The Rotary Club of Swindon has celebrated its centenary year by presenting the proceeds of their Swindon Annual Charity Ball to local charity Society Without Abuse (SWA).
This year’s Ball embraced the theme of ‘100 years of Swindon Rotary and £1 million of impact’ in commemoration of the extraordinary achievement and impact it has had on local charitable causes since the first Ball over 30 years ago, made possible by the support and generosity of the community.
For the special centenary year, the Ball Committee chose to support a single beneficiary, SWA. The Committee and President of The Rotary Club of Swindon for 2025/26 Richard Deacon presented the cheque to the charity at their new offices, named Hill House in recognition of Swindon Rotarian Tony Hill.
Debbie Vincent, who now begins her year as President explained: “Everything we do through The Rotary is to put ‘service above self;’ to make a difference to local charities and help our community. The Swindon Annual Charity Ball is the highlight of the year, I’ve been on the Ball Committee every year since I joined the Rotary in 2012 and it’s one of the ways that we make the most difference to our local causes.”
Debbie is the first person in the Rotary Club of Swindon’s 100-year history to be President for a second time, having previously held the role in 2020/21. Debbie continued: “I’ve got a lot planned for this year and I hope to continue growing The Rotary in Swindon and working together with the other Swindon Rotaries as that will ultimately mean a bigger impact for the town.
“Swindon’s a great town, and we’re here in the community to make an impact. For 100 years we’ve supported activities and fundraising that makes a difference every day, such as the radiotherapy appeal, SWA and Prospect Hospice. The Rotary Club of Swindon is for the people of Swindon and as President I want to bring out the great potential of what our members can do for the town, and have fun doing it.”
This year’s fundraising from the Swindon Annual Charity Ball, supported by two generous legacy donations, amounted to £62,000, and will be used to support SWA’s services to the local community from their new town centre offices. Through their HOPE programme, the charity supports those affected by domestic abuse in the town to recover from the trauma experience, as well as working directly with young people to educate them on healthy relationships. Their innovative Open2Change programme works directly with those who cause the harm to stop it happening again and the team also works with businesses and organisations in the area to ensure domestic abuse can be spotted and people directed to find the right help.
SWA CEO, Kate Rowland, said: “We are so very grateful to the Rotary Club of Swindon for this donation. It will enable us to make such a difference to those in the town who are affected today by domestic abuse, as well as helping us work towards our goal of stopping domestic abuse from happening in the future.
“Together with our Survivor shop in The Parade, Hill House will be a place of hope and strength in bringing the community together, as well as a lasting legacy of the impact of the Rotary too.”
The Annual Swindon Charity Ball is only possible thanks to the kindness and commitment of sponsors and supporters. Special thanks go to the fantastic band 247, for providing the entertainment, RentEvent for superb decoration and Purple Orchid for stunning floral arrangements.
The Rotary Club of Swindon is open for new members. For more information on The Rotary Club of Swindon, visit www.swindonrotary.co.uk.
If you need advice for yourself or a friend relating to domestic abuse, call Swindon’s domestic abuse helpline on 01793 610610.
To find out more about SWA visit www.societywithoutabuse.org.uk.
