19/02/2026
It is with a heavy heart and profound sadness that we, the members of the Harwich and Dovercourt Rotary Club, after serving the community for 80 years, share the difficult news that our club will officially cease operating and close its doors on the 30th June 2026.
The decision was not reached lightly. Despite the dedicated efforts of our members we have faced significant challenges, primarily a steady but sure decline in membership and volunteer capacity over recent years has made the club’s continued operation unsustainable.
We want to express our deepest gratitude to every individual, community partner and local organisation, too many to mention individually, that have supported our projects, attended our events and contributed to our mission of “service above self” over the years. Your help has enabled us to support local charities throughout Harwich and Dovercourt, alleviating poverty, helping schools, clubs and many organisations.
We are particularly proud of the Guy Carnival and especially thankful for all the support we have had, similarly with Rudolph and the Christmas collections around town every year. The help we have received from all the groups who come out collecting is so appreciated. The money raised going to good causes primarily in the Harwich and Dovercourt area.
While we are very proud to say we prioritise our work and donations in our local community, we also work internationally with ShelterBox, Water Aid and Rotary International’s End Polio Now Campaign, which is a long-standing initiative that has reduced global polio cases by 99.9% since 1985. We also, for many years funded an annual feeding program that became sustainable and supported microloans through Lend with Care, which has helped families in third world countries develop businesses that lift them from poverty and help fund education for future generations.
While our chapter is ending, we hope the spirit of service we have fostered will continue to thrive in Harwich and Dovercourt and would encourage those interested in community service to explore opportunities with other local service organisation or adjacent Rotary Clubs, such as Manningtree Rotary Club or CVST.
While it is a very sad day for us, the Clubs remaining assets will be distributed according to the appropriate Rotary International and legal guidelines to support ongoing charitable causes within the Harwich and Dovercourt area.
For any enquiries or further information regarding the closure process please contact Andy Fern by email at [email protected] or [email protected].
Thank you once again for your understanding and for allowing us the privilege to serve this wonderful community. The friendships and impact created will be forever cherished.
