Unscripted - The official podcast of Rotary in Great Britain and Ireland

Food poverty affects millions of people across Great Britain and Ireland, but as the latest edition of ‘Rotary Unscripted’ reveals, the issue is about far more than food alone. The July episode of Rotary Magazine's podcast brings together charity leaders and Rotarians working on the frontline of community support to explore the realities of food insecurity, the pressures facing families and the pr...

This month's special guest on Unscripted is Tom Gump, one of the most recognisable international advocates for modernising Rotary’s membership approach. A Rotary International Director-elect from Minnesota, he has built a reputation around creating flexible, cause-driven clubs focused on issues such as refugee support, anti-human trafficking and veterans’ welfare. The discussion examines whether R...

The May edition of Rotary Unscripted, brings together three guests to discuss Rotary’s work across public health, modern slavery and sport, alongside a wider round-table conversation on the organisation’s global reach. The opening interview features Francesco Arezzo , President of Rotary International. Speaking from his home in Sicily, Francesco reflects on taking up the presidency in unexpected c...

Welcome to a bumper special edition of Rotary Unscripted. The podcast opens with Rotary International Director, Harriette Verwey , who represents a Rotary region which includes Great Britain and Ireland. Topics of conversation include the evolving role of Rotary in modern society, the upcoming Action Summit in Rotterdam and of course, polio. From there we had to the Palace of Westminster, for spec...

As Ukraine passes the fourth anniversary of the Russian invasion, the March episode of Unscripted, brings listeners first-hand accounts from Rotarians whose lives and service have been shaped by years of conflict and displacement. Mykola Stebljanko joins the episode from the Khershon region of Ukraine, close to the front line, where he is serving in the Marine Corps. Home is Odesa, where he and wi...

The podcast opens with Susanne Rea and Mukesh Malhotra , the co-founders of the World's Greatest Meal, launched in 2012 with a clear objective: to create a simple and accessible way for Rotary clubs and supporters to raise funds for End Polio Now.  The idea encourages people to share a meal and donate what they might otherwise spend on eating out, with events ranging from formal dinners to informa...

The January edition of the podcast reflects the environmental theme of the January issue of Rotary Magazine, following COP30 in Brazil.  Hosts Dave King and Alicia Reade are joined by three guests whose work spans international advocacy, global environmental campaigning and practical action at club level. The first guest is Judith Diment MBE , a member of the Rotary Club of London who has worked f...

Former Rotary International President, Gordon McInally , headlines December's Unscripted podcast with a renewed commitment to promoting mental health as a global priority. A proud Scot with a long history of Rotary service, Gordon speaks thoughtfully about his presidential term and the work he continues as a Trustee of The Rotary Foundation. From international leadership, the podcast shifts to loc...

Holger Knaack is Chair of The Rotary Foundation Trustees and a former Rotary International President. Holger recently returned from Pakistan, one of only two countries where wild poliovirus remains endemic.  His visit, alongside Rotary International President Francesco Arezzo, Rotary Foundation Trustee Mike McGovern, and Pakistan PolioPlus Chair Aziz Memon, reaffirmed Rotary’s unwavering commitmen...

As Rotary marked World Polio Day the ‘ Unscripted’ podcast brings together remarkable voices united by one mission - to finally rid the world of polio. Dr Jamal Ahmed is the World Health Organization’s lead on polio eradication, who provides a global overview of where we stand in 2025. Dr Ahmed outlines how surveillance networks and vaccination drives have adapted to modern challenges, including c...

October’s episode of ‘Unscripted’ marks a centenary with 100 years of Rotary in Europe. Among the guests will be Marco Nicosia , manager of Rotary’s Europe Office in Zurich. With Peter Oldridge from Doncaster Rotary Club, we reflect on the amazing story of Rotarian Frank Molloy whose pioneering spirit saw the creation of Rotary clubs in three European capitals exactly 100 years ago. The episode wi...

In this episode we're joined by: Heather Stuart , Chair of the Rotary GB&I Board, on membership, Rotary's vision for the future, and meeting the King on her first day in the job; Gill and Andrew Campbell , founders of Hearing Ambassadors , talk about their work tackling hearing loss stigma and improving accessibility for those living with auditory challenges; Maeve Furey of Portlaoise Rotary C...

Welcome to Unscripted , the official podcast of Rotary in Great Britain and Ireland. Every month we bring together the voices, stories and insights that shape the Rotary movement – from grassroots initiatives to global partnerships. Unscripted is hosted by Dave King and Alicia Reade. To kick off our first ever episode, we're joined by: Sanj Srikanthan , CEO of ShelterBox, discussing the global imp...

This month’s issue of Rotary Magazine celebrates 25 years of ShelterBox, which started out as a Millennium project by Helston Lizard Rotary Club in 2000.   Since then, through its established partnership with Rotary, with a group of passionate and dedicated Rotarians at its core, it has gone on to support over 3 million people recovering from disaster or conflict worldwide, including in the Caribb...

This edition, we shine a spotlight on public image and how Rotary members, clubs and districts can maximise the impact of their activities through publicity and promotion. We'll give you to hints and tips, from mastering social media, to the power of storytelling. We also catch up with Rotarian sailor, Jasmine Harrison who discusses the challenges of sailing around the world during her stopover in...

Amid the growing challenges of migration and asylum in the UK, Rotary clubs in the Thames Valley are stepping up to make a difference. The region has become a temporary home for asylum seekers from Ukraine, Syria, Afghanistan, and beyond, many of whom have endured perilous journeys only to face long waits for legal status in difficult living conditions.  Rotary clubs are responding by providing es...

In this edition, we look back at a stunning sporting summer for a number of British athletes who represented Paralympics GB at the Paris Games. Something they all share, on top of their sporting prowess, is that their journeys have all been touched by Rotary. That includes wheelchair tennis star and Rotary GB&I Ambassador, Abbie Breakwell, Scottish Rotarian and para-canoeist, Hope Gordon, and...

North Star is Rotary GB&I's five-year plan to strengthen and grow the organisation to 60,000 members by 2028. But how are we going to do it? This issue takes a deep dive at the ambitious strategic shift, paying particular attention to four membership channels; Club, Corporate, Direct and Enterprise. Also in this edition, we've got stories on Water Survival Box, the Singapore Convention and Rot...

In the latest edition of Rotary Magazine, we catch up with Tom Hamblet who has had quite the start to 2024, winning the BBC show MasterChef: The Professionals. But Tom's culinary journey actually started out when he won the Rotary Young Chef competition in 2014, which was his first ever competition! A decade on, his career trajectory is set to soar. We went to find out about that first competition...

Rotary Magazine is new and improved for 2024, now coming to you four times a year in print, a monthly digital edition and the regular audio version packed with stories from each print edition. This edition, we look at the story of Sir Nicholas Winton, a Rotarian and Holocaust hero who saved hundreds of children's lives during WWII.  'Nicky', as he was known, is the subject of a new film called 'On...

Within this issue of Rotary magazine, the focus is firmly on membership. The reach is wide, exploring Rotary in its various forms through the eyes of Rotarians. These articles are brimming with ideas about how we move forward and how we can inspire the next generation to join our amazing organisation. This issue also coincides with the launch soon of the North Star project, an ambitious Rotary in...

This edition focuses on the appointment of Scotsman Gordon McInally as President of Rotary International in 2023-24, with an in-depth feature by Rotary Editor Dave King. Gordon's Rotary theme this year is 'Create Hope in the World', but his presidential themes stretch beyond bringing peace, while also prioritising mental health and empowering girls, demonstrating the continuity of leadership. Plus...

Loneliness is an often forgotten issue, but one which resonates in communities everywhere. It also impacts people of all ages. Far from being solely an issue for older generations, it is impacting the lives of young people as well. In this edition, we take a look at how Rotary is tackling loneliness, through often simple, but extremely impactful local projects. Plus, you'll also find stories on ho...

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has prompted an amazing response from Rotarians globally, with The Rotary Foundation awarding nearly $15 million in disaster response grants to more than 270 districts worldwide. Each of these projects has had a direct bearing on coping with the enormity of the humanitarian disaster which has followed in the wake of war in eastern Europe. In this magazine, we reflec...

The Rotary Foundation is Rotary's own charity. Since it was founded more than 100 years ago, it has distributed more than $4 billion in grant funding to sustainable and impactful humanitarian projects around the world. Since then, it has become one of the world's most trusted charities. In this issue, we take a close look at the Foundation, how it works and the difference it is making through proj...