The Rotary Club of Belper was formed in 1930 and it has played an active part in the life of the town ever since. A number of the present members live and work in Duffield and in recognition of this and the fact that some of the club’s activities involve the schools and other organisations in Duffield, the club was formally rechristened ‘The Rotary Club of Belper and Duffield’ in 2006. The makeup of the club has also changed over the last four years with the presence of lady members; currently, there are 29 members of whom three are ladies. The last few years have seen the club with two successive lady Presidents.

We meet most Monday evenings at the Lion Hotel, Belper for a meal together and discuss progress on various projects and activities. This is usually followed with a talk or presentation by an invited speaker organised in turn by the members. This pattern is varied by the occasional outing to somewhere of local interest, a factory visit or a trip to the theatre and restaurant.

Rotary has a long tradition of serving both the local community and international causes and the Belper and Duffield Club is no exception. You will see the members with collecting tins at Christmas with the Santa Sleigh travelling around Duffield and stationed on King Street and outside Morrison’s.

A considerable proportion of the funds raised is ploughed back into the local community – over the last few months we have supported the Drop Inn, the Belper Disabled Club, the Cottage Project and the Derbyshire Children’s Holiday Centre as well as helping several talented youngsters to finance their training in sport and the arts.

We also make donations to International Aid Initiatives. Rotary International has been an active supporter of the long running campaign to eradicate Polio completely from the face of the earth. This has nearly been achieved and we have now been given the challenge by the Bill and Melissa Gates Foundation to match their donation of 355 million dollars. Our neighbouring Club at Wirksworth has organised the production of thousands of Aquaboxes over the last 15 years. Many individuals and organisations in the Belper area have assisted in financing and fitting out these plastic boxes used for purifying water in disaster zones around the world.  

The Belper and Duffield Club has been particularly concerned to help the Happy Home Orphanage in Kenya, a project actively supported by our immediate Past President, David Harris. Two years ago, we donated £7500 for building a new toilet block and water storage facilities and this year we have made a further donation towards a water supply for the local community.

But it isn’t just fund raising. The Rotary motto is ‘Service above Self’ and many of the members are quietly working away in the community offering their help with the local schools through Mock Interviews, Cycle Proficiency Training and Mentoring and providing Reading Material in social clubs for the elderly and disabled.