Welcome to the 2026-2027 Rotary year from your Co-Presidents Jeff and Peter.
Where are we?
We are delighted to be a part of this next chapter of our club. We have both been involved in the Board and various projects with the club for the past few (and more!) years and have witnessed many programs grow, begin, and even some wrap up. While we are very much still finding our feet and working out how this double-headed president can best work, we are still coming to terms with the task and learning a bit as we go. Unlike in past years where the lead time as ‘President Elect’ allowed for reflection and preparation, we are learning as we go.
We do feel honoured that the club has entrusted us with the task and are confident of the support of each other. It also helps to have such a supportive and well-versed board and committee membership to assist us.
Why have we accepted the task? Because Flemington Kensington Rotary is too good to fail!! Our Club has long punched above its weight with many successful local and overseas projects past and present.
Where to from here?
With a major restructure underway with Rotary in Australia, we have the opportunity to take stock and launch ourselves into this new future. We feel that our focus needs to be on gaining greater exposure for Rotary and our members in the local community. We have already reached out to RC North Melbourne to identify how closer collaboration might benefit both clubs and the overlapping local communities we serve. Our Op Shop, now fifteen years in operation, is a visible community window for Rotary. Board discussions are looking to ways that this window can be significantly enlarged. What other opportunities are there? That is up to you: our club and its impact are only limited by your imagination. We are keen to encourage and support your ambitions, so please reach out to either of us. Even if your project idea is in its infancy and/or faces challenges; If you can dream it, there will be a way!
The annual changeover was held at Riverside Golf Club on 1st July.
This was a lovely celebration of the year, and it was great to gather together again.
Past District Governor Julie Mason was district representative on the night and assisted with presentations and the changeover.
We were delighted to welcome our Rotary Youth Exchange student Lenka Pocarovska to give her final presentation to the club, with her mother and brother present to meet us. It was good to see Len Seddon again and also Jo's granddaughter Ava.
Jay Tatulaschwili and family also joined us as did Charlotte and Faiqa from MAC, Maria Silber from Rotary Footscray and Dave and Kiruba from NEAP Sri Lanka.
Welcome and congratulations to our newest member,
Lachlan Janetzki.
Congratulations and thank you to John Farmery who was awarded the Jim Hosie recognition for club service. PHOTOS
Sincere thanks to those who assisted on this very busy day:
Anwar Alshek, John Sklenar, Nicole Marshall, Jo Walker, Anthony McManus, Shirhan Abdulkadir, Abdi Hassan, Soraya Mohamud, John Farmery, Caitlyn Marshall Pearson, Lesley McCarthy. 56 volunteer hours contributed.
Farah Warsame from the Somali Association asked Anwar for us to run the BBQ and we agreed. Soraya and Abdi sought donations towards shipping the container to Galkayo with posters on display {thanks Nicole}. $1295
Crs Ava and Hamish dropped in to see us as did Jo Briskey MP.
Board members met and continued discussions about the future based on members feedback from club forums.
Thanks to Chris Richardson for hosting the meeting at her home.
Lesley advised that we had been successful in obtaining a Community Support Grant from the City of Melbourne to assist with insurance for the Op Shop.
Invoices have been received from Rotary International and RDU for membership fees for this six month period. We are awaiting the invoice from District 9800. Omce received, the Board will set membership fees for the coming year.
Each year, clubs are levied fees for each member based on admin, insurance and communication expenses. It is therefore very important that members indicate if they are resigning their membership as the club is charged at 1 July and 1 January.
International reports:
The Maldives playground project has 7 playgrounds waiting in storage with 2 to be harvested in coming weeks. Peter is awaiting a quote for shipping.
Hopefully, playgrounds and 5 pallets of books from DiK will ship early August.
The Galkayo Hospital Puntland/Somalia project with Soraya, Shirhan and Abdi is progressing fundraising well. A wishlist has been received and a quote for shipping has been requested. Nepal: Shraddha reported on assessments completed by the students and was pleased with the growth. REPORT.
Youth report: We have 2 candidates for NYSF Liam and Ava. Lachlan is seeking candidates for RYLA.
RYPEN is set for 5-6 September and MAC have been asked to nominate 2 students to attend.
Rotary Flemington Kensington Melbourne was pleased to be able to participate in this effort with a contribution of $1,000. This was a District 9800 collaborative project that has delivered a 40-foot container of medical equipment and supplies to Cambodia.
We are pleased to report that the 40-foot shipping container arrived safely at Sihanoukville Port on 2 May via Singapore.
Since its arrival, hospital staff have been working closely with customs authorities to complete the necessary documentation and payments required for customs clearance.
Freight and associated equipment purchase costs are approximately $8,500. Included in the shipment of donated medical equipment and supplies sourced from DIK was a specialist orthopaedic fracture table purchased in Australia, along with an "as new" anaesthetic machine that was modified and fitted with the gas canisters used in Cambodian hospitals, ensuring it is ready for immediate use.
The remaining $23,000 raised by the project has been transferred to the Rotary Club of Phnom Penh and is being held specifically for the hospital to purchase additional priority medical equipment that was not available through the Donations in Kind warehouse.
These purchases will directly support the ongoing development of the hospital and enhance the level of care it is able to provide. More information about the hospital is available at Cambodian Children's Surgical Centre.
Thank you to everyone in your Club who contributed to making this project possible. Your generosity and support are helping deliver much-needed medical equipment to those who need it most. We look forward to sharing photographs of the container being unloaded and the equipment being put to use very soon.
PP Bronwyn Stevens OAM
This is Rotary at its best—clubs working together to improve lives and strengthen healthcare for those who need it most.
OP SHOP REPORT: Lesley McCarthy June was another very good month, boosted by winter sales.
Thanks again to Jo for her window and table displays. We now have a range of plants available for sale as well.
There are 2 new volunteers volunteering in the shop too:
Julia is a local working in graphic design. She has been helping on Thursdays and Fridays but now has a job and is coming in on a Saturday morning.
Lisa is a business management student and has previously volunteered at the Brotherhood of St Laurence - she is volunteering on Friday afternoons.
Nahla has returned to Iraq to visit family and will be away for 6 weeks.
Donations to RIMERN and Red Nose Day continue on a fortnightly basis.
Peter Duras from Central Melbourne Rotary also collects for Youth Projects for the homeless.
Recently we have directed a number of items of musical equipment to MAC, books to Ascot Vale Heights school and arts and crafts items to Kensington Community HS
New member Lachlan Janetzki: Lachlan does a lot of youth volunteer work and as a recipient of some scholarships during secondary school, he sees the value of giving back.
In the last month, Lachlan has:
* volunteered as a peer leader at the Lord Somers Camp at Portsea
* participated in the third Western Chances Ambassador Program Workshop, Media Training and Message Crafting, led by Melbourne Airport's Andrew Lund (Head of Communications) and Cameron Beaman (External Affairs Manager).
* mentored students from the 2026 and 2027 cohorts of Skyliners where he ran a VCE Psychology workshop for Skyline Hatch.
Lachlan thanked the team at Skyline for the opportunity to return to the program and give back to a community that has done so much for him.
Congratulations on your dedication and service Lachlan!
