Rotary Club of Bath

24/10/2026

Last week ago we had the absolute pleasure of hosting Dame Mary Berry for a special fund-raising event. She was guest of honour at a special community supper, helping to raise crucial funds for Rotary International’s mission to end polio worldwide.

The event, attended by 130 guests at Camerton Community Hall in October, raised over £3,300 on the night. Thanks to a 2-to-1 matching scheme supported by the Gates Foundation, the total amount generated will exceed £10,000.

Club President, Chris Davies, said: “We were thrilled to welcome Dame Mary Berry for such a memorable evening. Her personal experience of polio, as a child, and her family ties to our club through her brother and father made the night very special. The generosity of our guests and supporters, combined with the Gates Foundation matching funds, means we can make a significant contribution toward eradicating this devastating disease once and for all.”

You can help boost the fund even more by donating here, and your donation will be tripled too!: https://gofund.me/e08e8c6c9

14/10/2026

Yesterday we launched our new initiative to support charities by helping them offer commercial support to local SMEs. SMEs need local, reliable business improvement services - staff training and development on topics such as mentoring and creativity, team-building and team resilience activities, and meaningful ways to deliver their statutory ESG (what used to be called CSR) responsibilities, and ambitions. And Bath’s fantastic array of charities - who need funds - can help.

We believe Rotary can help connect the two, and we have co-operated with three other great charities - Bath Artists Studios, Bath Community Kitchen and Mentoring Plus BathNES - to create some specific pilot offers for local businesses.

As we said yesterday at the conference, this is not about charity; it's about businesses entering into a professional relationship with organisations which can help them meet their business challenges. The bonus is, because those organisations happen to also be charities, it ALSO provides direct support to the community as well.

More information is available here: https://rotarybath.org.uk/brace/

17/09/2026

IT’S THE FINAL COUNTDOWN!

BATH, UK — More than four decades of charity firework displays lighting up the skies over the heart of Bath will be celebrated on Saturday, 7th November, with a spectacular fiesta evening for the whole family on the Recreation Ground.

Organised by our Rotary team with support from Bath Recreation Ltd, the annual event has become a much-loved autumn tradition in the city. This year’s show holds special significance; it is likely to be the final display at the Rec for a while, ahead of the planned stadium re-development which will pause community events on the site for some time.

The entirely self-funded, charity event has raised hundreds of thousands of pounds for local causes over the decades. To mark the milestone, this year’s line-up will also feature live pre-show entertainment, including from dynamic samba band Jamma de Samba, building an electric atmosphere inside the stadium before the main fireworks display.

Chris Davies, President of the Rotary Club of Bath, said:
“This year’s Firework Fiesta will be bigger and better than ever. With live on-site entertainment, the energy before the fireworks is going to be incredible. We’re asking the community to help us go out this year with a bang. By grabbing a ticket or donating online, you’re helping make what’s likely to be the final show for a while a record-breaker for attendance and local fundraising.”

This year's generous sponsors alongside Bath Rec Ltd, Bath Press by City and Country, and M J Church Ltd. The generous support of our sponsors means we can put on a great show and raise even more for local charities.

Event & Ticket Information
• Date: Saturday, 7th November, 5pm onwards

• Location: Recreation Ground, Bath

• Tickets: Early-bird tickets now available now at £10 for adults and £4.50 for children.

• How to Book: Tickets can be purchased via the Bath Box Office or online at

Our spectacular charity fireworks fiesta lights up the city at the Rec on 7th November. Gates open at 4.30pm, entertainment starts at 5.00pm

17/09/2026

Celebrating 20 Years of Great Golf, Community, and Camaraderie

2026 was a remarkable milestone as we celebrated 20 years of our annual Charity Golf Day at Bath Golf Club. Thanks to the fantastic support of the teams, sponsors, and players, the event was once again a resounding success, raising vital funds for local causes while delivering a brilliant day on the course.

Competition was tight at the top of the leaderboard, but victory ultimately went to Clive and Lully Job, who claimed the trophy with a brilliant score of 92 points, edging out last year's winners, The Welsh Raiders, by a single point.

A special mention goes to the runners-up, Lloyd and his Losers buy the Chips from Cardiff (also on 91 points), and to all the traveling teams who made the journey to support the event — including the Richmond Police Golf Society (from Surrey), the Saunton Sandsavers (from Devon), and our longest-distance travellers, the Jones Pair and members of the Singing in the Bath team, who all travelled over from Kent.

Following a great afternoon of play, guests gathered in the clubhouse for live evening entertainment and a two-course dinner. A highlight of the evening was an engaging Q&A session with former Bath Rugby head coach Andy Robinson and colleagues. His candid, first-hand reflection on the previous season's challenges and insights into the team’s mindset gave everyone — especially the many Bath Rugby season ticket holders in the room — an insider look at the season ahead.

Rotary Club Organiser, Paul Suchley, said: “We are always looking for ways to improve players’ experience, as they so generously support us and the charities, we do this for. Thank you once again to every player, sponsor, and volunteer who made our 20th anniversary event so memorable. We look forward to welcoming you all back to the tee next year!”

03/09/2026

President Chris Davies and local Classic car owners Trevor and friend Stuart, and Emma and her son Charlie, stepped in to welcome a visiting group of French drivers who had travelled to Bath from another European great spa town, Vichy. The group were spending two nights in Bath, staying at The Bird Hotel. Their visit included a reception hosted by the Mayor, before heading further down into the region.

The French group included 8 vehicles from the Alfa Romeo Club of France, as well as a 1957 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud, a 1983 Mercedes Coupe C126, and 2005 Aston Martin Vantage V8.

The visitors were delighted to see Trevor's Jaguar and Emma’s Triumph TR6 as they arrived - thanks to both of them (and Stuart and Charlie) for helping Chris form a welcoming party. We look forward to seeing them again at our Bath Festival of Motoring next June!

Photos: Liz Bugg

04/08/2026

New Year, New President and New Growth

The Rotary Club of Bath has started its new Rotary year on a positive note, thanks to 12 months of almost 100% growth in membership.

This year’s new President, Chris Davies, has taken the reins from Immediate Past President, Richard Bush, who has taken on a role as Assistant Governor for Rotary District 1200.

New members have been joining the Club organically for the past few months, the result of a concerted effort to go out into the community and network with local businesses. A further influx of members transferred from the previous Bathavon Rotary Club, which sadly disbanded at the end of June. Happily, 18 members decided to continue as Rotarians, and have been welcomed warmly into the Bath club.

In all, some 30 new Rotarians have joined the Bath Club over the past year, generating almost a doubling in the membership.
New President, Chris Davies is the first Rotarian to serve a second term as President of the Rotary Club of Bath, after his first term of office in 2020-1 was severely curtailed by the pandemic restrictions. He inherits a Club transformed in recent months.

“The development of the Club is the result of a lot of hard work, and hard thinking, by many people in the Club over a long period of time,” said Chris. “We are now moving the Club forwards, ensuring due respect for traditions of the past, while adapting to the needs of Rotarians of the present and future. Rotary is above all about service to others. I am looking forward to an exciting year ahead.”

29/07/2026

MAGNIFIQUE! ROTARY BOULERS JOIN THE FUN

The team at Bath Rotary Club enjoyed themselves at the charity Bath Boules this year, and helped deliver the event by providing stewards across the four days of fun.

The annual Bath Boules were run for the first time this year by Bath BID (the city centre business improvement district), attracting dozens of teams from businesses and charities across the city for some not-too-serious competition. For four days Queen Square in the centre of the city was taken over by people in berets, striped jerseys, fake moustaches and garlands of onions, and all in aid of charity.

Bath Rotary were asked to provide stewards for the event, helping direct players, sell raffle tickets and explain to mystified tourists what was going on.

New Club President, Chris Davies, said Rotary were delighted to be able to help out: “The Bath Boules is a great annual event that brings people together to have fun and raise money for local charities. Rotary colleagues were happy to help the excellent BID team deliver the event: it was a great joy and a privilege to be involved."

Rotary’s own team - the Rotary Boulers - won a creditable 4 out of 6 of their games, making lots of new contacts along the way and telling plenty of people of how the Rotary Club in Bath is changing and growing. Magnifique!

10/07/2026

Who would like to work at the fabulous, famous and fantastic (member of Bath Rotary Club too!) Theatre Royal Bath?

🚨WE'RE RECRUITING...!!🚨

INDIVIDUAL GIVING OFFICER
We are seeking a new staff member to join our Development department in the role of Individual Giving Officer.

This role offers an exciting opportunity for an early-career fundraiser to build their experience within a dynamic theatre charity. You will play a key role in shaping the supporter journey, managing data and communications, and contributing to a growing pipeline of individual giving.

F/T: Salary c.£27k-29k p.a.

Full details and application pack can be found in the link below

https://www.theatreroyal.org.uk/job-vacancies/full-part-time-vacancies/

Closing date: 5pm, Friday 31 July 2026

10/07/2026

RETURN OF BATH MOTORFEST WINS PLAUDITS
The recent Bath Festival of Motoring and Music brought a buzz of weekend energy to Walcot Rugby Ground in Lansdown on 27 and 28 June. Supported by Bath Recreation and Castle Combe Race Circuit, the weekend drew thousands of enthusiastic spectators to the site opposite Lansdown Park and Ride. The festival is expected to have raised many thousands of pounds for local charities.

The main draw was a magnificent display of nearly 600 exhibiting vehicles. Enthusiasts and novices alike marvelled at a vast array of classic cars, modern supercars, motorbikes, and several unique specialty vehicles, including a rare Sinclair C5 and a mocked up ‘Night Rider” from the TV series of the same name. Complementing the horsepower, live music from a variety of local bands, variety acts and a swing band echoed across two stages, keeping the crowds entertained throughout the weekend.

Planned and run by volunteers from the Rotary Club of Bath, the festival has received a huge wave of positive feedback. Many first-time attendees report being blown away by the scale of the event, praising the high-quality musical acts and the impressive vehicle lineup. Above all, visitors highlighted the relaxed, family atmosphere that defined the entire weekend.

Event Chair from the Rotary Club, Rod Davies, said the months of hard work paid off. “We aim to put together an event that is interesting and fun for both the casual visitor and the petrol head enthusiast. We are so pleased to have received such positive feedback. It’s a fun event that brings the community together and also raises much-need money for charities.”

The two main charities being supported this year were the Wiltshire and Bath Air Ambulance, and Freewheelers blood bikes. Donations can still be made via the event website: www.bathfestivalofmotoring.com

Following the success of this year’s event, the Rotary Club is already looking ahead. The volunteer team aims to build on the momentum and are working on plans to bring the festival back to Lansdown in late June 2027, bigger and better than never.

04/07/2026

Great fun was had by the Bath Rotary team at the annual charity Bath Boules event, run this year for the first time by Bath BID.

Quite a lot of silliness, a great deal of banter and useful chat with local businesses, and - sometimes - some quite serious (but not too serious) sporting competition!

The Bath Rotary team did not disgrace itself, winning four games out of six.

Thanks to all who helped make this fine community event happen: a great deal of effort and commitment has been put in, raising smiles and raising money for local charities.