Rotary Club of Maidstone

Events

Please scroll down the following section to see details and photographs of some of the events that we have organised, or been involved with, over the past few years, such as Kids Out, Christmas Charity Car Parking, the Fremlin Walk Rotary Clock, District 1120 Conference and Rotary Club Walk.

Kids Out

Every year, Rotary Clubs from all over Great Britain organise a special day out for thousands of disabled and disadvantaged children, at regional adventure or theme parks.

The Rotary Club of Maidstone has, for many years, provided coaches and helpers, to take around 50 children, plus school staff and carers, from Five Acre Wood School, in Maidstone, to the Kids Out day at Chessington World of Adventure, in Surrey, which is the venue for Rotary Clubs and up to 3000 children from all over the South East.

Rotarians help the school staff and carers by pushing wheel chairs around the park, and taking children on the rides, as well as buying them the odd ice-cream, or two.  We all meet up at a marquee to have a packed lunch, and, particularly for the older Rotarians, a well earned rest!

This is a good example of what our charity fund raising efforts are put to each year, and it is very satisfying to see the children enjoying themselves, and then telling their parents all about it when we get back to the school at the end of the day.

The picture below, right, shows a group pausing en route between rides, accompanied by Past President Bernard Head, with the light coloured cap.

The picture below, left, shows one of the children enjoying a ride, accompanied by Past President Brian Clifford.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Christmas Charity Car Parking

Each year, on the three Saturdays leading up to Christmas, the Rotary Club of Maidstone are very kindly lent the use of a few privately owned car parks situated around the town centre.  Members, plus family members and friends work in shifts throughout the day, from 8.30am until around 4pm providing extra parking for shoppers who make a donation for parking their vehicle.  Every penny of the money we collect is then donated to a range of the very many worthy charitable organisations in the Maidstone area, who often rely heavily on such income.  Although it can be a cold, wet and windy time for Rotarians and their helpers, we all get a great deal of satisfaction knowing that we are aiding people who really need it, and we are very grateful for all the support we get from the public, and, of course, the owners and usual users of the car parks. 

                                                                                                           

 

 

                                                                                                           

 

 

 

                                                                                                           

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rotary Centenary Clock - Fremlin Walk Shopping Centre

The Clock, which replaced the old, and un-repairable, Fremlins Brewery Clock, was presented to the town of Maidstone, by Members of the Rotary Club of Maidstone, to commemorate the Rotary Centenary.  Over 40 Club members and guests attended the ceremony to unveil a memorial plaque, on 17 June 2005.  This was carried out by the Mayor of Maidstone, Cllr John Horne, who gave a fine address, amplified, to the surprise of the crowd, with a loud hailer which brought traffic and pedestrians to a halt!  The ceremony was rounded off with sparkling wine reception, at the Town Hall.

The photograph shows the group, standing proudly under the clock in the former brewery's entrance arch, which was preserved as part of the development, and now forms a major gateway into the new Fremlin Walk Shopping Centre.