East Kilbride Rotary Club

30/03/2026

March has certainly been a busy month for East Kilbride Rotarians. The month's events started with the Club undertaking their fourth tree planting in the town, this time in the Greenhills area. They were ably assisted on this occasion by pupils from South Park Primary School.

On 6th March we welcomed Moira Bell from South Lanarkshire Council's Social Work Department who updated the Club on how the toys bought for our 2025 Toys for Kids Christmas appeal were distributed. The conversation turned to Easter Eggs and shortly afterwards, Rotarians Jim Anderson and John Murphy delivered 300 Easter Eggs to families known to the Social Work Department.

The following week, the Club were delighted to welcome Seamus Grant, Major Gifts Officer for The Rotary Foundation to the club meeting on 13th March when he was able to explain the different gifting opportunities for Foundation. President Dan Banks and Past Presidents Rod and Kath Shanks were also able to meet Seamus again at the District conference taking place on 14th and 15th March at the Normandy Hotel in Glasgow.

20th March saw the Club's annual Quiz Night taking place under the able direction of Quiz Master Alistair Neill. Monies raised from the Quiz go towards our Toys for Kids Christmas appeal. Approximately £400 was raised on the night.

26/02/2026

The coins collected from the Club's Wishing Well in the James Heritage Park are used by the Club to help individuals and groups in East Kilbride with specific projects. Earlier today, President Dan Banks and Treasurer Ian Craig were delighted to be able to hand over a cheque for £500 to the school's jazz band. The jazz band will be performing at Disneyland Paris in June this year. They will also be taking part in the Disney Performing Arts Programme during their stay in Paris.

24/02/2026

East Kilbride Sea Cadets need help! Anyone looking for a new challenge and who wants to support young people to give them a better start in life, why not give the Sea Cadets a try. Contact [email protected], they'll be delighted to hear from you.

17/02/2026

Calling all Quiz fans!

East Kilbride Rotary are holding a Quiz Night on Friday 20th March at the SMT Club, Maxwell Drive, East Kilbride. All proceeds from the Quiz to go towards the Club's Annual Toys for Kids at Christmas appeal. Teams of four, at £10 person. Quiz questions will be in the capable hands of Alistair Neill. For more information, or to enter a team, contact 07976 413596 or 07809 304721.

16/02/2026

A Zoom call enabled club members to welcome Ian Parker PHF to the Club last Friday. Ian, a member of Plymouth Roborough Rotary Club gave a most interesting and thought provoking presentation on Literacy in a Box, the vision of Forbes Watson, a member of the Plymouth Club who visited Zambia on holiday. The belief that every child has the right to an education led the Club to send two boxes containing enough school equipment for 25 primary aged children to South Luangwa Valley in 2006. Since then, the Club has sent more than 800 boxes to Zambia as well other countries where the need is as great. The current cost of the box, its contents and its sending to Zambia is £395.

As well as sending boxes, the Plymouth Club in conjunction with the Rotary Club of Faversham, have been involved in helping to improve the condition of the Taonga Community School in Lusaka. The school, when the Rotary Clubs were first involved, had only one toilet for the 600 pupils. This led to an improvement project which included the building of four new toilets, reroofing and refurbishing the school. This work is still ongoing.

After answering questions, President Dan Banks thanked Ian on behalf of the Club.

04/02/2026

East Kilbride Rotary Club are holding their annual Burns competition for primary schools in East Kilbride on 9th March 2026. Entry forms are now available for pupils in P4/5 and P5/6 in verse speaking, singing and instrumental competitions. Winners in each discipline in each P4/5 and P5/6 competitions go forward to the Lanarkshire round of Robert Burns World Federation Schools competition, and, if successful there, to a National final.

Email [email protected] for more information.

03/02/2026

The Club welcomed Kevin Simpson, the CEO of Malawi Fruits, to the meeting last Friday. Malawi Fruits is a Scottish charity who work with partners in Malawi to establish and grow sustainable community businesses. The charity, formed in 2011, provides start up finance, training and support to smallhold farmers to see their farms as businesses. Kevin gave an excellent presentation on how on the charity's work has reduced poverty and improved the lives of farmers. Perhaps what best illustrated of the difference the charity is making to lives was the story of a farmer who, when was first involved in the charity lived in a hut with a grass roof which meant the floor was literally mud during the rainy season. After being involved for some years, the farmer's hut now has a tin roof. President Dan Banks on behalf of the Club, thanked Kevin for his most interesting presentation.

23/01/2026

23/01/2026

Another busy day at East Kilbride Rotary, when the Club held our usual celebration of Burns Day. The haggis was piped in by Past President Roddy Shanks, following which President Dan Banks recited Burns' poem To a Haggis.
Following lunch, President Dan had another important task to complete when he presented, on behalf of RI, a certificate to Rev David Taylor recognising David's 40 years as a Rotarian.

19/01/2026

At the Club’s first meeting since the Christmas and New Year break, members welcomed Avril Anderson who talked about the Calderglen Befriending Group. Avril was heavily involved in the setting up of the group in 2010/11 whereby sixth year pupils from Calderglen High School are paired with older people in the community. The befrienders visit regularly, and can help with odd jobs, but perhaps most importantly, give companionship and chat over a cup of tea! Since its inception, pupils now also volunteer with Café Clare and the East Kilbride Community Food Bank, both of which take place in Claremont Church.

Last week, our speaker was our own Eleanor Wardrop, who gave her long awaited “job talk”. Eleanor gave a most interesting talk about work, originally with British Transport Hotels, and then a very different life in South Africa. Following questions, the vote of thanks was given by Jim Anderson.