Rotary Club of Chichester forced to put centenary celebrations on hold

What should have been a time of great joy has become one of huge sadness in particular for The Rotary Club of Chichester.
Club president David RigglesfordClub president David Rigglesford
Club president David Rigglesford

The coronavirus outbreak hits the club as it celebrates its centenary, a year they had been looking forward to and which had started well last autumn.

But in these dark days, the club is hoping its message of fellowship will continue to thrive, albeit in other ways just for the moment.

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They have had to cancel a concert coming up from Chichester City Band, and the fate of their Gala Dinner in May hangs in the balance, pending further decisions.

It is all a bitter blow for the club.

The concert was to have been entitled 100 Years of Rotary and Film Music at Chichester’s St Paul’s Church on Saturday, March 28 at 7pm.

Club president David Rigglesford said: “It is really devastating to have to cancel the band concert and other fundraising activities in what should have been a year of celebration for our club.

“I am particularly disappointed about the band concert which we hoped would raise a significant sum of money for Cancerwise, my chosen charity for my Presidential year. Rotary of course will survive but our activities will of necessity be restricted. We will explore opportunities to communicate with our members and our community via social media and networking apps.

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“Fellowship is an important part of the lives of many of our members, and we must make sure that we maintain contact.

“These are difficult times for everyone, unprecedented for many, and anxiety levels are high. We will do what we can to provide help and support where needed and will look forward to seeing all our members and friends when we emerge from this dreadful situation.

The concert was to have been one of the highlights of a year of celebrations which will also include a gala dinner in May when the national president of Rotary will be in attendance. Students from the University of Chichester will be providing the entertainment.

The anniversary year began last September with a sell-out concert from the Royal British Legion Band at St Paul’s Church: “It was a great success. Everyone enjoyed it. It was a wonderful evening, a very joyous evening.

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“Also the Cathedral put on a special Evensong for the centenary. Speaking in the Cathedral was an astonishing experience. It was absolutely awe-inspiring. I did a reading, and we had a good turn-out. They did us proud, and it was very moving.”

As part of the centenary celebrations, the club also made a substantial contribution towards the statue of First World War soldier Maurice Patten near the Chichester’s war memorial. Patten joined the Royal Sussex Regiment in Chichester and died of his wounds at the start of 1916.

The very first meeting of the new club was held on December 2 2019. The club received its charter on May 1 1920.

Rotary began in 1905 when four business associates met in an office in Chicago to discuss forming a group of business professionals with a view to sharing ideas, friendship and service to the community. The first Rotary Club followed in 1907, and 1912 saw the first Rotary Clubs established in Canada and Great Britain.

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Portsmouth and Southsea Rotary Club was established during the First World War; Chichester arrived on the scene a year after the Armistice – a story David tells in a new book marking the club’s centenary: Chichester Rotary Centenary 1920-2020: A Club History.

“I am quite new to Rotary. I have only been in Rotary for five years, and I learnt a massive amount about not just Rotary but about what our club has done. We have done some amazing things over the past 100 years, and I am not sure that people are fully aware of that.

“Although we are an old established club and some of our members are not in the first flush of youth, we are active and young-minded and don’t dwell in the past. We enjoy plenty of laughs together and visitors comment on the friendly and relaxed atmosphere at our meetings.”

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