LATEST NEWS!
Welcome Message from President Judith Diment MBE
This week we celebrated World Polio Day with many events taking place to raise awareness and funds. Congratulations to the District members who climbed over the roof of Alexander Palace despite atrocious weather conditions. I attended a wonderful World Polio Day concert with the London Welsh Male Voice Choir. This was organised by the Rotary Club of Margate and there was a great sing song in the local pub after the concert. I was pleased to meet up with Rotarian Mike Tyrrell , a polio survivor and Margate Rotary President Marie Nije.
On Thursday I co-hosted a World Polio Day event with His Excellency Ambassador Ivan Romero Martine from Honduras, Dean of the Ambassadors in London. The meeting was on “Polio at a cross roads: Global Cooperation in a fragmenting world. – An Ambassadors’ Dialogue on Polio Eradication, Geopolitics and Global Health Security. Ambassadors from Nigeria, Kenya, Colombia, Cuba, Mauritius, Paraguay, Uruguay, Zambia, Slovakia, Mexico and Yemen attended with Rotarians, Rotaractors and GPEI partners. Sona Bari from WHO gave an excellent update on the programme. I chaired a panel discussion with Ambassador Romero, Uruguay Ambassador Luis Bermuez, Sona Bari, Professor Chris O’Callaghan, UCL and Bob Maskall, Chair RGBI. The call to action is a UN resolution for polio eradication as recommended by Sir Liam Donaldson in the latest International Monitoring Board report supported by all the Ambassadors present.
It was a privilege to welcome General Sir Evelynn Webb-Carter, Vice Chair of the Commonwealth Memorial Gates Trust, to our meeting this week together with visiting Rotarians from the India, prospective member Sonia Luther, and Louise Holland from Africa on the Ball. As Rotary’s Representative to the Commonwealth, I have attended the Commonwealth Day Service at the Memorial Gates for many years and I arrange for the Rotary International President to lay a wreath. President Yinka will be attending the ceremony next March.
It was a pleasure to welcome members of the R7 clubs from The Hague, Brussels, Paris and Berlin to our lunch meeting. We had a very productive meeting in the afternoon and a wonderful dinner in the evening at the Caledonian Club. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Tim Waugh for chairing the R7 for the last 10 years, and to welcome Rik Van Der Meer who is taking up the Chair. For information about the R7 see report below.
Please register for the International Gala Dinner on November 7th, bring family, friends and colleagues for an evening of fun and fellowship at the Skyline Rooftop Terrace.
With my best wishes
Judith Diment MBE
President Rotary Club of London
Please Join Us for Our Next Club Meeting, Featuring General Sir Evelyn Webb-Carter.
General Sir Webb-Carter will present on the excellent work that the Memorial Gates Trust undertakes. The Memorial Gates are a lasting memorial to honour the five million men and women from Africa, the Caribbean and the Indian subcontinent (Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka) who volunteered to serve with the British Armed Forces during the First and Second World Wars.
Please Join Us for Our Annual International Gala
A Message from President Judith Diment MBE - October 21st, 2026
A Message from President Judith Diment MBE - October 13th, 2026
A Message from President Judith Diment MBE - September 29th, 2026
President Judith Diment MBE's Margate Weekend - 25th to 27th September
Celebrating 114 Years of the Rotary Club of London
A Memorable Weekend in Florence – Leonardo da Vinci Awards 2026
President’s Report
One of the highlights of my presidential year was undoubtedly our recent visit to Florence for the 51st Leonardo da Vinci Awards, hosted by the Rotary Club of Firenze. Bringing together eleven Rotary clubs from across Europe, the awards celebrate excellence, achievement and international friendship in the city where the spirit of Leonardo da Vinci still inspires.
I was particularly delighted that the Rotary Club of London was represented by a record number of attendees this year. Our sincere thanks go to President Gabriele Canè, Secretary General Emanuela Masini and the entire Rotary Club of Firenze for their outstanding hospitality and the impeccable organisation of a truly memorable occasion.
The prestigious 2026 Leonardo da Vinci Award was presented to Piergiuseppe Liuzzi, a young bioengineer and neuroscience researcher whose groundbreaking work combines neuroscience and artificial intelligence to better understand human consciousness and improve the rehabilitation of patients with severe brain injuries and disorders of consciousness. Through the development of advanced neural network models inspired by the workings of the human brain, his research is helping clinicians gain deeper insights into recovery and cognitive function in some of medicine’s most challenging conditions. His innovative contribution to science and society made him a worthy recipient of this distinguished international honour, and it was a privilege to congratulate him on behalf of our Club.
The weekend was made even more special by the friendship and fellowship shared amongst our travelling party. We were especially delighted to celebrate the 89th birthday of our much-loved Barbara Winbourne, whose late husband served as President of the Rotary Club of London.
A very special thank you must also go to our Second Vice President-Elect, Gillian Balcombe, whose hard work and dedication in coordinating our participation helped make the trip such a success.
Most importantly, thank you to everyone who joined us. Your friendship, laughter and enthusiasm created wonderful memories that I shall treasure long after my presidential year has ended. I am also delighted that the Rotary Club of London will host the Leonardo da Vinci Awards in London from 19–21 May 2028, and we look forward to welcoming our European Rotary friends to our city for what promises to be another exceptional celebration.
Anahita Harris
President
Rotary Club of London
Monday: 12:30 or 18:30