President John Hollingsworth marked the end of his highly successful year at the conclusion of his valedictory address with the presentation of a Paul Harris Fellowship to former Wolverhampton Wanderers football star Rotarian Mel Eves who has been a member of the club since 2003, serving as President in 2012/13.

John made reference to Mel’s tremendous work in the community at large, which includes his role as player/manager of the Wolves All Stars Charity Football team which has raised around half a million pounds for numerous good causes; as well as being a sports journalist, Mel founded the Sports Parents Association, set up to provide impartial and informed advice regarding every aspect that a child could encounter throughout their sporting journey, with the wellbeing of the child being the overriding concern. He is also a Performance Master Coach helping to transform people to play and perform to their maximum potential.

In the last year Mel has taken over as Chairman of the Rotary Young Citizens Award, a joint venture involving the local clubs to recognise individuals aged 13 to 25 who demonstrate outstanding community service by acts of kindness, fundraising and supporting their neighbourhoods.

A truly justified honour paid to a tremendous Rotarian who demonstrates, in the words of the Rotary motto, Service Above Self.

On Saturday May 9^th the Rotaract club of The University of Wolverhampton club successfully completed a major cleanup program in partnership with the Street Cleansing and Public Realm team of the City Council.

Rotaract President David Nduaku writes:”With 14 members on site, the Rotaractors were able to make a tangible difference in the local area around Whitmore Reans. The feedback from the community was overwhelmingly positive, and their efforts even caught the eye of a new prospective member who has now pledged to join the Rotaract ranks.

A huge thank you to Past District Governor Richard Green for his guidance in organizing this effort and to everyone who showed up to lend a hand.”

The Rotary club of The City of Wolverhampton and several other clubs were delighted to host a team of visiting young people from Vechta, Germany under a programme pioneered by our District 1210, entitled Vocational Study Exchange. (VSE.) This followed a visit by our outgoing team to Vechta in the previous October.

VSE gives young people the opportunity to study their chosen career in another country for 2 weeks as well as visiting places of local interest and Rotary clubs. The participants are non Rotarians under the leadership of a Rotarian and they stay in Rotarians homes.

Rotarian Stefan Warnking the team leader said, at the conclusion of their visit “thanks to you we were able to gain many insights and vocational knowledge that a typical tourist would never experience. The VSE programme is a fantastic project and I consider these exchanges to be one of the most important development programmes within Rotary, offering maximum benefit and new friendships to everyone involved!”

Past exchanges have been held with groups from Finland, Norway and many other European countries. Plans are underway for an exchange in the next Rotary year. For further information contact John Mottram at  l_mottram@hotmail.com

Once again, the purple crocus corms that the Rotary club of the City of Wolverhampton planted in Bantock Park in October ‘25 in support of the Rotary International campaign to eliminate the scourge of polio have given bloom to a colourful springtime display.

We were supported by local schoolchildren and representatives from the Wolverhampton Fair Trade Association and the Global Diabetes Initiatives. It takes the total number of corms to 50000, helping to raise public awareness of the campaign and provide funds for the purchase of vaccines.

Last Tuesday PP Richard Horrell visited the Civic Suite in the Civic Centre in Wolverhampton to present a club name badge to Craig Collingswood, Mayor of Wolverhampton. The Mayor who is an honorary member of the City of Wolverhampton Rotary Club was also presented with a club banner in recognition of the support he has given to Rotary’s work in the city”.

The Kick Diabetes Out of UK event was delivered on 15th November 2025 in two impactful sections, combining sport, health awareness, and community engagement. The first section featured a vibrant football tournament with 10 teams competing,  which took place at Tettenhall College. The tournament brought together players, supporters, and community members to promote physical activity as a key tool in diabetes prevention. The matches encouraged teamwork, fitness, and social inclusion while raising awareness about the importance of maintaining an active lifestyle.

The second section focused on health education and empowerment through a Diabetes Fashion Show and symposium, which took place at Genting Casino.

This unique event creatively highlighted confidence, inclusivity, and living positively with or preventing diabetes. The fashion show was complemented by expert talks and community discussions on diabetes prevention, management, and mental health awareness, emphasising the strong connection between physical and emotional wellbeing.

A special thank you goes to our generous sponsors, Rotary Club of the City of Wolverhampton, Tettenhall College, and Genting Casino, whose invaluable support helped make this successful and impactful community event possible.

Dr. Matilda Chongwa

Chief Executive Director

Global Diabetes Initiatives

PhD Health & Wellbeing

MSc Public Health

Expert in Diabetes Prevention

Advocate for Healthy Living & Emotional Wellbeing.

The Wolverhampton Area round of the 2026 Rotary Young Musician Competition was attended by a full audience at the Music Hub in Graisley Hill on Sunday, February 8^th when 11 vocalists and instrumentalists again demonstrated the wealth of musical talent there is in our city.

Adjudicators Sarah Baker and Robyn Davies MBE had a difficult task to select the winners who will go forward to the next round, which is the District Final to be held at the same venue on February 22^nd.

After some considerable deliberation, they announced the winners to be 15 year old Davina Dennis who gave a stunning rendition of the ‘Concerto for Tenor Saxophone’ by Jean-Baptiste Singelee and ‘Nightclub 1960’ by Astor Piazzzolla. Davina attends Wolverhampton Grammar School and frequently plays in orchestras and jazz bands around the area.

The winning vocalist was 15 year old Amelia Donoghue, a student at Tettenhall College, who thrilled the audience with her selection of ‘The Lady’s Improving’ by Matthew Skiar, ‘Last Midnight’ by Stepern Sondheim and ‘Warwick Avenue’ by James Hogarth, Aimee Duffy and  Francis White.

In presenting the winners’ trophies, the President of the Rotary club of The City of Wolverhampton, John Hollingsworth congratulated all the competitors, commenting that they had provided the audience with an amazing display of musical talent.

This competition, one of the many ways in which Rotary provides great opportunities for young people, has enabled large numbers of talented musicians and singers to perform in front of an audience and has, in the past, resulted in at least one BBC Young Musician Of The Year.

PDG Richard Green