Blog

Gardener's coffee morning...

10/5/2026

A dozen enthusiastic local gardeners gathered for coffee at Bray Village Hall last Friday to take part in this year's Open Gardens, an annual event organised by Rotary Club of Maidenhead.

This popular happening is scheduled for Saturday June 13th and Sunday June 14th, and covers a multitude of different gardens that are havens of green in and around Maidenhead.

The 16 participants really show how their green fingers work wonders – from the smallest little plot to the largest country garden.

All are well worth a visit and all have their own special charm. They are places to admire, in which to feel relaxed and seek inspiration.

Gardening on a global scale...

28/4/2026

Maidenhead Rotary Club happily welcomed guest speaker Chris Leach from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission for the third time when he visited us at the Odney Club in Cookham on Monday evening April 27th.

This time Chris mesmerised us with an inspirational presentation on Global Gardening – 23,000 war cemeteries in 150 countries across the world, all impeccably tended by 850 gardeners!

Major-General Sir Fabian Ware was the founder of the organisation while paleographer Sir Frederic Kenyon at the British Museum, botanist and director of Kew Gardens Sir Arthur Hill, and garden designer Gertrude Jekyll were the trio behind the start-up of the beautifully created war cemeteries.

Although red roses are an expected sign at the cemeteries they have had to be exchanged for other flowers in some countries due to the differences in climate.

In Florence there is an abundance of salvia instead, while colourful bougainvillea had to be planted in Egypt, in South Africa ornamental grasses surround the war graves and in Singapore decorative Travellers Palms have had to be used.

Climate change, sustainable gardening and water conservation have to be considered, as well as animals eating the flowers, rabbits digging holes and birds nesting in the greenery.

While many cemeteries show impressive headstones some countries have had to honour the fallen heroes with very low name plaques as they will withstand potential earthquakes or flooding.

The six Commonwealth countries – UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, India and South Africa – jointly pay £75 million a year for the running costs and the upkeep of these important historical war memorials.

'Trunks Across the Thames' baby delivered!...

25/4/2026

It was a real pleasure for Maidenhead Rotary Club’s President Maria Scavetta, to deliver baby elephant, Clarence, back to his herd.

Children at Claire’s Court school named the elephant and decorated Clarence beautifully with their thumbprints.

Maidenhead Rotary Club are taking part in the Thames Valley Hospice ‘Trunks across the Thames’ fund-raising event running from July-September 2026.

Clarence will also be displayed as part of the club’s Centenary celebrations, commemorating 100 years of service to the community, at an exhibition at Maidenhead library from the 4-11th June 2026.

A morning of sunshine and fellowship...

19/4/2026

On a sunny Sunday morning, club members and friends enjoyed a very pleasant local walk alongside the River Thames, sharing friendship and fellowship.

Starting on the Taplow bank, the walk crossed the river twice – by our historic Maidenhead Bridge, and the footbridge at Boulters Lock, and followed the side of the Jubilee River, before the group had a well-earned lunch at Hall & Woodhouse.

President Maria visits Windsor St George...

26/3/2026

Visiting other Rotary Clubs is always a real pleasure and an opportunity to share in fellowship and friendship.

Maidenhead Rotary Club’s President was warmly welcomed to Windsor St George Rotary Club’s evening meeting by their President Chris Davies.

Rotarian Lexie Kassan gave a very topical, informative and interesting talk regarding 'An Intro to useful AI'.

Maidenhead Rotary Club will be celebrating 100 years of being chartered and its daughter and granddaughter club will join them to celebrate the special occasion, in a series of Centenary events planned throughout the year.

If you would like to learn more about Maidenhead Rotary Club, part of Rotary International, helping and getting involved in your local community then contact them through their website page:

Maidenhead Rotary Club
www.maidenheadrotary.co.uk

Hospice presentation to club...

24/3/2026

Thames Hospice by Bray Lake on the Windsor Road can this year celebrate 39 years of invaluable service to the community under the motto "Quality of life to the end of life, for everyone".

The charity (originally the brainchild of volunteers from St. Anthony's RC Church in Slough and St. Joseph's RC Church in Gerrards Cross, led by Dr Douglas Denny and his wife Pauline) was officially opened by the late Queen Elizabeth II at Pine Lodge in Windsor in November 1987. The official opening had to be repeated in 2022 (the late Queen's last public appearance) when the charity had outgrown their old premises and moved to the state of the art facility by the lake.

Their aim is to provide the best palliative care possible from the age of 16 and upwards, and also includes the patients' families and friends. The Hospice, which has 28 beds, also caters for Home services with a range of outpatients activities and wellbeing therapies, including physiotherapy, counselling and bereavement support.

To run the organisation effectively 360 members of staff are needed. They are supported by 1,100 volunteers who help to care to over 3,000 patients every year.

This interesting insight into the Hospice's work was delivered by Ray Hinds, one of the many volunteers from the charity, at the evening meeting at the Odney Club in Cookham on Monday 23rd April.

He also revealed that the Hospice has to rely on the public to keep its facilities open as it only receives 30% of its running costs from the Government.

Thanks to personal donations, money from wills, raffles, fundraising and sales through their 23 shops the Hospice manages to raise the staggering daily target of £39,000.

School prunus trees in flower...

20/3/2026

To celebrate our upcoming Centenary in 2026, and the club's service to the local community, our club donated prunus trees to six local secondary schools.

This tree, planted just before Christmas, is now in blossom and is a beautiful and welcome Spring sight for teachers and pupils at Altwood School.

Job talk from new member...

17/3/2026

Our newest Rotary member, Pat Cardwell, spoke to the club at Monday's meeting about the various jobs she’d had in the past.

Our club members always enjoy listening to new members talk to us a little bit more about their past history and their careers.

Club President, Maria Scavetta, said "Pat recently joined our Rotary family and we appreciate the valuable addition to our club with her artistic flair, warmth and personality. Welcome to our club Pat, we look forward to sharing our journey together with friendship and fellowship".

Centenary award for Maidenhead Rotary Club...

7/3/2026

The club secretary is pleased to report that the club has been awarded our official Centenary Certificate by Rotary International. This is currently being framed and will be officially presented to the Club in due course by our President.

An evening of ballet at Norden Farm...

5/3/2026

The Club's first social event this year introduced us to a magnificent production of the ballet Giselle, streamed from The Royal Opera House in London to Norden Farm in Maidenhead and 2000 other cinemas around the world.

The French composer Adolphe Adam's famous opus premiered in Paris in 1841 and was hailed as a great success, an opinion that still stands.

Principal ballerina Akane Takada, born in Tokyo and educated at the Bolshoi Ballet in Moscow, gave a mesmerising performance as the peasant

girl Giselle, who discovers her lover is actually promised to another woman and in despair kills herself.

Liverpool born Matthew Ball, also a Principal dancer at the Royal Ballet, was no less impressive in his roll as the aristocratic Albrecht.

The whole ensemble produced a memorable, graceful and dramatic, romantic and moving performance that stayed with the audience long after the curtains fell.