Community Projects
Community Service encourages every Rotarian to find ways to improve the quality of life for people in their communities and to serve the public interest.
  • Encouraging and fostering the ideal of service to the personal, business and community life of every Rotarian.
  • Opportunities for every Rotarian to exemplify “Service Above Self”.
  • A chance to respond to the needs of a local community.
The Rotary Club of North Ryde Community Service 2019-20
 
The Rotary Club of North Ryde is a small club with 19 members and 1 Honorary member.

Our Community Service Program 2019-20 commenced with the North Ryde Fun Run for Youth Mental Health which was held on Sunday 25 August 2019 at the Macquarie University Sports Grounds. The Fun Run was held in partnership with Macquarie University Colleges and the Centre for Emotional Health. Sponsorship was gained from local businesses in North Ryde and Macquarie Park. 
North Ryde RSL sponsored a school prize to encourage local schools to participate in the event. A grant for $5000 was also received from the NSW Ministry for Health.

Prior to the event the Centre for Emotional Health provided two seminars focussing on Youth Mental Health. Club members assisted with the promotion of the seminars, introduced the guest speakers and provided supper for attendees whilst also promoting the Fun Run.

Over 50 Volunteers assisted on the day. They included members from other local Rotary Clubs including Ryde, Macquarie Park and Eastwood-Gladesville Clubs as well as North Ryde members and friends; Rotary Youth Exchange Host families and exchange students; East Ryde Scouts ; Rotaract members and Medical and Physiotherapy students from Macquarie University. John Alexander MP attended and opened the event, along with CEH Ambassador Michael Wells from the Waratahs Rugby Team. Honorary member, Stephen Sim was the MC for the event.

This year the Fun Run raised $15 000 with approximately 200 participants from the local area including university students and local school families. Of this amount Australian Rotary Health received $8000 and the Centre for Emotional Health $4 000. A further $950 was given to North Ryde Public School for a Wellbeing Program for Stage 3 students. Funds were also set aside to sponsor a candidate for the RYLA and RYPEN programs and a team from Ryde Secondary College to participate in MUNA.

The Club also provides a donation to 5 local Primary schools of $500 each and $1000 to Ryde Secondary School to support programs for the students. The Principals or teacher representatives form Truscott Street PS, Kent Road PS, North Ryde PS, Ryde East  PS, Holy Spirit Primary School North Ryde and Ryde Secondary College attended a Club Breakfast Meeting at Dunmore Lang College where they were presented with the cheques and gave our members an overview of their school’s activities and programs that we support.

Throughout this Rotary year, the club has been building a relationship with Riding for the Disabled at Marsfield. The club worked with the Rotary Club of Macquarie Park to enable the construction of a mobile mounting ramp for the centre. Our club provided a donation of $2000 towards the ramp. We also held our club Christmas party at the Centre and provided another donation of $500 to help purchase feed for the horses following the effects of catastrophic bushfires and drought on the cost of feed.

Following the Fun Run, club members worked with the Rotary Club of Macquarie Park to plan and deliver the Annual Carols on the Common in December. Months of planning with both clubs culminated in raising $7000 from the sale of glow sticks etc and the bucket collection throughout the night to support the Rotary Bushfire Appeal. Of this money, approx $1700 went towards the purchase of 6x P3 full face respirator masks for the Warringah Rural Fire Service. The remainder of funds raised was donated to the RAWCS south coast appeal for the Bega, Merimbula and Pambula areas. 

The Carols are supported by local community members, groups and businesses; Ryde Council and State and Federal Members of Parliament. Stephen Sim once again, was MC for the event.

Throughout November and December the Rotary Club of North Ryde set up the Tree of Joy at Cox’s Road Mall. Donations and gifts from the Tree of Joy were donated to North Ryde Community Aid and Information Centre Inc., the Smith Family, St Vincent De Paul, Macquarie Hospital and New Horizons Nursing Home. This year over 8000 gifts were donated. 

Bendigo Bank donated $1000 towards the purchase of gifts and Cox’s Road Mall Management provided storage for the gifts as they came in throughout the month. Businesses in the Mall also provided support for the Tree of Joy including Ritchies IGA Supa Market, North Ryde Pharmacy, Caffe InContro and Cox’s Road Fruit Market.

On Thursday 6 December the club sponsored the annual Christmas Party for the clients of North Ryde Community Aid and Information Centre Inc. The club applied for a $2000 Community grant from Ryde Council which covered the cost of food and drink and transport for the clients. Seven members of the club helped serve the food prepared by North Ryde RSL and worked with other volunteers from local Corporate Companies to set up, serve drinks and clean up.  

In February 2020 we held a BBQ and Book Stall at Cox’s Road Mall. Some of the funds raised from the BBQ and Book stall also went towards the Rotary Bushfire appeal.

Whilst we have a small membership our club has worked hard to have a strong and positive profile in the local community.