Formation of the Club
In 2014 Portishead Rotary Club, a long-established evening club, decided to explore the idea of setting up a new club which would meet early in the mornings for breakfast. It was felt that this would attract a new group of people who were working full-time. A small group of people began meeting together in the Summer of 2014 with a view to seeting up this club. Drawing on the support of the Portishead Rotary Club (our mother club) and two experienced and dedicated Rotarians from our District, this small group attracted new members over the next nine months and was formally inaugurated as The Gordano Breakfast Rotary Club in March 2015.
What we Do
Breakfast Meetings
We meet for Breakfast, in the restaurant of Brewers Fayre, Gordano Gate, Portishead BS20 7GA, on the first and third Thursday of each month. The first Thursday is a speaker meeting and the third is a business meeting. Our speakers have covered a wide-range of fascinating topics. We are always happy to welcome visitors from other clubs or anyone who wants to find out more about Rotary. There is a choice of a cooked or continental breakfast.
Fundraising & Support
Each year we select the charities that we sponsor, some we support by giving of our time, experience and expertise, and others through specific fundraising events, donations or by applying for matched-funding grants. This year, we are supporting The Jessie May Trust, Ebenezer Rural Clinic in Swaziland (KIngdom of eSwatini) and St. Peter’s Hospice. We have also received (and matched) a grant on behalf of The Nicola Corry Support Foundation and will also make a contribution to the Rotary Foundation which works internationally to tackle major problems like the eradication of Polio.
Ebenezer Clinic:
Other Charities which we have supported:
Social Events
We hold a number of informal events for members every year, where we go somewhere interesting or do something fun together. These usually take place in an evening or at a weekend, and partners are invited. We try to keep costs low, we pay for our own meals or refreshments, and we sometimes collect small donations for one of our projects.
Partnership Working and Networking
Our motto is “Supporting our Community” and we have worked with other local organisations. to support various initiatives. These have included the local Lions Club, Penny Brohn, Portishead Rotary Club, The RNLI, Contact the Elderly, Kid’s Out, WaterAid, Portishead Pool Trust, several local schools and the local Gym Academy. We have previously hosted business networking events and organised networking for local charities (Giving Back Project). The club was also instrumental in setting up a local Charity Hub on Facebook to allow local charities to share information and support each other.
Club Council
President
Jenny Wring
Senior Vice President
David Oyns
Junior Vice President
Vacant
Secretary
John Mills
Treasurer
Andrew Goodall
Media & Communications
James (Jim) Packer
Speakers
Mike Cox
Membership
Bernd Langheim
Past President
(2018/19)
James (Jim) Packer
Sport
Colin Wring
GDPR & Website
David Tyers
International
Raj Sudhakaran