Centenary 2022

How it all started

In the aftermath of the First World War Rotary was a growing international force. At the suggestion of a Rotarian from the Margate Club (Canterbury’s Mother Club), Alfred Baynton of Canterbury and General Manager of the East Kent Road Car Company convened an informal lunch at the County Hotel, Canterbury, on 2 December 1921.

This was followed by the Charter Night and Inaugural Dinner on 9 February 1922.  For more details on the history of the club, click here.

Who we’ve supported over the years

Over the last 100 years we’ve supported 100s of charities and local causes. Here are just some of the causes that we’ve supported with financial or in-kind donations or with our time over the last few years. 

Local charities

• Prince of Wales Youth Club, Canterbury (e.g. for Covid-19 support actvities)
• Canterbury Food Bank
• Lord Mayor of Canterbury’s Christmas Gift Fund
• Necessary Furniture
• Blackbird Project
• PBS Breastfeeding
• Porchlight
• Music4Wellbeing
• Wheel Potential
• SERV Kent
• Parkinson’s UK (Canterbury branch)
• Rising Sun
• Kent MS Therapy Centre
• Canterbury and District Recorder
• Hi Kent
• Mustard Seed Singers
• The Fifth Trust
• Catching Lives
• PCSA Kent
• Pilgrim’s Hospices
• K&C Hospital League of Friends
• Christmas Dinner for Care Leavers

 Other local causes

• A local individual needing a bespoke wheelchair
• A local 6-year-old with pre-existing medical conditions needing a tablet to continue education during the Covid-19 pandemic
• A young girl with complex health issues wanting a special birthday  
• Teams Eclipse and Evolve, Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School (F1 in Schools competition)
• St Nicholas Special School
• Harbledown Guides/Girlguiding
• Cobbes Meadow (for special sensory rides)
• Honey Bears Specialist Day Nursery
• Forest School (Pilgrim’s Way School)
• Spires Academy & other local schools
• Olympic “Skeleton” hopeful, Rachel Hanagan

• All4Fun, Querns Community Centre

National & International charities & special causes

• British Heart Foundation
• Rotary Club of Dhaka (e.g. to support Covid-19 pandemic-affected and Cyclone Amphan-affected people)
• Juba School in South Sudan (to suppory the education of undeprivileged youngsters)
• Transaid
• Tools for Self Reliance
• Mary’s Meals
• Lendwithcare
• Poppy Appeal
• WaterAid & Aquabox
• Chipembele Wildlife Education Trust, Zambia
• WasteAid
• Open Your Heart to Bhutan
• Health for All
• New Life Nyambene
• ShelterBox
• Children on the Edge
• Cancer Research UK (Tesco’s charity)
• Eye surgery, Bolivia
• MSF (Yemen)

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