Unscripted - The official podcast of Rotary in Great Britain and Ireland

Welcome to a bumper special edition of Rotary Unscripted. The podcast opens with Rotary International Director, Harriette Verwey, who represents a Rotary region which includes Great Britain and Ireland. Topics of conversation include the evolving role of Rotary in modern society, the upcoming Action Summit in Rotterdam and of course, polio.From there we had to the Palace of Westminster, for special conversations with Rotary International President Francesco Arezzo and the World Health Organization's Dr Jamal Ahmed. The pair were in attendance at a special End Polio Now event in London during Commonwealth Week.From one capital to another, we travel to Ireland to speak to Garth Arnold, one of the Rotary members behind Dublin's successful bid to host the Rotary International Convention in 2031. We speak to Garth on the significance of the bid and what the convention could mean for Rotary across Ireland and Great Britain.Finally, we chat to David Welch from the Rotary Club of Ilminster about a project supporting the Emergency Volunteer Action Group, which helps communities affected by flooding in Somerset.---You have been listening to 'Unscripted', the official podcast of Rotary in Great Britain & Ireland.Unscripted is hosted by Dave King and Alicia Reade.If you’d like to find out more about Rotary or join us, visit rotarygbi.org/join and read more stories in Rotary Magazine at magazine.rotarygbi.org.You can listen to our archive wherever you found this podcast. Please follow us to get new episodes immediately downloaded to your device.If you’ve enjoyed this you can leave us a 5* review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts – it helps to spread the word.We’d love you to share this podcast with friends, family and colleagues inside and outside of Rotary.

The podcast opens with Susanne Rea and Mukesh Malhotra, the co-founders of the World's Greatest Meal, launched in 2012 with a clear objective: to create a simple and accessible way for Rotary clubs and supporters to raise funds for End Polio Now. The idea encourages people to share a meal and donate what they might otherwise spend on eating out, with events ranging from formal dinners to informal gatherings in homes, workplaces and community venues.The discussion then turns to leadership development in the United Kingdom, with Karen Eveleigh from Faringdon Rotary Club in Oxfordshire outlining the Rotary Developing Future Leaders programme.Developing Future Leaders is an accredited qualification delivered in schools and colleges across England, including mainstream settings and those supporting learners with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities.The podcast is also joined by round-the-world sailor Jasmine Harrison while sailing in the South Atlantic from St Helena to Recife in Brazil on the latest leg of the Mini Globe Race. It is a remarkable interview captured while Jasmine was sailing in the middle of the ocean.The 26-year-old Rotarian from Thirsk in North Yorkshire discusses the voyage so far, and the challenges she now faces in the closing stages of the round-the-world race which finishes in Antigua in March. ---You have been listening to 'Unscripted', the official podcast of Rotary in Great Britain & Ireland.Unscripted is hosted by Dave King and Alicia Reade.If you’d like to find out more about Rotary or join us, visit rotarygbi.org/join and read more stories in Rotary Magazine at magazine.rotarygbi.org.You can listen to our archive wherever you found this podcast. Please follow us to get new episodes immediately downloaded to your device.If you’ve enjoyed this you can leave us a 5* review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts – it helps to spread the word.We’d love you to share this podcast with friends, family and colleagues inside and outside of Rotary.

Former Rotary International President, Gordon McInally, headlines December's Unscripted podcast with a renewed commitment to promoting mental health as a global priority. A proud Scot with a long history of Rotary service, Gordon speaks thoughtfully about his presidential term and the work he continues as a Trustee of The Rotary Foundation. From international leadership, the podcast shifts to local change-making with Jeff Hutton, chief executive of the Bromley FC Community Trust. Jeff explained how the Trust’s programmes, including ones run in partnership with Rotary, are designed to tackle loneliness among older adults and are built around social connection rather than sport. The final guest in the December edition is Nan McCreadie, former President of Rotary in Great Britain & Ireland, who discusses the remarkable growth of the Rotary Poetry Competition, now entering its third year. --- You have been listening to 'Unscripted', the official podcast of Rotary in Great Britain & Ireland. Unscripted is hosted by Dave King and Alicia Reade. If you’d like to find out more about Rotary or join us, visit rotarygbi.org/join and read more stories in Rotary Magazine at magazine.rotarygbi.org. You can listen to our archive wherever you found this podcast. Please follow us to get new episodes immediately downloaded to your device. If you’ve enjoyed this you can leave us a 5* review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts – it helps to spread the word. We’d love you to share this podcast with friends, family and colleagues inside and outside of Rotary.

As Rotary marked World Polio Day the ‘Unscripted’ podcast brings together remarkable voices united by one mission - to finally rid the world of polio. Dr Jamal Ahmed is the World Health Organization’s lead on polio eradication, who provides a global overview of where we stand in 2025. Dr Ahmed outlines how surveillance networks and vaccination drives have adapted to modern challenges, including conflict zones and the movement of transient populations across borders. Adding a deeply human dimension is Emma Miller, a Rotarian from Bradford in West Yorkshire, whose family’s story highlights the devastating impact of polio before the vaccine era. Her uncle, Jeff Hall, was a promising England and Birmingham City footballer who died of polio in 1959, aged just 29. Completing the line-up is Peter Teahan, who, alongside fellow pilot Ed Galkin, completed the extraordinary ‘Circle the Atlantic’ flight challenge, visiting Rotary clubs across multiple countries, including England, to promote the End Polio Now campaign. --- You have been listening to 'Unscripted', the official podcast of Rotary in Great Britain & Ireland. Unscripted is hosted by Dave King and Alicia Reade. If you’d like to find out more about Rotary or join us, visit rotarygbi.org/join and read more stories in Rotary Magazine at magazine.rotarygbi.org. You can listen to our archive wherever you found this podcast. Please follow us to get new episodes immediately downloaded to your device. If you’ve enjoyed this you can leave us a 5* review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts – it helps to spread the word. We’d love you to share this podcast with friends, family and colleagues inside and outside of Rotary.

In this episode we're joined by: Heather Stuart, Chair of the Rotary GB&I Board, on membership, Rotary's vision for the future, and meeting the King on her first day in the job; Gill and Andrew Campbell, founders of Hearing Ambassadors, talk about their work tackling hearing loss stigma and improving accessibility for those living with auditory challenges; Maeve Furey of Portlaoise Rotary Club talks about Handitandem, a pioneering scheme adapted from France which enables people with disabilities to experience the thrill of tandem skydiving. --- You have been listening to 'Unscripted', the official podcast of Rotary in Great Britain & Ireland. Unscripted is hosted by Dave King and Alicia Reade. If you’d like to find out more about Rotary or join us, visit rotarygbi.org/join and read more stories in Rotary Magazine at magazine.rotarygbi.org. You can listen to our archive wherever you found this podcast. Please follow us to get new episodes immediately downloaded to your device. If you’ve enjoyed this you can leave us a 5* review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts – it helps to spread the word. We’d love you to share this podcast with friends, family and colleagues inside and outside of Rotary.

This month’s issue of Rotary Magazine celebrates 25 years of ShelterBox, which started out as a Millennium project by Helston Lizard Rotary Club in 2000. Since then, through its established partnership with Rotary, with a group of passionate and dedicated Rotarians at its core, it has gone on to support over 3 million people recovering from disaster or conflict worldwide, including in the Caribbean where Hurricane Beryl caused extreme devastation and in Gaza, where ShelterBox has been working with other humanitarian aid agencies to support those displaced by war. Also in this issue, we round up RI President Stephanie Urchick's visit to Rotary GB&I.

Amid the growing challenges of migration and asylum in the UK, Rotary clubs in the Thames Valley are stepping up to make a difference.The region has become a temporary home for asylum seekers from Ukraine, Syria, Afghanistan, and beyond, many of whom have endured perilous journeys only to face long waits for legal status in difficult living conditions. Rotary clubs are responding by providing essentials like clothing, personal items, and refurbished bicycles, while fostering community connections. These efforts highlight the human stories behind global migration - a crisis driven by conflict, persecution, and inequality. In this issue, discover how Rotary is addressing both the immediate needs of displaced individuals and the wider challenges of building an inclusive, supportive community in an ever-changing landscape.

North Star is Rotary GB&I's five-year plan to strengthen and grow the organisation to 60,000 members by 2028.But how are we going to do it? This issue takes a deep dive at the ambitious strategic shift, paying particular attention to four membership channels; Club, Corporate, Direct and Enterprise.Also in this edition, we've got stories on Water Survival Box, the Singapore Convention and Rotary clubs serving communities in some of the most remote parts of the world.Explore more from Rotary Magazine at www.magazine.rotarygbi.org

Rotary Magazine is new and improved for 2024, now coming to you four times a year in print, a monthly digital edition and the regular audio version packed with stories from each print edition.This edition, we look at the story of Sir Nicholas Winton, a Rotarian and Holocaust hero who saved hundreds of children's lives during WWII. 'Nicky', as he was known, is the subject of a new film called 'One Life', starring Sir Anthony Hopkins, which tells the remarkable story of the Kindertransport. Also in this edition, Hollywood star Liam Neeson becomes and honorary Rotarian, and we speak to Garreth Murrell, a Rotarian who completed a 45-day row across the Atlantic Ocean.

This edition focuses on the appointment of Scotsman Gordon McInally as President of Rotary International in 2023-24, with an in-depth feature by Rotary Editor Dave King. Gordon's Rotary theme this year is 'Create Hope in the World', but his presidential themes stretch beyond bringing peace, while also prioritising mental health and empowering girls, demonstrating the continuity of leadership. Plus, there is also an extended feature chronicling Dave King's journey across Ukraine as he sees the impact that Rotary has had in the country during the war.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has prompted an amazing response from Rotarians globally, with The Rotary Foundation awarding nearly $15 million in disaster response grants to more than 270 districts worldwide.Each of these projects has had a direct bearing on coping with the enormity of the humanitarian disaster which has followed in the wake of war in eastern Europe.In this magazine, we reflect on the work of the Ukraine Taskforce over the past 14 months, and take a Ukrainian viewpoint on the impact of that work.

In this edition of Rotaray magazine, we take a closer look at Rotaract, a branch of Rotary for young leaders aged 18 and over. We speak to Rotaract members from across Great Britain and Ireland, including Chair James Thomas, about their journey, what they love about Rotaract and how it helps them give back to their communities. Also in this edition, enjoy stories of Rotarians overcoming personal challenges, from rowing across the Atlantic Ocean, to conquering a stammer to speak confidently in public.

The UK was shocked when it was announced that poliovirus has been found from sewage sampling in London. In this month's issue of Rotary magazine, we shed a light on what happened in London and what lessons are to be learned.For Rotarians, the End Polio Now campaign sits at the heart of our work but it is only one part of Rotary's focus. This magazine also highlights the life-saving work of humanitarian organisations started by Rotarians including Shelterbox and Aquabox.