Last weekend, Purley Rotary club celebrated the centenary of its foundation on 25 May 1923. Members were delighted to be joined by about 20 Rotarians from France (Rouen) & the Netherlands (Arnhem), and there was a special weekend of celebrations. The group went to Sir Winston Churchill's former home at Chartwell near Westerham, and in the evening, there was a grand dinner at the Woodcote Park Golf Club attended by over 70 people, including the Civic Mayor Cllr Tony Pearson and his wife Maria.
On the Sunday morning, there was an official cake-cutting ceremony, which rounded off the proceedings in style!
The Rotary Club is part of a large international organisation whose motto is Service Above Self and worldwide, it raises millions of pounds for good causes around the world. In 1925, the Purley club bought what is now Rotary Field for the benefit of the local community, and it sponsored the Purley Swimathon for many years till the pool closed in 2020; it has also raised large sums for various other local charities.
Let's hope that it continues to thrive for another 100 years, and for the record, I should declare that I am currently the Club Secretary.
Cllr Simon Brew
