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
Meetings
We are currently reviewing our pattern of meetings and are trialling meeting for breakfast on the first Thursday of the month in the restaurant of Brewer’s Fayre, Gordano Gate, Portishead and an evening meeting at The Ship Inn on the third Thursday at 7:30 pm. Breakfast meetings start at about 7:00 am and end at 8:30 am to allow members to get to work. If the breakfast venue is unavailable (during the school holidays), we meet at The Ship Inn in the evenings at 7:30 pm instead. Breakfast is a choice of a cooked or continental breakfast. There is no meal when we meet at The Ship.
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 Avon Riding Centre, Ebenezer Rural Clinic in Kingdom of eSwatini and Nicola Corry Support Foundation. We will also make a contribution to the Rotary Foundation which works internationally to tackle major problems like the eradication of Polio.
Meeting Venues
Our Charities for the 2022/2023 Rotary Year
Charities Previously Supported
Partnership Working & 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.
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.
