On the 18th September our fearless member Mimi Marriott did a sponsored zip line across the Twickenham Stadium successfully raising £520 for the local ‘Help the Aged’ charity.
Well done Mimi !!
16th September 2026- Paul Harris Award
A Paul Harris Fellowship is an accolade that a Rotary Club can vote to present to a worthy individual within or outside the international Rotary organisation.
It is named after one of the four Founding Fathers of Rotary and recognises extended effort and commitment in supporting the community, whether locally, nationally or internationally.
The Rotary Club of Guildford Wey had great pleasure in presenting a Paul Harris Fellowship to Lisa Lee of GLive, for her support to our ‘Schools Got Talent’ annual event given over many years as the Stage Manager for the event.
Lisa Lee has been working in the Performing Arts industry for over thirty years.
As a professional dancer she worked all over the world in theatre, on television and on pop tours.
As a choreographer and latterly a stage manager Lisa has worked on many large-scale state events including The Platinum Jubilee Pageant, the Queen’s 90th Birthday Celebrations for ITV and the Diamond Jubilee Pageant at Windsor Castle.
Presenting the award was Steve Johnson vice president of the Rotary Club of Guildford Wey, Jane Hindley Rotary’s event organiser and Nick Rye director of music at the Duke of Kent School.
L-R:
Jane , Lisa, Steve, Nick
6th September 2026 Gosdenberry
This year´s event was a great success as we managed to have a clear, dry and warm afternoon when showers were around. We pleased to see many family picnics in the walled garden which were complimented by the Cream Teas included with the ticket price.
The event was opened by our Guildford Mayor Jane Tyson. The whole event was organised by our Rotary Member Michael Ramcharan who also did an excellent job on the drums !
A big thanks to all the members of the Rotary Club of Guildford Wey for erecting the event in the morning, those manning the cream tea marquee, ticket and raffle organisers, the drinks bar set up by Gosden House´s PA and all those who stayed to clear away the event. A long and tiring day but most enjoyable and worthwhile.
We are pleased that overall some £2,500 was raised to be distributed amongst Gosden School , the Mayor’s Charities, the Cheryl King trust and Rotary charities.
#RotaryinGuildford
#Gosdenberry
#GuildfordMayoralty
#GosdenHouseSchool
27th August 2026 – Phyllis Tuckwell presentation
President Chris Shorter and member Andrew Jackson were pleased to represent the Rotary Club of Guildford Wey at the new Phyllis Tuckwell Hospice in Farnham and the Club be recognised as a contributor to the International Global Grant passed to the Hospice by the Rotary project lead, Tony Myers of Farnborough Rotary. Andrew in particular was instrumental it getting this through the grant process. His contribution was applauded by the 11 Clubs represented at the presentation.
Tony Myers presents the cheque for £97,551.50 to Jenny Peat, Director of Income & Engagement on his right and Laura Moody, Income Generation Innovation Manager both of Phyllis Tuckwell
A plaque will be placed in the main foyer to recognise the contribution made by the Rotary Foundation and the Global Grant to the purchase of essential equipment for the In-Patient Unit
Following a lunch and the presentation those present were given a tour of the amazing new development.
The acknowledged contributors to the Grant.
18 August 2026- HATW.ORG.UK
The Rotary Club of Guildford Wey donated £500 to the charity Hands Around The World
Through a personal contact ,Jane Powell, Operations Manager at Hands Around the World, who regularly visits Zambia, we have received the following message : “..We are incredibly grateful for your support and I will send you a report in December of how the money has been spent. We have allocated it to tertiary education in Zambia – we have several students starting courses next weekend in Pharmacy and diplomas in Agriculture. The youngsters are delighted to have this opportunity and also very excited about the prospect of going to University/College and being able to study – something not available to them without support…”
10th August 2026 A Meeting of Minds
The two premier charities within the Guildford Area who support both the local community and International projects, came together on the evening of the 10th August to listen to each others efforts to support local and International charities.
Following an earlier invitation and visit to a Rotary Guildford Wey meeting by Lion Bob Hackman, The Rotary Club of Guildford Wey enjoyed an invitation to the Guildford Lions Monday meeting on the 10th August.
Rotary President Chris Shorter, president elect Steve Johnson and Rotary Foundation member Andrew Jackson were warmly welcomed by Lions’ president Andrew Henwood who presented Chris with their Lions’ Banner .
We found that the two clubs have so much in common in respect of our aims and objects, that it was resolved that we would look at a closer relationship with regard to our individual projects without losing our individual historic identities. Who knows maybe a joint venture in the future.
6th August 2026- Oakleaf
On the 6th August the Rotary Club of Guildford Wey (RIGW) visited the Oakleaf Centre in Woodbridge Road to update themselves on the work that they do. Oakleaf offer a wide range of services to clients to empower them to gain the skills, support and the confidence needed to manage their mental health and achieve their goals. On site there are IT and practical workshops, together with counselling sessions to enable their clients to be better prepared for job applications.
They offer :
Wellbeing Activities & Courses
Designed to build confidence, physical health and wellbeing; reducing isolation and loneliness.
Work-Related Training
Courses in IT and Gardening help our clients gain the skills and qualifications needed to return to the world of work.
Employment Support
Our ‘Path to Success’ Employment Project delivers tailored employment training and mentoring for clients.
Counselling Clients have access to counselling sessions with our BACP-registered service to aid their recovery.
5th August Spiritual Care
A reflective resource titled ‘My Journal for My Journey’ has been carefully designed to support patients as they approach the end of their life. It will help individuals engage more confidently with doctors and healthcare professionals, while also creating space to reflect on their personal journey and wishes.
The journal includes prompts covering areas such as:
- Preferences around care and decision-making as health changes
- Who they would like contacted (or not contacted) after their death
- Personal choices such as music for their funeral
- Reflections on priorities, including quality versus quantity of life
The books are provided to patients completely free of charge, ensuring that anyone who may benefit from them can access this support regardless of their circumstances.
Feedback from patients has been overwhelmingly positive. Many have found that it supports meaningful conversations and helps them feel more prepared, more heard, and more at peace. It has even been commented that this resource would be valuable for everyone, regardless of whether they are currently unwell or not.
The ‘Rotary Club of Guildford Wey’ was very pleased to be able to contribute monies, in August 2026, to allow the publishing of the Journals so patients can access this resource freely, and help them to make their wishes known at a crucial stage in their care.
With thanks to the Rev Mark Witherden, Chaplain of the Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust for creating this resource. Contact: Spiritual Care :01483 406835 Ext 4044
5th August HexB Tiles update
This is a vote of thanks to GBC and the Castle grounds team for looking after the plants around our HexB tiles. Despite the current run of heatwaves the plants are surviving and flowering. Hopefully their pollination will be assisted by the resident solitary bees in our HexB tiles.
19th-20th July 2026 Wood Street Fair & Jazz Festival
The Rotary Club of Guildford Wey was pleased to be able to assist in the setting up of stalls and Gazebos for the Wood Street annual fair and their re-adjustment on the 20th July to accommodate the Wood Street Jazz Festival held in aid of Guildford Challengers. Of course we also assisted in the dismantling of the event and are pleased to report that some £17,000 was raised for Challengers. We were pleased to be able to assist in some way to the success of the event. Many thanks to our President Elect, Steve Johnson, for organising & directing our efforts
