Eastern Hutt Rotary - shaping their activities to meet the needs of their community

The annual Eastern Hutt Christmas Raffle

Eastern Hutt Rotary has assessed the needs of its community and created a structure designed to meet those needs.  It has created committees  for education & employment, health & well being, environment & public amenities, international, and special projects.  This resonates with my encouragement to create the Club that suits your communities and members.

The focus provided by these communities ensures that Eastern Hutt Rotarians are engaged in a wide range of activities serving their community.  You may read more on their website at http://www.easternhuttrotary.org.nz/ as I can't possibly capture all that Eastern Hutt Rotary does in its local and overseas communities.

John Terris demonstrates visually the great spirit Club members
displayed during the Healthy in the Hutt exposition 
(with President Colin Fenton)

Eastern Hutt has a particular focus on improving the lives of people in lower socio-economic areas in the Hutt Valley.  They have knocked on the doors of hundreds of homes to facilitate the installation of government-subsidised insulation to improve living conditions.  They have just been involved in a "Healthy in the Hutt" exposition in Taita where home insulation was promoted, children were checked for winter ills, food and give-aways were provided, alongside stalls and demonstrations.

This is yet another Rotary Club that demonstrates the power of working with others.  Healthy in the Hutt involved working with Te Puni Kokiri, Housing New Zealand, Citizens' Advice Bureau, Hutt City, the Environmental Protection Authority and the New Zealand Fire Service.  The Club also has current and past representatives on various District Committees that keeps them connected and up-to-date.

Health Education in Vanuatu

The Club supports Duffy Books in Homes, Dictionaries in Schools, RYLA, RYPEN, the Science and Technology Forum, the Asthma Foundation (which Rotary helped establish) and much more.  Eastern Hutt Rotary was also awarded Rotary Foundation District Grants to support the Parkinsons Society and the Music for Life programme for alzheimer sufferers.

They have taken a strong lead on international projects.  Emergency Response Kits (ERKs) were first introduced to New Zealand in 1983 as Emergency Boxes by the Rotary Club of Eastern Hutt.  Dave Wilson of Eastern Hutt Rotary helped manage the transition to ERKs and strongly promoted them in our District with the support of his wife Margaret. Colin Alford takes the lead for Rotary's work with RUCHI which has provided water, sanitation and increased well being and income to people in Northern India.  This is an impressive project which I have been fortunate enough to have seen first hand.  Health education was also recently provided in Vanuatu.

Eastern Hutt's two major fundraisers are the annual Christmas trailer raffle at Westgate Mall and the golf tournament which has been running now for 12 years.

Thank you Eastern Hutt Rotary for your warm welcome and hospitality.  Congratulations also to Graeme and Sheila Ballantyne on your Pride of Workmanship Awards.