I can hardly believe we are already in October and that the end of 2026 is fast approaching! The year seems to be flying by, but there is still so much we can achieve together in the months ahead.
October is also a special month in the Rotary calendar as we celebrate The Rotary Foundation, an organisation that enables Rotarians to turn their passion for making a difference into meaningful action around the world.
One of Rotary’s most remarkable achievements is our fight to eradicate polio. Through the End Polio Now campaign, Rotary and its partners have helped reduce polio cases worldwide by 99.9% since the global eradication effort began in 1988 when Rotary became a founding partner of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative. It is an incredible reminder of what can be achieved when people come together behind a shared vision. We are not there yet, but we are closer than ever to a world free of polio.
And who better to help us spread the word than our very own Paddi Polio! Paddi has been busy raising funds and awareness for End Polio Now, and now he wants YOU to join the fun! We warmly invite all Rotarians, family members and friends to our Polio Movie Night on 11 November at Red Hill Cinema.
Paddi is also very keen to meet as many Rotarians and friends as possible, so please don't be shy! Give him a wave, say hello, and make sure you get a photo with him. The more we share his adventures, the more we can spread awareness and support this important cause.
As we continue our Rotary journey this year, let’s remember that lasting impact doesn't always come from one big action. It comes from many people contributing in their own way, through their time, generosity, connections and willingness to get involved.
Mademoiselle President Valerie
Together, we can create lasting impact — locally and around the world.
You're invited to a combined Rotary event to End Polio Now - MOVIE NIGHT
UPCOMING Events
THURSDAY BREKKY 15 October - 7am @THE BEETSON
Outback Pioneers Longreach Hear from Family member Richard Kinnon about Longreach and Winton https://www.outbackpioneers.com.au and a potential club visit in the future.
SOCIAL EVENT 25 October - 12pm @On The River
Brisbane River Cruise
THURSDAY BREKKY 29 October - 7am @THE BEETSON
Jacqui Lewis Co-founder and Clinical Director BN Healthy Nutritionist. Hear from one of our newer members about what drives her and her business
NEXT MONTH'S Events
THURSDAY MEETING - 22 October NO MEETING
STRATEGIC PLANNING EVENT - Saturday 31 October - 9.30am to 12.30pm
The future of our club is in our hands. Brisbane City Council is offering mentorship to community and service clubs with Gigi Lacey, an experienced leader in strategic planning, fundraising strategies, succession planning, working with the local community, government and grants applications. Gigi will guide us through creating a succession plan for our club. Please come along with your ideas, questions and enthusiasm!
WEDNESDAY DINNER MEETING @The Beetson - 4 November - 6pm for 6.30pm
Are you ready for the storm season ahead? Hear from one of our newer members Gillian Moody about how to Get Ready for severe weather and protect your home and loved ones.
WEDNESDAY MOVIE NIGHT @Red Hill Cinema - 4 November - 6pm for 7pm
Guided by Horses Fundraister for End Polio Now Invite family and friends to see Guided by Horses at the Red Hill Cinema. Details to follow so have your friends
SUNDAY SOCIAL @Yeronga Croquet Club - 11 November - 5pm
Join us for croquet! Croquet at Yeronga organised by Brisbane High Rise as a joint fun activity
THURSDAY VISIT @Queensland Brain Institute - 17 November - 2pm
Queensland Brain Institute Visit 2pm to 4pm (10 entries available)
WEDNESDAY SOCIAL @Lion King The Musical - 25 November - 5pm
Join us for croquet! Croquet at Yeronga organised by Brisbane High Rise as a joint fun activity
THURSDAY BREKKY MEETING @The Beetson - 29 November - 7am for 7.30am
Rotary District 9620, Governor Ian Hope Please come along to hear what is happening in our district.
Paddington Rotary giving Shelterbags to Coffee Brigade
Wayne Rushton delivering Shelterbags
Since 1970, Coffee Brigade volunteers have been showing up for people in need with kindness, compassion and a hot cup of coffee. What began with one woman serving coffee from her car has grown into more than five decades of community support, and the service continues to evolve to meet today's needs.
This month, Paddington Rotary's own Wayne Rushton delivered 20 Shelterbags to Coffee Brigade, sourced and donated by the Rotary Paddington team.
Shelterbags are waterproof, lightweight sleeping bags with a built-in padded mattress and pillow, a vent, a pocket for belongings and straps to make them easy to carry. For someone sleeping rough, that means a warmer, drier and more comfortable night, and one less thing to worry about. The bags are now being handed out to Coffee Brigade's friends.
Coffee Brigade has passed on its thanks to Wayne and the whole Paddington Rotary team for helping bring more comfort to the people they support.
It's been a busy September behind the scenes, too. Between volunteers turning up for regular sandwich and van shifts and donations of food, funding and practical items, Coffee Brigade served:
☕ 4,750 hot drinks 🥪 4,651 sandwiches
A big thank you to Wayne for making the delivery happen, and to everyone in the club who contributed. It's a great example of what a small, practical gesture can mean to someone doing it tough.
Coffee Brigade showing up for people in need since 1970
Art Show paints a $30,000 picture… Donation to Youngcare
What a wonderful evening celebrating the success of our Rotary Art Show and, most importantly, the difference we can make together. We were delighted to present Youngcare with a $30,000 donation, supporting their work to help young people with high physical support needs live young lives, with choice, independence and dignity.
Youngcare works to address the shortage of appropriate housing and support options for young people with physical disabilities, helping them avoid living in inappropriate aged-care facilities and instead have the opportunity to live the life they choose.
The evening at The Beetson was filled with great company, inspiring stories shared by Ben Harvey, Community Fundraising Coordinator and Allan McNeill, Head of Fundraising, Marketing and Communication from Youngcare and plenty of pride in what our members, volunteers, artists, sponsors and supporters have achieved together.
We were also blessed with the presence of 3 major sponsors, Tanya Whidborne from Pitcher Partners, Dani Conn from Tribeca and Peter Fell from Watch. These kinds of events would not be possible without extraordinary volunteers.
As President, I think it is important to recognise those who have given their heart and sweat to the Art Show. The following awards were presented to:
President’s Award for Outstanding Service: David Frost & Dani Conn
Art Show Champion Award: Kerstin Booge-Linton
Above and Beyond Award: Leslie Smith
Community Spirit Award: Lynette Maddock
Behind the Scenes Hero Award: John Clark, Anne Clark & Kathy Frost
Community Spirit and Best Runner Award: Toby Ellis
Congratulations on your service and dedication to the Rotary Art Show. A huge thank you once again to everyone who played a part.
$30,000 is an incredible result and a wonderful example of what we can achieve together to
An article will appear in the November issue of the Western Echo about our donation - make sure you grab your copy!
David, Valerie, Lyn and Leslie
Fun times
Youngcare accepting the donation
Achieving together!
Gorgeous group shot
Val and Anne
Kerstin, Val, Dani, John
A night to celebrate
Looking good at The Beetson
ROTARY FOUNDATION Charitable Arm of Rotary International
You may have recently seen an email from Rotary about The Rotary Foundation. The Foundation is the charitable arm of Rotary International, turning donors' gifts into service projects that change lives close to home and around the world. It began in 1917 with an initial contribution of just US$26.50 and has grown into one of the world's leading humanitarian charities, holding Charity Navigator's highest four-star rating, with more than 90 per cent of donations going directly to programs.
The Foundation funds polio eradication (Rotary's top priority, with the Gates Foundation matching every dollar two to one), club and district grants for clean water, health and education, Peace Centers, and rapid disaster response. Every gift counts: 60 cents can protect a child from polio, and US$50 can provide clean water to help fight waterborne illness. Its strength lies in combining a global network with local delivery, as clubs identify real community needs and the Foundation provides the funding and partnerships to make them happen.
For more information about The Rotary Foundation visit the website.
MALLETS & MATES An Arvo of Fun with High Rise Club!
IMAGE: John Leech 1817-1864 a Croquet Match
Something new is on the calendar — a joint Croquet Evening with the High Rise Club! Come along for a relaxed night of mallets, laughs and friendly rivalry under the lights.
When: Sunday 15 November, 5pm–8pm Where: Yeronga Croquet Club Cost: $10 per person playing (minimum age 9)
The Yeronga courts are lit up for evening play, so we'll be swinging mallets well after sunset. There's plenty of free parking on site, and the clubhouse has a full kitchen if anyone wants to help out with food — we're planning to order pizzas and pull together some nibble platters and drinks, so extra hands or contributions are always welcome.
All welcome — bring the family, bring a friend, and come have some fun with our new mates from High Rise Club!
2026 ShelterBox Australia Champion Awards Wednesday 21 October
Join us on Wednesday 21 October for the 2026 ShelterBox Australia Champion Awards Night, as we celebrate the incredible support of Rotary clubs across Australia and recognise our 2026 Champion Award winners.
You'll hear from Rich, a ShelterBox Response Team member, who will share insights from the field after his return from Venezuela, and we may also be joined by a member of the Nepal response team.
Everyone is welcome, so please feel free to share the invitation with friends, family and anyone who'd like to come along. The more people celebrating our Rotary club champions, the better!
🗓️ Wednesday 21 October 🕖 7:00pm (via Zoom) 🎙️ Hosted by Mike Greenslade, CEO, ShelterBox Australia ⭐ Special guest speaker: Rich, ShelterBox Response Team member
A very fun night of great food and event better company was had at Siam Spice for our Friday social event.
Club Callouts
Looking for Raffle ticket sellers if you want to be part of the team please volunteer to register here.
Great news! 1,000 Shelterbags for the homeless sleeping rough in Queensland will be arriving soon. Place your order with Wayne Rushton. Info sheet ShelterBags FaceBookYouTubeShelterSuit Please contact Wayne Rushton email
If any people have laptops they don't need, we will give them to Teacher in a Box project contact Jeanette Johnstone at 0438659155. Details here.
Join WASH-RAG Membership sign up through the official WASH-RAG website and take an active role in our humanitarian efforts. (https://www.wash-rag.org/membership/) WASH-RAG is at the heart of Rotary’s mission to ensure sustainable access to clean water, improved sanitation, and better hygiene for communities in need.
Key Contacts
Rotarians Against Malaria (RAM) contact Russ Stephenson (Northern Region and D9620 RAM Supervisor) rusmer1@hotmail.com or ring 0409 765 124. Russ Stephenson RAWCS
District 9620 Governor Ian Hope of the Rotary Club of Brisbane Northside
President: Valerie Simons I.Past President: Debra Lewis Vice President: Richard Carr Secretary: Gillian Moody Treasurer: Leslie Smith Admin: Peter Fell Membership: Michelle Davis Service Projects: Lynette Maddock Public Relations: Toby Ellis Foundation: Richard Carr Youth: Julian Clarke-Jervoise President-Elect: TBA
Club Officers
Insurance: John Clark Speakers' Program: Mish Davis Duty Roster: Peter Fell Youth Driver Training: David Frost Financial Literacy: Toby Ellis Kiva Loans: Christina Penrose Women's' Shelter: Mala & Leonie Mirror of Hope: Valerie Simons Root Cause Kwanza: Valerie Simons Moonyah: Mish Davis & Kim Browne Brisbane Rotary Art Show: David Frost & Dani Conn Care Kits 4 Kids: Denise & Leslie Shelterbags: Wayne Rushton ShelterBox Australia: Valerie Simons Teacher In a Box Indonesia: Pam Davis Teacher In a Box Vanuatu: Denise Heyman Paddington Heritage Trail: Lyn Maddock Blue Cards: Denise Spencer-Scarr Newsletter: Gillian Moody
