year history, the event has raised nearly £900,000. Rotarian Roger Graves has also founded a Global Swimarathon whereby Rotarians across the globe do a sponsored swim for charity.
In terms of international activities, the club was twinned for several years with a club in Denmark, and also with Evansville in Indiana, USA. Members have hosted several students from overseas as part of exchange visits. The first ladies exchange in the district saw a group of ladies visit from New Zealand.
A boy’s agricultural college in Limuru, Kenya was sponsored for many years. The international Ranfurly Library has been supported with books, and Medicare with medical supplies. In 2005, the club provided funds to build three houses in a village in Sri Lanka, which was built to rehouse homeless people after the tsunami disaster.
The principal international effort from the Rotary movement over the last 35 years, however, has been the eradication of polio worldwide. This drive has been financed by the United Nations, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Rotary International, with Rotarians administering the bulk of the three billion vaccines provided. In 1988 there were 300,000 cases of polio worldwide. In 2021 there were 102 cases remaining in the world.
More about the history of the Rotary Club of Grantham
The Rotary movement was founded in Chicago by Paul Harris in 1905, with the motto ‘service above self’ adopted. An initial meeting of interested people in Grantham took place at the Picture House Café on St Peters Hill, on August 25, 1930, and the inaugural lunch on October 27 at the Angel & Royal Hotel was attended by 15 prospective members, the district chairman and Rotarians from nearby towns.
The club became official when its charter was presented at a dinner at the George Hotel on April 23, 1931, by which time the membership had increased to 22. Members then included Vaculug founder Lewis Morley, Alfred Roberts, who was father to Britain’s first female Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, and Dr Parsons, father of actor and presenter Nicholas.
Unemployment was a curse at the time, and in December 1932 club president Mr T. H. Edwards, who was works manager at Ruston & Hornsby, wrote a letter to the Grantham Journal appealing to people to spend their money in the town. It said: “Rotary asks you to spend at least £1 more than you intended during January, February and March: if only 5,000 did this there would be £5,000 more in circulation ….and new hope and heart would be given to Grantham people.”
Painting, plumbing repairs, carpet overhaul, tailoring and garden improvements were among a long list of suggestions. The scheme was well supported. The club was able to keep going during the Second World War, although on a slimmed down basis.
A Rotary Ladies Committee was formed in 1933, and on their 25th anniversary in 1958 approaches were received for the National Association of Inner Wheel Clubs, the body representing all the women who support Rotarians in their work. After much deliberation, the Grantham Inner Wheel Club was chartered in January 1963. Women have also been welcomed as Rotarians for many years.
Before Grantham had its own heated swimming pool, club members took disabled people to a pool at Cranwell before handing the venture over to the Lynx Swimming Club. The Grantham Probus Club was formed in 1970 following an initiative by the Rotary club.
The Grantham club has sponsored new clubs at Sleaford and Bourne. More recently, members have assisted in the formation of the Rotary Club of Grantham Kesteven, which meets in the evenings, and Grantham Sunrise Rotary, which meets in the early mornings.
Rotary clubs are divided internationally into districts, and David Green was the first district governor from the Grantham club in 1995-96. He is followed this year, in the club’s 90th year, by the second holder of this office, Peter Berry. Meanwhile, several members have served on the District Executive Committee.
Membership of the club has generally ranged between ages 30 and 50 over the years. Three sons have followed their fathers as president. This will increase to four this year as, after exactly 50 years, Peter Chalk follows his father Frank into the president’s chair.