Rotary Club of Bristol Breakfast

17/10/2026

Thursday saw us host a successful Golf Day at the Bristol & Clifton Golf Club, who were wonderful hosts and we’d like to thank them for their hospitality.

A few highlights from a great day, during which the weather smiled upon us and the squirrels had a ringside view.

The Mary Whittington Memorial Trophy and Stableford winners were :-
KB2/GCP - 96 pts

2nd Place - Hammonds - 89 pts

3rd Place - Wards Solicitors - 88 pts

The Burston Cook Putting Trophy was won by Jo Grimes - Wards Solicitors

Mens longest drive on the 14th hole was won by Owen Jennings - Ward Solicitors

Ladies longest drive on the 14th hole was won by Barbara Robertson - The Henbury Wannabees.

Nearest the pin on the 17th hole was won by Barbara Robertson - The Henbury Wannabees.

No one got a hole in one on the 7th hole, however Jo Grimes did get a hole in one go in the putting competition.

Well done to all those above and all the other participants who made the day a success.

Next year is in the planning already!

16/09/2026

🌅 **This morning’s breakfast speaker: Al-Anon Family Groups UK & Eire**

This morning we were privileged to hear from **Al-Anon Family Groups**, a charity supporting anyone whose life is, or has been, affected by someone else’s drinking.

Al-Anon offers a safe, confidential and non-judgemental space where family members and friends can share their experiences and feelings with others who understand. Whether the person is still drinking, has stopped, has left the family, or has died — **you are welcome.** 💙

You don’t have to speak at a meeting if you don’t feel ready. Simply listening to others can be an important first step towards understanding what you’re experiencing and rediscovering happiness.

A few things worth knowing:

🔹 There are around **700 Al-Anon groups**, both in-person and online, across the UK and Eire.
🔹 **Membership is free** — groups are self-supporting through voluntary contributions.
🔹 Your anonymity is protected; members use first names only.
🔹 Al-Anon is **not a therapy or counselling service**, and it is neither religious nor affiliated with any religion.
🔹 Meetings provide support through shared experience rather than advice or judgement.
🔹 Al-Anon suggests attending at least **six meetings** before deciding whether it is right for you.

Their **“You Are Not Alone!”** campaign highlights an important message: you don’t have to face the effects of someone else’s drinking on your own.

Thank you to our speaker for sharing such an important message with us this morning. ❤️

🌐 Find out more: https://al-anonuk.org.uk/
📞 Helpline: **0800 008 611**

Al-Anon Family Groups are for the families & friends of alcoholics who share their experience, strength & hope in order to solve their common problems.

16/09/2026

🎶 Rotary Young Musician of the Year – Bristol Area Heats 2026 🎶

It’s that time of year again! 🌟

The Rotary Young Musician of the Year – Bristol Area Heats are taking place this November, showcasing some of the incredible young musical talent we have in our area. 🎻🎹🎷🎺🎤

Why not come along, listen to these talented young musicians and support them as they perform and compete? It promises to be a wonderful celebration of music, dedication and youthful talent. 👏🎶

📅 November 2026
📍 Bristol Area

Come along, bring your friends and family, and help us give these fantastic young performers the audience they deserve! ❤️

We look forward to seeing you there! 🎵

12/08/2026

A little taste of our breakfast meeting and an insight into what we do!

It’s such a nice environment to walk into on a Wednesday morning! Friendly faces, discussions about our latest projects, our weekly speaker, club announcements and always some humour thrown in!

Hope you see you sometime!

31/07/2026

Throwback to our Dragonboat Festival!

It was only a month ago that we hosted our main annual fundraiser at the Harbourside in Bristol.

It was a such a fabulous day and proof that giving back and raising funds for great causes can be fun!

Look us up and find out about some of the other things we do and the local and international causes that we help.

We’d love to see you as a guest at one of our breakfast meetings, you’d be most welcome!

18/07/2026

We are 36!

It’s exactly 36 years since our fantastic club was granted our charter!

We’re so proud of what we’ve accomplished so far! We have a lovely club, great members, fun, friendship and plans for the future.

We’ve helped so many great causes both locally and further afield and we’re looking forward to at least another 36 years of the same!

15/07/2026

This morning our speaker, who has been kind enough to Zoom in from the US where it’s 3am for her, is Dr. Anshu Chandra, of the Global Eye Project, Haiti.

A fascinating story of her own journey to build a specialist eye clinic and the drive and determination she has to do everything she can to combat blindness in Haiti and further afield.

The gift of sight is something we can all take for granted and to lift the darkness from someone’s life is a very special thing indeed!

13/07/2026

Golf Day notice! October 15th will be our Annual Charity Golf Day at the Bristol & Clifton Golf Club.

Do you see golf as a good walk ruined, or would you like to pit your skills against some other competitive teams for charity!?

There will be coffee, tea, a buffet lunch and you can always find something stronger if the little white demon ball gets the better of you!

Details on the flyer…. Enter a team, be a main sponsor, provide a donation, sponsor a hole!

Whatever you decide to do, come and join us for a great day of fun competition!

13/07/2026

Yesterday we had a Summer BBQ to raise funds for the club as well as have some social time and enjoy that summer sunshine. Huge thanks to one of members, Rob Wellman and his lovely wife Sally for hosting us at their beautiful home.

An auction was held with 3 special lots! A fabulous painting, created by our own resident artist Mark Colfer, a fun flight on a 4 seater plane, to be flown by our pilot Nigel Harradine and a week in the overseas villa of our Fundraising Lead, John Whittaker.

Thanks to Roger Harper for playing Auctioneer!

What a lovely day, great food and company, with the atmosphere completed by some live music!

10/07/2026

Rotary Technology Tournament Update!

The spirit of innovation and collaboration was alive and buzzing at Bridge Learning Campus in South Bristol as the Rotary Club of Bristol Breakfast joined forces with colleagues from the Rotary Club of Bristol for the Rotary District 1100’s sixth Technology Tournament. Our two clubs are unique in offering the Tournaments in District 1100.

On Tuesday, 7 July 2026, thirteen teams of four bright young minds, aged between 13 and 14, took on the challenge of ‘The Pipeline Vehicle’ which involved designing, building and testing a vehicle of maximum length 200mm and maximum height 100mm, powered by an electric motor complete with a remotely operated switch. The vehicle should enable the clearance of impedimenta in a ‘pipe’, represented by a 2m length x 56mm radius piece of plastic guttering.

With materials provided and guidance from sixteen Rotarians and school staff, the students delved into the world of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Maths (STEM) with enthusiasm and determination.

More than just a competition, the Rotary Technology Tournament serves as a platform for these budding engineers and scientists to hone essential skills like teamwork, communication, and time management. Under the watchful eyes of five judges, all seasoned Rotary members with backgrounds mainly in engineering, technology, and design, the teams showcased their creativity and problem-solving prowess.

"We're thrilled to see such enthusiasm and dedication from these young minds," remarked a Rotarian steward. Events like these not only foster a love for STEM subjects but also instil crucial life skills that will serve them well in the future.

From brainstorming ideas to testing prototypes, the tournament was a whirlwind of activity and innovation. Each team brought their unique flair to the challenge, pushing the boundaries of their imagination and technical know-how.
As the day drew to a close, cheers erupted as the judges announced the winners. The three members of the winning team, Dylan Phillips, Eleonora Arnott, Anjola Williams, were presented with winners’ medals and certificates by Lucy Thornton District Governor for Rotary International’s District 1100. But beyond the accolades, every participant walked away with invaluable lessons and memories that will shape their journey in the world of science and technology.

Bristol Breakfast Rotary Club and the Bristol Rotary Club are proud to continue inspiring and nurturing the next generation of engineers and scientists, one Technology Tournament at a time. With initiatives like these, the future of innovation in Bristol looks brighter than ever.