⚙️ Rotary Club of Tamworth West

📋 Quarterly Activities

📅 1 July 2026 to 30 September 2026

The first quarter of the 2026-27 Rotary year has seen the Rotary Club of Tamworth West continue its proud tradition of community service, fellowship and engagement across the Tamworth region.  Members contributed numerous volunteer hours supporting local organisations, community health initiatives and fundraising activities, while also enjoying a diverse and informative program of guest speakers.

Due to unforeseen circumstances, our President Elect was unable to take on the Presidential role this term so our Past Presidents and current board members Gavin Hombsch, James Hindmarsh, Phil Lyne and Scott Edwards made the executive decision to step in and manage one quarter each for this term.  

The baton for the first quarter was competently managed by Gavin Hombsch who did an exceptional job of leading the club during this period. 

🤝 Community Service and Fundraising Activities

🚗 Oakburn Park Volunteer Gate Duty

In July, club members once again supported the Tamworth Sporting Car Club at Oakburn Park by assisting with gate operations during the Drift Matsuri Takeover event. Rotarians helped collect admission fees and welcome attendees, continuing a partnership that benefits both organisations and contributes valuable volunteer service within the community.

🌭 Bunnings BBQ Fundraiser

On 22 August, members conducted a Bunnings BBQ fundraiser. These events continue to be an important source of fundraising income while also providing opportunities to promote Rotary and engage with members of the public.

🩺 Men's Health Education Rural Van

The Club joined with other Tamworth Rotary Clubs in supporting the Men's Health Education Rural Van during its visit to Tamworth on 28-29 August. Members volunteered their time assisting at Bunnings Warehouse while the van provided free health checks and health education services to regional and rural men.

The initiative is an outstanding Rotary project that encourages preventative health care and helps men access important health screening services that they may not otherwise seek.

👥 Membership Growth

August is Membership Month in Rotary and we were pleased to welcome two new members to our Club in the first quarter of the Rotary Year Bob Lockwood and Mark Coutlon.

Bob is very enthusiastic when it comes to motor bikes and has joined the club to assist with the organisation and running of our major fund raiser, the Tamworth West Rotary Motor Show in May.   Being very community minded, Bob is also looking forward to the opportunity to help out with giving back to the community and Rotary provides a perfect opportunity to facilitate this ambition.

Mark has moved to Tamworth with his family, having not long retired from the position of Federal Member for Parkes, Mark brings a wealth of vocational knowledge and community spirit to our club and the Tamworth community. Mark has been a beneficiary of the Rotary Foundation through the Group Study Exchange program and sees Rotary as a great way to connect with new people and give back to the community.

🎙️ Youth Services 

Rotary District 9660 Area 7 Public Speaking Finals 

On Saturday, 19th September, the Rotary Club of Tamworth Sunrise, supported by the Rotary Club of First Light and the dedicated Area 7 Public Speaking Coordinator, Simon Guest, hosted an inspiring and memorable finals event.

Representing diverse local Rotary clubs and schools the student finalists were:

• Sanza Arzal - McCarthy Catholic College, Rotary Club of Tamworth First Light;

• Lauren Sharkey - Calrossy Anglican College, Rotary Club of Tamworth West;

• Eva George - Oxley High School, Rotary Club of Tamworth Sunrise; and

• Calum Frost Guider - Quirindi High School, Rotary Club of Quirindi.

Each student delivered a compelling five-minute prepared speech on a personal topic, thoughtfully incorporating the values of the Rotary Four-Way Test. This was followed by a spontaneous two-minute impromptu speech on the thought-provoking theme of artificial intelligence and whether it impacts what makes us uniquely human. All four students handled the topics admirably and should be very proud of their efforts.

First place was awarded to Calum Frost Guider from Quirindi who will represent Area 7 at the District Showcase in Tamworth this coming November 2026, and we wish him every success.

🎤 Weekly Speaker Program

A highlight of the quarter was the quality and diversity of guest speakers addressing the Club on wide ranging topics from business and community service through to leadership, travel and public life.  Speakers for the quarter included:

👓 27 July 2026 – Hafi Khan – Local optometrist and Specsavers business owner sharing his professional journey and experiences leading to becoming proprietor of the local Specsavers Optometry practice in Tamworth.

🥾 3 August 2026 – Warren Ansell – Local Physiotherapist and running enthusiast sharing his recent experience participating in and completing the toughest foot race on Earth, the 270km Marathon De Sables 2026 across the Sahara at the foot of the Atlas Mountains in Morocco.

❤️ 10 August 2026 – Captain Sally Stanimirovic Salvation Army – who shared her life story, calling to service and leadership experiences within the Salvation Army.

🚂 17 August 2026 – James Hindmarsh NT Adventure - A presentation outlining travels through the Northern Territory, Kakadu National Park, Arnhem Land and associated experiences, including adventures on The Ghan.

🐂 24 August 2026 – Bob Barker – Business Manager of Jack’s Creek Beef sharing the remarkable growth story of Jack’s Creek which processes around 65,000 cattle annually, producing roughly 500 tonnes of beef per week, with 40,000 head on feed at any given.

💆 31 August 2026 – John Schreuder –  Owner of Murray Street Chiropractic talking on the relativity of health and wellbeing.

📚 14 September 2026 – Lisa Rennie and Jacqueline Smith – presenting on the remarkable impact the TRC Dolly Parton Imagination Library is having on the literacy and development of children and their parents in our region.

💰 Members Fundraising 

During this quarter a number of our Members have been actively undertaking personal community fundraising projects which we have been advertising in our weekly Bulletins.

Jim Booth: has been raising funds for ShelterBox and will be taking on the Hume & Hovell Track to help raise funds for life-saving shelters for displaced people around the world such as what was recently experienced in Nepal.

Tony Summers: is taking part in ‘The Big Ride” where he will be road crew support for his son’s team who are raising money for Motor Neurone Disease by jet skiing 2000km down the Murray River from Albury to Goolwa.

Graeme Mills: partook in ‘The Bloody Long Walk” walking 35kms raising funds for Mitochondria Disease

Well done to these fellows for dedicating themselves to these valuable fundraising initiatives.

⚙️Rotary Club of Tamworth West - Serving the Tamworth Community since 1956

Meetings: Mondays from 6:00 pm at The Family Hotel

👔 President Q1: Gavin Hombsch 
🗓️ Reporting Period: 1 July 2026 - 30 September 2026
✍️ Prepared by: James Hindmarsh
📢 Club Service & Communications Officer

Want to find out more about Rotary Club of Tamworth West!! Follow the Links to the Website Stories Page and our Facebook Page.

Rotary - Service Above Self ⚙️