The Rotary Club of Tamworth West Inc.

02/11/2026

🎉 Celebrating 60 Years of Service Above Self 🎉

Tonight the Rotary Club of Tamworth West celebrated an incredible milestone as we recognised Bob Donoghoe's 60th anniversary as a Rotarian.

Bob was inducted into our Club on 31 October 1966, beginning a remarkable journey of service that has helped shape both our Club and our community for six decades.

Joined by his wife Freda and family members Brian and Kerry Hilton, and Steve and Sue Donoghoe, members reflected on Bob's lasting impact through stories of friendship, leadership, community projects, mentorship and his steadfast commitment to Rotary values. From fundraising projects and community service initiatives to leadership roles and lifelong friendships, the common theme throughout the evening was Bob's quiet dedication, integrity and genuine care for others.

Members spoke of Bob's wisdom, sense of humour, passion for Rotary and the support he has provided to generations of Rotarians. His example has inspired many to join Rotary and continues to embody the spirit of Service Above Self.

The evening concluded with the presentation of a Certificate of Appreciation in recognition of Bob's 60 years of membership and outstanding service.

Congratulations Bob on this extraordinary achievement. Thank you for six decades of making a difference. 💙💛

31/10/2026

♻️ What if your recycling could help improve our community?
Every can and bottle you recycle through Return and Earn in Taminda has value.

Rather than collecting your refund, you can choose to donate it directly to the Rotary Club of Tamworth West. Those funds help support local projects, community initiatives and charitable causes right here in our region.

Recycling to donate is easy:
🚗 Drive in
♻️ Drop off your containers
❤️ Ask for your refund to be donated to the Rotary Club of Tamworth West

✅ That's it! - No fundraising forms, No raffles, No selling chocolates.

Just recycling that reduces landfill and creates funding for projects that benefit our Tamworth community.

📚 Fun Fact
Did you know that every 1,000 cans and bottles donated can help provide a child enrolled in the Dolly Parton Imagination Library with a new book every month for an entire year?
Imagine the difference we could make if hundreds of local households donated just a few containers each month.

👉 Learn more about the Rotary Club of Tamworth West Return and Earn Partner Project:
https://portal.clubrunner.ca/19307/page/return-and-earn-partner-project-recycling-for-community

26/10/2026

Recycle for Rotary!!

The Rotary Club of Tamworth West now have a Return and Earn account at the Return and Earn Recycling depot at 4 MacIntosh St Taminda. By donating recycled cans and bottles to our Rotary Club these proceeds then provide funding to support local community groups and charities in the Tamworth and Surrounding community.

Recycling is easy:
1. Drive through the depot;
2. Reverse into an unloading bay;
3. Load your cans and bottles into the blue bins provided to be run through the processing machine; and
4. Ask to donate your proceeds to the account of The Rotary Club of Tamworth West.

Its that easy.

With community support and by recycling our bottles and cans, our collective contributions can help to reduce waste and landfill and protect our environment. The proceeds raised can then be utilised to support our community and build a stronger Tamworth together.

To find out more about our Return and Earn Community Partner Project follow the link to our Website Project page below:

https://portal.clubrunner.ca/19307/page/return-and-earn-partner-project-recycling-for-community

26/10/2026

Thank you to Trish Moore and Heather Stewart from Commonwealth Bank Tamworth for an excellent presentation on scams and fraud prevention at tonight's Rotary meeting.

The key message this evening was simple: Stop, Check and Reject. Scammers often create urgency, secrecy, threats, or offers that seem too good to be true in an attempt to catch people off guard. Members learned about the latest scam techniques, including fake invoices, investment scams, relationship scams and the growing use of AI-generated content designed to look genuine.

One of the evening's strongest reminders was to always independently verify payment details before transferring money and to use multi-factor authentication to protect online accounts. As technology evolves, staying informed remains one of our best defences against fraud.

A big thank you to Trish and Heather for sharing their expertise and helping our members better protect themselves, their families and our community from scams. 👏🔒💻

24/10/2026

Our Club was out and about cooking for attendees of the Youth Insearch Brighter Day event in Bicentennial Park this morning. Unfortunately with the threat of wet weather attendees and numbers were well down on last year. Not withstanding, those that came were able to enjoy a sausage sandwich and a drink all for a gold coin donation.

Thanks to Ron Carr and Gordon and Rosemary Austin for organising the food and cutting up the onions. Big thank you those Rotarians who volunteered to help out today in Bicentennial Park, Peter Dillon, Kevin Craggs, Gavin Hombsch, Bob Lockwood, Ron Carr, Ron McDonald, Scott Edwards and James Hindmarsh.

Special thanks also to Richard Chaffey and Gordon Austin who have temporarily modified Richards 5 x 8 trailer so we have mobile catering abilities. A new and improved trailer and set up are soon on the way.

19/10/2026

Tonight it was a pleasure to induct two new members into our Club, Ron McDonald and Rob Moran. Always exciting to welcome new members into Rotary and our Club.

Congratulations Ron and Rob and welcome aboard.

(photo left to right - Tony Summers, Ron McDonald, James Hindmarsh Rob Moran and Peter Dillon)

19/10/2026

🚜 Guest Speaker - Mark O'Connor, AMPS Agribusiness

Tonight welcomed Mark O'Connor, Chief Financial Officer of AMPS Agribusiness (Agricultural Marketing and Production Systems), as our guest speaker. Mark provided an engaging overview of the grower-owned agribusiness, which was established more than 25 years ago by a group of local farmers seeking greater buying power and improved access to research and agronomic services. Today, AMPS has evolved into an unlisted public company with approximately 130 shareholders, predominantly local farmers and customers, operating six branches across North West New South Wales.

Mark explained the unique AMPS business model, where profits from the rural merchandise division help fund an extensive agricultural research program. Through field trials and agronomic research, AMPS supports its shareholder base with practical, locally relevant information to improve farm productivity and sustainability. Having returned to the region in 2004, Mark spent several years advising the company as an external accountant before joining the organisation as CFO, giving him a unique perspective on its growth and development.

A major focus of Marks presentation was the design and construction of AMPS' impressive new Tamworth headquarters and branch facility at 23 Dampier Street, Taminda. After opening a Tamworth branch in leased premises in 2016 and experiencing significant growth, the company elected to invest in its own purpose-built facility. Mark outlined the extensive planning process, including capital raising from existing and new local shareholders, visits to rural merchandise businesses across northern NSW to gather design ideas, and the decision to adopt a fixed-price design-and-construct approach. The result is a modern, customer-friendly facility featuring efficient traffic management for customers, forklifts and heavy vehicles, along with a welcoming showroom that reflects the changing face of Australian agriculture.

Mark concluded by sharing several lessons learned throughout the project, including the importance of thorough planning, consulting staff during the design phase, fostering strong partnerships with builders, and recognising the significant time commitment required in planning and embarking on this type of project.

Adding some humour to the evening, he recounted the story of a young staff member who was filming the new site via drone during the construction phase and unintentionally strayed too high up into restricted airspace trying to capture the whole area, receiving a surprisingly rapid enquiry from the authorities.

👏 Thank you to Mark for sharing the story behind one of our region's most successful grower-owned agricultural businesses and providing a fascinating insight into the planning and development of their impressive new Tamworth headquarters.

If you want to find out more about AMPS follow the link to their website below:
https://ampsagribusiness.com.au/what-we-do

12/10/2026

🎤 Toastmasters Inspires Better Public Speaking

It was a pleasure to welcome Berniece Simpkins and Marlene Tremaine from Tamworth Toastmasters to speak with our members about the many benefits of Toastmasters and how the organisation helps people develop confidence in public speaking.

As a past Toastmaster myself, I can personally attest to the value of the program. Toastmasters welcomes people of all ages and provides a supportive environment to improve communication skills, build self-confidence, and meet new people.

Berniece, who has been a member for more than 20 years and currently serves as President of the Tamworth Toastmasters Club, explained how Toastmasters guides members through the process of writing, developing, and delivering effective presentations. Members learn the importance of a clear structure, including a strong beginning, a memorable conclusion, and three key points forming the body of a speech.

🎙️ Toastmasters also places significant emphasis on learning by doing. Meetings include prepared speeches, impromptu speaking exercises, and constructive evaluations designed to help members continually improve their communication skills.

⏱️ Members are encouraged to stay within prescribed time limits, with prepared speeches typically running for 5 to 7 minutes, while "Table Topics" impromptu speeches are usually 1 to 2 minutes in duration. Dedicated meeting roles such as Timekeeper, Grammarian and the ever-watchful "Um - Ah Counter" help participants become more aware of their speaking habits and presentation style.

🏆 Berniece and Marlene also spoke about Toastmasters speaking competitions, including recent event held at Inverell, where competitors are challenged to present to unfamiliar audiences. These experiences help participants develop valuable communication skills that readily transfer to the workplace and community leadership roles.

📝 A key feature of every meeting is the evaluation process, where speakers receive supportive feedback and encouragement. Every member has the opportunity to participate and develop both speaking and leadership skills over time.

🤝 The structured and organised nature of Toastmasters was highlighted throughout the presentation. In addition to regular meetings, Toastmasters also conducts executive meetings, with leadership roles and responsibilities that have many similarities to those found within Rotary.

📍 Berniece and Marlene offered that visitors are always welcome to attend and experience a meeting firsthand. Tamworth Toastmasters meets at the Services Club on the 2nd and 4th Monday of each month.

Our sincere thanks to Berniece and Marlene for sharing their experiences and insights and challenging a number of our members to embark on an impromptu speech. Their presentation provided a fascinating look into an organisation that continues to help people become more effective communicators, confident speakers, and capable leaders.

Tamworth Toastmasters are celebrating their 60th year anniversary on 26 October 2026 and are inviting any current and past members to help celebrate this milestone. Link to the Website and contact details for Tamworth Toastmasters can be found below.
https://www.tamworthtoastmasters.org.au/

10/10/2026

Happy Saturday everyone, I hope you are all having a very enjoyable Weekend.

Please find link below to Rotary Club Tamworth West Quarterly Review for the first quarter of the 2026-27 Presidential Year.
This quarter our Club was admirably led by Gavin Hombsch who has handed the baton over to myself for this next October to December Quarter.

Enjoy the read.
YIR
James Hindmarsh (President & Public Image)

The first quarter of the 2026-27 Rotary year has seen the Rotary Club of Tamworth West continue its proud tradition of community service, fellowship and engagement across the Tamworth region.  Members contributed numerous volunteer hours supporting local organisations, community health initiatives ...

05/10/2026

Some of our members were having fun today in Richard Chaffey's Shed revamping our BBQ Trailer so that it will be more efficient and portable going forward. Its a work in progress at the moment but we will have one BBQ right to go for the Brighter Day catering on 24 October in Tamworth Bicentennial Park. In the future we will end up with two fully transportable BBQs which can be easily placed in the trailer and transported to any catering requirement. Thanks to Colleen for the scones, jam and cream for morning tea :)

Thanks to Gordon Austin, Richard Chaffey, Ron Carr and James Hindmarsh for their efforts today.