Invitation to Changeover celebration - Save the Date
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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.
Matthew Shawcross: 'We Don't Like School, We LOVE It!'
Matthew's presentation will explore how Primary Schools engage vulnerable children in their learning, both from an academic and social-emotional perspective.
Matthew Shawcross is a dedicated educational leader, currently serving as a Primary School Principal at both Sacred Heart, Fitzroy and St Joseph's, Collingwood. He is known for his commitment to fostering inclusive, student-centred learning environments.
With a strong background in primary education, he has developed a reputation for nurturing both academic excellence and personal growth in young learners. Matthew’s leadership style emphasises collaboration, innovation, and a deep respect for the unique needs of each student, ensuring that every child is supported to reach his or her full potential.
Throughout his career, Matthew has worked closely with teachers, families, and the wider school community to build a culture of trust, engagement, and continuous improvement. He is passionate about empowering educators through professional development and encouraging the use of contemporary teaching practices. Under his guidance, schools have thrived as vibrant communities where curiosity is encouraged, values are lived, and students are prepared with the skills and confidence needed for lifelong learning.
Neville John The two Bunnings BBQ fundraising events held on 11 April raised a combined $4,300 toward project activities. The next BBQ dates are Port Melbourne – Sunday 3rd May and Collingwood - Saturday 16th May.
The 2026 Winter Sleeping Bag Appeal is heading into its final stage before winding up on 30 April. There is still time for donations per the call out information in the bulletin. So far approximately 150 sleeping bags have been distributed between Youth Projects and St Mary’s House of Welcome, and we hope to reach over 200 by end of April. Heartfelt thanks from both organisations were conveyed for the donations received so far. Rohan Williams Following the Paul Harris Breakfast event last November, a review was conducted of the event noting that the purpose of the breakfast has always been to raise funds for The Rotary Foundation (TRF). The conclusion reached was that in its present form, the event is not sustainable for various reasons, and that RCM should identify alternate ways to raise funds for TRF. Examples of alternative options and more background information will be included in an email to all members that will be sent following the meeting. Consequently, the Board agreed to retire the breakfast event. However, in recognition of the importance of TRF to Rotary Clubs, the Board will mobilise resources who will identify alternate sources of funds at least equivalent in amount to RCM’s existing financial contribution.
The guest speaker for next meeting on 5th May will be Matthew Shawcross, Principal of Sacred Heart School, Fitzroy, which has a diverse multi-cultural student population. Sacred Heart receive in-kind support mainly in the form of clothing and footwear that is made available through the Community Service Committee Members.
Following the previous meeting's presenation from Warwick Cavill and Pat Wilson about The Community Employment Partnership, members requested an email template to contact businesses in thier network.
‘Dear ….
Rotary Central Melbourne is working on an impactful project that assists people with Intellectual Disability and Autism find employment. It’s a collaboration between Rotary and Belonging Matters, a not-for-profit organisation, and the project is based on a highly successful Rotary project started in Canada over 25 years ago.
There can be significant benefits to businesses who take up this opportunity and some of those were reported in the Harvard Business Review July-August 2023. These include the following:
Disabilities often confer unique talents
The presence of people with disabilities often elevates the culture, making it more collaborative and boosting productivity
Develops a reputation for inclusiveness enhancing a firm's value proposition with customers
Being recognised as socially responsible gives a firm an edge in the competition for capital and talent
As Rotarians we have been asked to reach out to our business and social connections to see if anyone is looking for reliable employees. If this is something of interest to you. I can introduce you to Belonging Matters. They have a range of qualified jobseekers keen to find casual, part time or fulltime work, with a range of skills and interests that could be an ideal match for your business needs.
Belonging Matters work with a business to match the skills and interests of a jobseeker to the needs of the business. They also offer onsite job support and assist both the workplace and the candidate as new job tasks are learned. They offer this service for as long as is required to ensure the appointment is a success long term. This significantly reduces the risks to the business, even more so than traditional employment approaches.
I would be happy to introduce you to Belonging Matters via email and they will arrange time to speak to you further. There is no obligation to employ but just to explore the idea. It may not be something for now but could be something you come back to later. I just think it is a good opportunity to find out about something different that could be of a benefit to the business.
This video shows examples of how The Community Employment Partnership works with testimonals from businesses and the success stories.'
Many RCM members have considerable professional experience and expertise built over decades of leadership. Others are earlier in their careers, navigating growth challenges and developing as leaders.
The Vocational Service Committee believes we're missing an opportunity here.
What if we created ways for members to support each other's professional and leadership development?
This could mean different things for different members:
Getting guidance on career or leadership challenges you're facing
Sharing your experience to help other members develop
Learning alongside peers who are navigating similar transitions
Building skills for community leadership roles
We're exploring what format would work best for our members. This might be peer learning groups, one-on-one mentoring relationships, workshops, or something else entirely.
The first step is understanding who's interested and what would be most valuable to them.
If this resonates with you – whether you're seeking development support, willing to share your experience, or both – please reach out to me. Even if you just want to know more, I'd welcome the conversation.
Once I hear from you, I will reach out to have a brief chat with you to understand your situation and explore what might work. Based on those conversations, we'll design something that genuinely serves members' needs.
Contact Warwick Cavell: wcavell@profitableconversations.com.au or via SMS on 0411122860. I will be in UK/Europe from 29 April to 7 June so I may not be able to get back to you immediately.
Vocational Service is the foundation of Rotary and one of Rotary's five avenues of service. It's about using our professional skills and expertise to serve others – and that starts with serving each other.
