March Monthly Theme: Water, Sanitation and Hygiene
RIMERN Newsletter
Gabriella Roberts - Science Experience
RIMERN Going Gangbusters
31st Silk Miller Scholarship Awarded
Multi-District Impact Seminar
DV Safe Phone announcement
NEXT MEETING
Rotary Central Melbourne meets at the RACV Club on the first and third Tuesdays of each month.
If you would like to visit our meeting, you are welcome to join us at the Theatrette, Chancery Level of the RACV Club. There is no charge for attending the meeting.
If you would like a more general discussion about attending a Rotary meeting, please contact the club secretary at rotaryclubcentralmelbourne@gmail.com
The meeting will commence at 7:40 am and conclude no later than 8:30. Members and guests are invited to stay for coffee or breakfast in the RACV Club Bistro following the meeting.
The program for this meeting will be a discussion on the outcomes from the club’s 2025 membership survey.
This has been the most comprehensive survey for some years and the board, led by President-elect Paul Fowler, has considered many recommendations arising from the data analysis.
Make sure you attend this meeting to have your say in how we run our club and the types of community and international projects we will focus on.
This is a great opportunity to contribute to detailed discussion on options to be put to the club membership.
It’s been a busy and productive summer, with so much happening in our warehouse and across our wonderful community of supporters. Thanks to you, we’ve been able to help create safe, comfortable and dignified homes for people doing it tough, welcome new partner agencies supporting vulnerable clients, and see volunteers and Rotary partners generously give their time and energy to make a real difference.
In this issue, you’ll see the impact of that generosity — from homes transformed with donated goods, to new partnerships extending our reach, and the volunteers who make it all possible. Your support is also helping enable a rapid and coordinated response to the recent Victorian bushfires through the new Victorian Emergency Relief Network and Rotary District 9790, ensuring help reaches those who need it most.
You can click the link to read more: https://rimern.us20.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c6fddebbe7a97d060adf6cf73&id=37c521cc3d&e=e5361418d2
St Aloysius College North Melbourne is a Club partner where we work to engage students in Rotary projects and activities. This includes assisting development of STEM capacity in students, in this case through the Science Experience program. It is a program of very cost effective and interesting science activities from a range of universities in Melbourne for students in middle high school.
Gabrielle Roberts attended an RMIT program on medical science and technology.
These are her comments:
Early this year I went on a trip to RMIT to participate in the Science Experience. On the first day we were put into 5 groups of about 25-28 that we would spend the next 3 days with. They people there were very welcoming and I became quick friends with around 7 people. On the first day we did 4 activities working in engineerical science. We worked with robots, VR, a lot of walking, and overall I learned a lot of things I didn’t even know about. The second day we went to their campus in Bundoora. There we learnt about medical sciences and got to try out some of their equipment. The third day was more working in our groups and finding out more about uni life. We listened to lectures and learnt about things that the people there actually invented. We got a pizza party, and that was it. It was such a fun experience and if I could, I would extend it. I met so many amazing people and loved everything. - Gabriella Roberts 10c
RIMERN (Rotary Inner Melbourne Emergency Relief Network) is a multi-club Rotary project that means 'Residential Recycling'! Household goods are collected and donated to people in need. RIMERN helps people coming out of homelessness, domestic violence, refugee displacement, jail, loss of homes due to disaster or crisis. These people are clients of member welfare agencies, who are helping them settle into homes. RIMERN helps to fit out these homes.
Rotary Central Melbourne, as you know, is a strong supporter of RIMERN, along with 23 other clubs in our District. We contribute $1000 per year towards the cost of its operation. In addition, once a month on a Saturday volunteers spend the morning at RIMERN’s Brunswick East warehouse, sorting, tidying, cleaning whitegoods and generally helping with the operation.
Plus, two club members spend a day each week working with clients, helping them to choose household contents for their new homes (and what a rewarding day it is too). However, perhaps the most significant contribution of all has been a gift of over $100,000, secured by one of our members.
Currently, RIMERN is open on four days a week, on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday, to receive donations and deal with clients. Demand for RIMERN’s services is so strong, however, that moves are afoot to add Monday to the program. But for this to happen, more volunteers are required. Every month, more agencies are involved and more clients are satisfied. In the first 6 months of 2025-26, 242 deliveries, valued at $380,000, were made. This is a significant increase on the same period 12 months ago.
RIMERN responds to need wherever it can. The disastrous bushfires around Longwood and Ruffy are a case in point. In conjunction with similar Melbourne organisations, RIMERN is contributing bedding and furniture and has just made a $5000 donation to assist with purchase of water tanks and generators, to help farmers get back on their feet.
Whenever you have the opportunity, please spread the word to your friends and associates that RIMERN is always on the look out for good quality used household goods and white goods in particular. And if you have a day every week or two to volunteer your time, that would be fantastic. There are plenty of opportunities to help, either at the warehouse or from home.
Check out the website: www.rimern.org.au or Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/495145215239091.
Late in December interviews were undertaken to select a 2026 Silk Miller Scholar. The interview panel consisted of Dr David Broderick, Child and Youth Portfolio Manager at Victoria Police, Dr Ani Weirenga from the Centre for Adolescent Health, The Royal Children’s Hospital and Senior Lecturer, Department of Paediatrics, Melbourne University Medical School and Doug Robertson RCM.
The 2026 scholarship has continued to demonstrate the popularity of the program among Victoria Police members with four applicants finally selected for interview. Acting Sergeant Ellani Little stationed at Caroline Springs in the Pro-Active Policing Unit, has been awarded the 2026 scholarship. We congratulate Ellani on her successful application and look forward to welcoming her to a face to face meeting to formally award the scholarship.
As has already been advised, the Club has only been able to continue this important program with support of The Rotary Foundation, following a successful application for a District 9800 Local Grant.
Our DV (Domestic Violence) safe phone project – February call for mobile phones
This continuing project supports the DV Safe Phone National Plan to End Violence Against Women and Children, with the objective to end gender based violence within one generation.
Our Club assists DV Safe Phone, a registered charity based in Mooloolaba, Queensland by collecting unwanted mobile phones which are then repaired and given to domestic violence survivors, through domestic violence and law enforcement agencies, safe houses and hospitals Australia wide.
We have had three successful collections during 2024 and two in 2025. It is time for our next call for phone donations
We ask you to locate any unwanted mobile phones you or friend or work colleagues may have, and either:
bring them to our next “in person” Rotary meetings on Tuesday 17 February or Tuesday 3 March 2026 (RACV, morning); or alternatively
There is another simple choice – you can drop off your phone/s at the DV Safe Phone Collection Box in the TAL foyer, 500 Bourke Street, Melbourne (opposite the RACV).
DV Smart Phone will ensure your phone has been erased, but it is helpful that you sign out of your devices and erase your data the correct way to save time and give peace of mind. Tom can email you simple steps to do so if you need them – just ask.
