Rotary International Convention - Melbourne 2023

"My Home" Rotary Opening

Kampong Speu Hospital Wing Opens

"My Home" under construction

Waitangi Day Celebrations

Bowling day fundraiser

FASD fundraiser with Nic Naitanui

"My Home" houses for homeless people

Yayasan Soleman Bali event at Central Park

Waitangi Day Haka

Packed container for Cambodia

Beds in use in Cambodia hospital

Cambodia Award Presentation

Christmas in July 2018

Bowls Day 2022

FASD Launch 14 June 2017

Bohemia Rhapsody fundraiser

Colin Moore Community Resource Centre

Are you an established professional who wants to make positive changes in your community and the world? Our club members are dedicated people who share a passion for community service and friendship. Becoming a Rotarian connects you with a diverse group who share your drive to give back.

Kampong Speu Hospital +

Rotary will be further upgrading the Kampong Speu Referral Hospital in Cambodia, following the successful construction in November 2022 of the two operating theatres in the Chris Keenan Operation Complex.

Because of the 140-150 surgeries being performed every month in the new theatres, the need to accommodate post operative patients is acute. This project will fund the refurbishment and outfit the ground floor of the building and install 24 beds to accommodate these patients. The existing six storey hospital is in part unfinished, and this project aims to address this. Mr Chris Keenan has again generously funded the construction works with Osborne Park Rotary Club fitting it out. We will collect and co-ordinate sending hospital beds, patient tables and lockers and other supportive medical equipment and supplies, i.e. bed sheets, blankets obtained through donations. The outcome will improve the health care of those patients receiving post operative care.

Tax deductible donations can be made to the project through Rotary’s registered charity, Rotary Australia World Community Service Ltd. (RAWCS), at https://donations.rawcs.com.au/73-2022-23

Homelessness "Eye Contact" in Canberra

A team from Rotary in WA travelled to Canberra to present the Eye Contact exhibition to the members of Parliament in Australian Parliament House on International Womens Day, 8^th March, in order to get the Federal Government to increase their support for homeless people and in particular older homeless women. Over 49,000 women in Australia face homelessness every night - 41% of these as a result of family violence. Australia has the third highest rate of homelessness in OECD countries. Women over 55 are the fastest growing homeless cohort due to disrupted work lives and an increasingly unaffordable private rental market.

Senator Linda Reynolds opened the event, thanked Rotary for hosting it and introduced Tara Sherwood who spoke on behalf of Rotary. Tara spoke of Rotary's projects to assist homeless people including Socks in the City, Common Ground, "My Home" and Passages. She highlighted how many people are only a few steps away from homelessness. For example, someone could have a good job and rental house but receive a 30 day notice terminating their tenancy and not be able to find a new home in 30 days. With vacancy rates being under 1% in many cities it is extremely difficult for everyone to find housing, and even more so for single parents and low income earners.

Tara introduced David Pearson, the keynote speaker and CEO of the Australian Alliance to End Homelessness, who highlighted the personal costs of homelessness and stress caused by decreasing housing affordability, in order to encourage the Parliamentarians to amplify their efforts to address these issues and increase funding for social housing. Mr Pearson further said that homelessness was a growing issue Australia-wide and Australians were becoming increasingly de-sensitised to people living and dying on the streets of our cities and communities. 'This exhibition provides an important opportunity to raise awareness among Parliamentarians that it doesn’t need to be this way. Around the world, there are growing numbers of communities that are ending this type of homelessness and we should seek to do that in Australia too.’

Following David’s address, Hon Patrick Gorman, MP and Hon Michael Sukkar, MP addressed the group and confirmed their commitment to the cause. Approximately 50 people attended the event including about 25 Members of Parliament, and guests from St Vincent de Paul Society, Catholic Care, Uniting Care Australia and the Rotary Club of Murrumbidgee.

"My Home" nearing completion

Eighteen homes being built by “My Home” in North Fremantle for homeless older women are at lockup stage and nearing completion. The project was featured on the 5 o'clock Nine News program and later on the 6 o'clock Nine News program which can be viewed by clicking on these links.

“My Home” is a local not-for-profit organisation which is building small affordable homes for people who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. They are using a new housing development model in WA using a public private partnership system.

State government, Local governments and Church bodies make land available for free; corporate Australia funds construction of the houses; Rotary furnishes and equips the houses; and a community housing provider (CHP) manages the property and the tenants.

The first “My Home” housing development is nearing completion in North Fremantle. The homes are for women over 55, who are the fastest growing group of people who are homeless in Australia. These women have found themselves in this situation for a number of reasons. Often, they cannot find work because of their age, they have lost confidence in re-entering the workforce after being a stay-at-home mum or feel they are too old to retrain. They have negligible superannuation, no assets and without a partner.

Support for Ukrainians

The Ukrainian refugees in Perth finally had something to smile about when they attended the Ukraine Christmas Party on January 15^th, which was hosted by the Rotary Osborne Park and Karrinyup Clubs. The party was attended by about 110 Ukrainians, including 20 children, and was thoroughly enjoyed by all. The party was a follow up to one that we hosted on September 28, and the feedback that we received from that event.

We were assisted us in running the event by Olivia, who has lived here for some time and acted as our interpreter, and Pogrebnyak Sergey, who used to MC at weddings in Ukraine, who acted as our MC for the day. Alla Crowley who managed the invitations

Kampong Speu Hospital Wing Opens

The Kampong Speu Referral Hospital, Chris Keenan Surgical Complex, was officially opened on Wednesday 23 November 2022 by the Cambodian Director of the Health Department, Dr Hok Kry, & the Director of the Kampong Speu Referral Hospital, Dr Chheng Sovathh and Mr Chris Keenan the principal benefactor. The provision of the theatres to this hospital will greatly benefit the local Cambodian community.

The instigators of the project were Dr Meng Sok & Dr Tim Keenan. Kampong Speu is Sok’s hometown, and it meant a lot to Sok to be able to give back. Osborne Park Rotary opened a RAWCS Tax Deductible Account and with SOK ensured all monies transferred were correctly paid for work done. Also in attendance were Dr Tim Keenan, Dr Peter Lugg, Dr Sok Meng, Pip Asphar and Debra Waters from the Rotary Club of Osborne Park and Dr Peter Lugg from the Rotary Club of Hawthorn in Victoria. Dr Tim’s brother Shane Keenan and his sister Jackie Hocking were in attendance.

Remembrance Day Ceremony 2022

On Remembrance Day, Friday 11th November 2022, 60 members of the public including Rotarians, RSL members wearing their medals, four councillors from the City of Stirling, WA MP David Michael, as well as the Rotary District Governor 9455, Ineke Oliver, attended a Remembrance Day ceremony at the ANZAC Memorial in Gwelup Park. Two Rotary guests from France who were on holiday also attended. They expressed their pleasure at being part of ceremony that is dear to their culture.

Osborne Park RSL President Richard Troughton led the ceremony, with support from a flag bearer and bugler. The dignitaries laid the wreaths and the community joined with respect and honour to the men and women of all the military wars and conflicts.

After the ceremony everyone returned to the Colin Moore Centre for tea, coffee and biscuits and/or to admire and review the Vintage cars. It was a great success, and many commented how much they had enjoyed the event. Definitely a community service event to repeat in years to come