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Karrinyup Rotary commenced planning a 50th anniversary project in 2021. The Golden Project was to be one of significance to celebrate the Club's 50 years of Rotary service. The designated club team worked with architect Alex Godfrey and the City of Stirling. Over the years, it was decided it would be the 'Lake Gwelup Story Trail', an interactive experience, celebrating Nyoongar culture, environmental and historical stories of Lake Gwelup, where the club has a long history of service to the community. The project has now been completed and will be launched on 23 November. Peter Polain and Peter Durrent are seen here toasting the successful completion of the project.

RYLA is an intensive eight-day program designed for 18-28 year olds with leadership potential and a commitment to community service. This a unique opportunity aimed to bring participants out of their comfort zone and challenge them to think outside the square, while actively using and building on their existing skills and knowledge. RYLA 2025 will be held at the Serpentine Camping Centre from Saturday 11 January – Saturday 18 January 2025. Karrinyup Rotary prefers to sponsor young people who are already volunteering in the community. Contact Eddy Giacomel.

Members of the Karrinyup Rotary Vocational Service team recently attended the 2024 Apprentice Employment Network of WA Awards for Excellence gala presentation evening, where Carol O'Lone and Carolyn Prunster presented Karrinyup Rotary Club Special Recognition Accolades. This is the club's third year supporting this project, which is the result of Kay Durrant’s understanding and recognition of the importance of the need to support young people starting out in their careers. We will hear from some of our 2024 recipients during Vocational Service month, January 2025.

President Phil Ledger and Treasurer Paul Callery represented Karrinyup Rotary at the 30th anniversary of Foodbank WA. We were delighted that Pat Fosbery, widow of Karrinyup Rotary charter president Graham Fosbery, was able to join us as a special guest. The Rotary Club of Karrinyup has had a long association with Foodbank WA having been involved since its inception in the early 1990’s. Charter President, Graham Fosbery, served as a Founding Director during those early years and remained a supporter throughout his life. 

Rotary Youth Exchange Coordinator Trish Lynch introduced our 2024-2025 Inbound Rotary Youth Exchange (RYE) student Viki, from Austria. Viki has been an active member of our club since her arrival in Perth in late July. Our students' presentations, where they describe themselves and their home country, are always most interesting and Viki's presentation was outstanding. It was lovely to have her host families, District Placement Officer, our 2025 RYE Outbound student Ellen and Mandurah District's Inbound RYE student Eliane from Switzerland join us for the evening.

Mike Murphy introduced exercise physiologist, open water swimmer and public speaker Ceinwen Roberts, head coach and co-founder of Positive Swim Squad. The 'Bears of Brine' are nine Perth swimmers, all members of the Positive Swim Squad, who spend countless hours preparing for solo ultra marathon swims. Recently, they took on the English and Bristol channels in a bid to fund raise for a five-classroom school and toilet block in Lombok, Indonesia, through the charity Classroom of Hope, a new recipient of Karrinyup Rotary's International funding this Rotary year.

The RC Karrinyup was delighted this week to welcome 2024 - 2025 Inbound Rotary Youth Exchange student Viki from Austria. While Viki has been in Perth a few weeks now, this was her first formal opportunity to meet club members at a meeting. She told us that she has been to King's Park and to the beach and attended a briefing weekend for RYE Inbound students. She is attending at Warwick SHS and has already helped out volunteering at the Stirling Farmers Market.

Karrinyup Rotary members recently attended a celebration of the life of Past President and Honorary Member Frits Van Irsen. Inducted into the Rotary Club of Karrinyup in 1986, Frits served as President in 1996-1997 and later as Secretary and Treasurer. He was recognised as a Paul Harris Fellow in 1993 - 1994 and in 2011 was honoured with a sapphire pin. In 2010 he received the Graham Fosbery Presidential Award for his excellent support as Club Secretary. He will be sadly missed.

At the recent 2024 Changeover event, President Kay inducted Past District Governor and President Elect Phil Ledger, as the fifty first President of Rotary Club of Karrinyup, handing over the responsibility of leadership of the Club. President Phil congratulated Kay on her splendid year of service, saying she ran the club with great aplomb. He mentioned that Kay's service was not only to our club, but also to the wider Rotary community and listed a few of her many activites. He then announced the Board of the Rotary Club of Karrinyup for 2024-2025.

At the recent RC Karrinyup Changeover Evening, John Maker was named as the recipient of the prestigious Graham Fosbery President’s Award for 2023-2024 for dedicated 'Service Above Self' and support for the Stirling Farmers Market raffle, the weekly club meetings and for creating procedures to preserve our club documents. The award is given each year by the President to a person or group, who is considered to have contributed significantly to the success of the Club in that President’s year or progressively over a period of time.

In her address to the gathered members, visitors and friends, President Kay recounted the achievements of the club during the past Golden Anniversary year with special thanks and appreciation to the City of Stirling. She drew a comparison between the metamorphosis of a butterfly and the evolution of our club over the years. She described how, through our many projects, we have made a significant impact and contribution to the community, both locally and beyond. During the address, she thanked the Board and all members for their hard work and support during the year.

Karrinyup Rotary's 2023-2024 Inbound Rotary Youth Exchange student from Poland Karolna gave a final presentation on her exchange year in Australia. She said it had been filled with many new experiences, life surprises, adventures, growing up and so much more. She described highlights of the year, achieving her goals, what she has learned and how she believes the experience will help shape her future. Above all, she expressed her sincere gratitude to all her host families and to the club for making the experience possible.

Each year, the Karrinyup Rotary Community Homeless Working Group collects and donates socks and backpacks to the homeless in the city. These items are distributed on our behalf by the Perth Homeless Support Group, as they have developed an innovative “Community Model” over time, which focuses on assisting individuals experiencing homelessness, displacement, and those in transitional housing. Sandra, Jane and Carol are seen here dropping off the goods collected for distribution this winter.

The National Youth Science Forum (NYSF) runs in January each year for students about to enter year 12. Since 1984, more than 14,000 young Australians have progressed through the NYSF Year 12 Program. Rotary districts across Australia conduct selections for the NYSF Year 12 Program on behalf of the NYSF. Karrinyup Rotary usually sponsors students, who are expected to share their experience with the club on their return. Applications for January 2025 are now open. Students should apply online via this link.

The RC Karrinyup Nurse of the Year Award was created in 1990 to honour outstanding nurses and midwives working at the Osborne Park Hospital (OPH). This annual Award recognises a nurse, selected by the hospital, whose daily dedication and care epitomises the highest standard of quality and personal commitment. The selection process now includes finalists in three categories. The overall winner of the 2024 RC Karrinyup Osborne Park Hospital Nurse of the Year Award, selected from the finalists, is Leo Wu. Congratulations Leo!

RC Karrinyup is pleased to announce the 2024 recipient of the Dr Michael Chin Humanitarian Award is Janine Wood, Chairperson & Co-Founder, No Limits Perth. Janine is the inspiration and driving force behind the organisation, which is run entirely by volunteers out of a warehouse in Wangara with the motto “Helping Families in crisis, one act of kindness at a time”. The Award, created in 2000 in honour of RC Karrinyup charter member Michael Chin, honours outstanding individuals, who serve the community for their humanitarian and volunteer activities.

Building on twenty years of Black Swan Health's Freo Street Doctor Service Success, Black Swan is now providing very much needed services to the Northern Corridor at a new location in Mirrabooka. The operation is jointly funded by the Rotary Clubs of Karrinyup, Osborne Park and Scarborough, The weekly three hour clinic commenced operation on 13 March. Rotary collaborating to contribute to the well-being of the homeless community and 'Create Hope in the World'.

Homeless people struggle to find clean dry socks, which can result in their developing trench foot and other problems. This is best prevented by wearing clean dry socks. RC Karrinyup's Sandra McGuire is calling for your help to supply warm socks to homeless people. These need to be in natural fibres for both men and women. You may wish to purchase them yourself or simply donate money to buy the socks. Just $5 will buy two pairs of socks. The team will collect both socks and money at the admin stall at the Stirling Farmers Market over the next couple of weeks. Please give this project your support.

Nominations are called for the RC Karrinyup 2024 Michael Chin Humanitarian Award. Individuals living or undertaking volunteer humanitarian activities within the City of Stirling area may be nominated with the intent that the recipient be local to the Rotary Club of Karrinyup. Do you know an amazing person, who inspires others and deserves to be recognised? We would love to hear from you. The date for nominations has been extended. These now close 2 April.

Members of the Karrinyup Rotary Vocational Service team recently attended the 2023 Apprentice Employment Network of WA Awards for Excellence gala presentation evening, where Tess Gardner and Carolyn Prunster presented Karrinyup Rotary Club Special Recognition Awards. This is the club's second year supporting this project, which is the result of Kay Durrant’s understanding and recognising the importance of the need to support young people starting out in their careers.

In Vocational Service month we welcomed Irene Walker, Executive Officer of the Apprentice Employment Network WA, (AEN WA) a Registered Not for Profit Charity. Irene described the work of AEN WA and the wonderful parternership with Karrinyup Rotary, instigated by President Kay. This year our Vocational Service team provided practical support for outstanding apprentices/trainees with Special Recognition Awards. Irene introduced the four award recipients present, who spoke on their career paths and explained how the club's support had assisted with the purchase of essential items for their work.

Winter will soon be upon us again and with this in mind Karrinyup Rotary Club is once again providing backpacks for Perth’s homeless community. This year we will be sending out fifty backpacks to the community with the help of the Perth Homeless Support Group. The backpacks contain items, which will provide some comfort and warmth during the cold winter evenings. A community stall will be held at the Stirling Farmers Market on Sunday 7 April, however the items can be left at the administration stall on any Sunday up until 5 May.

The Zambia Water Project involved scoping and drilling a bore to sufficient depth and installation of a pump and water tank.  This has now provided clean drinking water for the school of some eighty orphaned and vulnerable children under the support of Arising Life Ministries in Ndola, Zambia as well as to the community of the Kaloko area.

The Earbus has been completed and informally handed over to the Earbus Foundation. The vehicle will now go through operational trials to ensure the design is fit for purpose and any issues found during the field trials will be adjusted.  Finally, the vehicle will be transformed with an appropriate Aboriginal livery for its work in the field before the formal handover takes place in the New Year.  On behalf of the thousands of Aboriginal children, who will benefit from this asset, thank you to all our generous donors. The RC Karrinyup is honoured to have been part of this journey with you. 

Over three years ago, Professor Harvey Coates AO, Clinical Patron, Earbus Foundation of WA, envisaged a mobile 'go anywhere' clinic capable of travelling to remote areas of the northwest of Western Australia. For patients unable to travel to a town clinic, it was necessary to take the clinic to them in the battle against the exceedingly high incidence of ear disease among the population of that area. Professor Coates is thrilled that, thanks to the efforts of the RC Karrinyup, this vision has now become a reality.