Rotary Southern Districts

03/09/2026

Southern Districts Rotary club members at the official handover of the commercial BBQ to “Street Yarning “ Community Group, which is part of Hope Community Services.

Street Yarning is a place-based community outreach program operating within the City of Armadale. At every session, they host a free community BBQ not the focus, but the means.

Sharing food sparks conversation and creates a relaxed, welcoming space where people feel safe, where our outreach worker and volunteers can listen and, with consent, connect people to services and support. In a typical week, the program supports between 100 and 150 children, adults and families, and that number is growing.

During winter, students from Lumen Christi College prepare fresh soup for their sessions for some who attend, the only substantial meal they will have that day.

Street Yarning receives no external grants or government funding; it is resourced entirely by Hope and delivered in collaboration with the City of Armadale and the Champion Centre. In June 2026, the program was named a finalist in the WA Men’s Mental Wellbeing Awards.

03/09/2026

A great bunch at lunch at the Bentley with 8 Rotary and friends

01/09/2026

So proud of my Rotary Club which, without hesitation, has agreed to donate $5,000 to RAWCS fundraising appeal to help the victims of the flood in Nepal.

You can donate here:

27/08/2026

Our hearts go out to the people affected by the tragic floods in Nepal.

Even members of our own club have friends and relatives that they are waiting news on.

RAWCS - Rotary Australia World Community Service has established a disaster fund. Donations can be made here.

Do you want to include links to this project in your website, an email message, a tweet or facebook post? If you do, the codes to include are below (green text can be changed):

27/08/2026

Dear Rotary Club Members,
On behalf of everyone at St Munchin's Catholic School, I would like to sincerely thank you for the generous grant you provided to support our Performing Arts program. Your contribution made an incredible difference and gave our students opportunities they may never have experienced otherwise.
The funding helped our school participate in the Catholic Performing Arts Festival, a statewide event that celebrates student talent across dance, drama, music and speech. For St Munchin's, this was a huge achievement. We are a proudly diverse, multicultural school with many families from low socio-economic backgrounds, and opportunities like this can often be out of reach for our students.
Thanks to your support, we were able to compete in three categories: Christian Dance, Creative Dance and Choral Speech. Your grant helped cover bus transport, festival entry fees and costumes, removing financial barriers so our students could participate with confidence and pride.
The highlight of the festival was taking 61 Year 6 students to the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre to compete in the Creative Dance section. Walking into such a large professional venue was overwhelming. The nerves were high, and watching schools with extensive performing arts programs perform before us was both daunting and intimidating.
But our students held their own.
After months of rehearsals, early morning practices and so much hard work, they stepped onto that stage and gave the performance of a lifetime. They performed with courage, confidence and heart, and we could not have been prouder of them.
For many of our students, performing on a stage of that size, in front of a packed audience in a world-class venue, is something they may never experience again in their lifetime. It was more than a dance performance; it was an experience that built confidence, created lifelong memories and showed our students what they are capable of achieving.
Your generosity made that possible.
Thank you for believing in our students and investing in opportunities that enrich their education beyond the classroom. The memories, pride and confidence they gained from this experience will stay with them for years to come.
With heartfelt thanks,
Danielle Sartorelli
Performing Arts Coordinator
St Munchin's Catholic School

28/07/2026

Tonight we welcomed Barbrah Loau as the newest member of Southern Districts Rotary Club.

14/07/2026

💙 Community Grants in Action – Comfort When It's Needed Most

Some of the most meaningful community projects don't make headlines—they simply make life's toughest moments a little easier.

The Rotary Club of Southern Districts is proud to support the Inner Wheel Club of Gosnells through our 2025 Community Grants Program, helping fund their remarkable Breast Cushion Project.

The project began in September 2021 after one of their members visited the Inner Wheel Club of Upper Hutt in New Zealand and saw first-hand the comfort these specially designed cushions provide to women recovering from breast surgery.

Since then, dedicated Inner Wheel volunteers have met regularly for their "Stuff and Sew" sessions—afternoons filled with sewing, laughter, friendship and plenty of cups of tea—as they lovingly create each cushion by hand.

These cushions are provided free of charge through the Breast Clinics at Fiona Stanley Hospital and Royal Perth Hospital, where they are warmly welcomed by staff and patients alike. They have also been sent across Australia and overseas, bringing comfort to women wherever they are needed.

Their achievements are truly inspiring:

💙 1,933 breast cushions donated
🧵 Another 200 currently being sewn
🎉 Their 2,000th cushion will be presented this August

In 2024, the project celebrated another special milestone when a patient at Royal Perth Hospital received the 1,000th cushion, together with a wellness gift pack.

Projects like this demonstrate the power of community volunteers working together. Rotary is delighted that our Community Grant helps purchase the materials needed so these wonderful volunteers can continue providing comfort, care and hope to women during their recovery.

Congratulations to everyone at the Inner Wheel Club of Gosnells. Your compassion, dedication and thousands of hours of volunteer service are making a real difference in our community.

💙 Together, we're making our community stronger—one cushion, one person, one act of kindness at a time.

11/07/2026

🎉 Another Community Grant Making a Difference!

The Rotary Club of Southern Districts is delighted to see another of our 2026 Community Grants already having a positive impact in our local community.

The Gosnells Toy Library recently shared this wonderful update:

"Gosnells Toy Library would like to thank the Rotary Club of Southern Districts for your generous grant. With the funds we were able to purchase new shelving for our games section of the toy library. These games used to hang in bags and were often lost on the racks. Now we have a clear display where games are displayed in their boxes for our members to browse."

Sometimes it's the simple improvements that make the biggest difference. The new shelving makes it much easier for families to see what's available, find the games they're looking for, and enjoy everything the Toy Library has to offer.

This is exactly what our Community Grants are all about—supporting practical local projects that improve services and strengthen our community.

Congratulations to everyone at the Gosnells Toy Library, and thank you for the important role you play in supporting local children and families.
Check them out here https://www.facebook.com/gosnellstoylibrary

06/07/2026

Your 2025 Community Grant of $1,500 was used to help bridge the financial gap for local families who would otherwise have been unable to access counselling. This sum subsidises 30 real life sessions for our local community members. The funding enabled individuals and families experiencing grief, trauma, relationship difficulties, parenting challenges and mental health concerns to receive vital therapeutic support at a time when they needed it most.

One client shared, "Being able to believe in myself more. Giving my children confidence in believing in their emotions and being able to express them safely."

Another told us, "Family therapy helped my daughters and I bond and speak freely and listen to each other."


Parents also reported stronger communication at home, with one simply saying, "I can communicate with my partner and kids better."


Perhaps the most powerful reflection came from a mother grieving the sudden loss of her daughter, who wrote: "I am still here. Without Serena's support, I am not sure that I would've survived the sudden loss of my youngest daughter."


Another family caring for three children from a traumatic environment shared that counselling had "helped bring awareness to each and every one of us and is equipping us with the tools to navigate."


These stories are only a small glimpse of the impact your generosity has created. Every counselling session funded through your grant represents hope, healing and the opportunity for families to build healthier relationships and brighter futures.


Thank you for believing in our work and for investing in the wellbeing of our community. We are proud to partner with Rotary Club of Southern Districts and look forward to continuing to make a positive difference together.


Warm regards