All Rotary Clubs belong to a District and there are 29 currently districts within Great Britan and Northern Ireland.
The Rotary Club of Banbury Cherwell belongs to District 1090 and this covers an area from Banbury in the North of the district to Crowthorne in the South, with Faringdon and Ruislip Northwood being the furthest West and East respectively. We cover the counties of Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Middlesex and Oxfordshire in central southern England.
Within District 1090 there are 61 clubs and approximately 2200 male and female members.
Districts are important within Rotary, as by working together Clubs can make an even
bigger monetary or humanitarian impact.
Each year a new District Governor, District Officers and Committee Chairpersons are elected.
These District committees reflect the committees that each individual Rotary Club maintains and aim to guide clubs in the ways of Rotary and foster constructive discussion on current topics such as member recruitment. We have two members represented on District Committees.
We are an active, thriving District involved in the full range of Rotary activities across all channels of service covering local, national and international causes. We also support and encourage our Inner Wheel and Rotaract Clubs across the District either directly or via their local Rotary Clubs.
Over the past year our District has taken part in Rotary initiatives such as:
Life Education Centres
Hearing Dogs for the Deaf
Mercy Ships
Stroke Awareness Day when we helped to take over 100,000 blood pressure readings
Rotary Kids Out that gave over 20,000 disadvantaged children a day out to remember
In addition to our service activities we also celebrate our fellowship and achievements at an annual District Conference, the next one scheduled to be held from 4th - 6th April 2008 in Bournemouth.
See the club Club Diary for further details.
Mercy Ships
Mercy Ships is this years chosen charity by Rotary District 1090 and we have teamed up with Mercy Ships to raise money for an ophthalmic operating theatre which will be on board its new hospital ship The Africa Mercy.
The Africa Mercy - This 499-foot 16,572 GRT joined the fleet in March 1999.
She is currently being converted in the UK from a rail ferry into a hospital ship, complete with six operating rooms and an 80-bed ward.
Mercy Ships is an international hospital ship charity that provides free medical care, releif aid, community development and long-term sustainable development in the poorest countries in the world.
It presently has two ships - the Anastasis, which works primarily in West Africa and the Caribbean Mercy, which works in the Caribbean and Central America - and is currently converting a former Danish rail ferry into its third hospital ship, the Africa Mercy. The £35 million refit is taking place in Newcastle and £10 million is still needed to complete the transformation and install the essential supplies and hospital equipment.
The 522-foot flagship, the Anastasis, is currently the world's largest non-governmental hospital ship.
Acquired in 1978, she contains three fully equipped operating rooms, a dental clinic, a laboratory, an X-ray unit, and a 1,500 ton cargo capacity.
When complete, the Africa Mercy will be the world's largest hospital ship and will be heading to Africa, providing essential medical and humanitarian service to the millions who have no access to healthcare services, clean water or stable housing.
Since its inception in 1978, Mercy Ships has worked in more than 70 countries and performed in excess of one million operations. Entire communities have been changed through the provision of medical equipment and medicines, as well as water sanitation projects, and agriculture and construction training.
All the ships are staffed by dedicated volunteers from over 50 nations ranging from seamen, engineers, surgeons, doctors and nurses. Therefore, as no wages are paid, all funds received by the charity go directly to those in need as all medical services on board the ships are free of charge.
Acquired in 1994, the 265-foot Caribbean Mercy , with its new eye surgery unit, focuses on the Caribbean basin and Central America.
Her international crew of 150 volunteers bring hope and heal the poor.
The Africa Mercy has set up the 'Africa Mercy Appeal' to help raise the remaining funds and essential supplies required too get the ship floating by early 2006 and the support of Rotary will ensure that many more of the world's poorest blind people will have the hope of seeing again.
Rotarians from District 1090 have already pledged their support to The Africa Mercy Appeal and many more have found time to provide their time, energy and skills to help in this vital work.
