Bench Mark

Swindon's three Rotary Clubs have clubbed together to provide the bench on the corner of Wood Street.

The stainless steel bench marks the 100th anniversary of Rotary International.

Former champion jockey, Willie Carson, cut the ribbon at the ceremony and was delighted to be involved.

He said: "Swindon people will be very grateful for an event like this, particularly in Old Town where there's no seat."

President of the Rotary Club of Swindon, Maurice Clavarley, is happy the Rotarians are able to give the local community something that will be used."

As this year is the centenary of Rotary International, each club was asked to think about projects that would benefit their own community.

Phil Skelton, President of the Rotary Club of Swindon Thamesdown said: "There is a reasonably large population of elderly people in Swindon so we hope the bench will give them the chance to have a rest while they're in Old Town."

Across New Town and in particular, Regent Street, benches are provided for people to take a break.

However, Old Town had been left out which prompted the Rotarians to chose Wood Street as the ideal location for the bench.

John Poolman, president of the Rotary Club, Old Town, said that the three groups are hoping to work together on more projects.

He said: "It's nice to do something for Swindon that the town can remember the Rotary by." Coun Peter Stoddart, the Mayor of Swindon was at the ceremony.

He said: "This really shows the generosity of the Rotarians.

"They are always working hard for charities."

The bench, plus the work needed to install it, cost nearly £3,000 and each club provided an equal amount.

A plaque has been put in front of the bench, which reads "Given to the people of Swindon by the Rotarians of Swindon to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Rotary International."

Rotarians across the country are celebrating the centenary.

Gordon McInally, president of Rotary International in Great Britain and Ireland, said that the organisation was in good shape to face future challenges.

Quoting a recent MORI poll Lord McInally said that public awareness of the organisation remained high with 45 per cent of the UK and Irish public recognising the blue and gold wheel of Rotary and 48 per cent associating this symbol with local charity work.

"We are at a milestone in Rotary's history and we have survived a century of change.

"It is heartening to see that the public recognise the new face of Rotary.

"Rotary Club members are ordinary people doing extraordinary things.

"We must now set new goals and new challenges for the next century and the MORI research will provide a bench mark for this.

"We recognise that there are inequalities in the world we live in.

"There are people living in poverty, people who are illiterate through no fault of their own.

"Rotary is there to try to make a difference for those people," he said.

How it all started

Rotary International is celebrating 100 years of service in the community.

It is the world's largest service organisation for business and professional people.

There are 1.2m Rotarians worldwide belonging to more than 31,000 Rotary clubs located in 166 countries.

There are 58,000 Rotarians in Great Britain and Ireland in 1,845 clubs.

Every Rotarian has a right to attend any club meeting anywhere in the world.

The world's first Rotary Club was formed in Chicago, Illinois, USA, on 23 February 1905 by lawyer Paul Harris.

The name Rotary derived from the early practice of rotating meetings among members' offices.

The organisation's motto is: Service Above Self.

Rotary International admitted women for the first time in 1989.

Over the past couple of months members have raised £6.5 million for the tsunami relief fund.

The biggest challenge facing the organisation in future years is raising the profile of the international Polio Eradication programme.

The polio initiative, which was started in 1985, has contributed £300 million to tackling the disease and is on track to rid Asia of polio this year.

Lyndsay Scanlan