Mel Key is the General Manager Programs and Operations of the Education CHANCES Foundation. Education CHANCES began in 2006 after commissioned research highlighted considerable levels of scattered poverty and social isolation in Boroondara, despite the city ranking number one for relative advantage in Victoria. Their Vision: To nurture and promote hope, self-belief and future pathways for young people in Boroondara. More than one hundred scholarships are provided annually to deserving young people between the ages of 12 and 18 who live in Boroondara. The Rotary Club of Glenferrie is a major sponsor of CHANCES, with half of all funds raised through the Boroondara Farmers Market being donated to the scholarship program.
At our last dinner meeting, we were delighted to have our former club member and Past President, Charles Tran, present a vital training session on how to use the AED (automated external defibrillator) which we have at our Farmers Market and which is kept in the container. Charles also gave us a demonstration of CPR on a mannequin. We were all very interested and there were many questions as this information is so important to all of us; the ability to save a life.
A highlight of our last meeting was the return of former member and past president Charles Tran. Charles returned in his roles as volunteer with St John Ambulance and the CFA to demonstrate CPR techniques, including the use of the defibrillator. He has retained his connection with the club as a ‘Friend of Rotary’. and his talk marked a welcome return to the club.
As with a similar presentation some years ago, Charles captured the interest of all members. Many were surprised to learn that since COVID, mouth-to-mouth resuscitation has largely fallen out of favour.
Village Liaison Officers (VLOs) Vaipa Maire & Miti Sonae receive the birthing kits at Poroi 2
Thanks to the generosity of Glenferrie Rotarian Geoff Widmer and his daughter Susie, matched by the Rotary Club of Glenferrie, another shipment of life-saving birthing kits has reached some of the most remote communities in Papua New Guinea. Delivered by river, air and foot to isolated clinics in the Gulf Province, these simple kits are helping provide safer births for vulnerable mothers.
Click on ‘Read more…’ to learn more about the partnership, the challenging journey, and the impact these kits are making on the ground.
Posted by PDG Murray Verso, Rotary Club of Williamstown
A Rotary funded End Trachoma water trailer
On 29 April 2026, the World Health Organization (WHO) validated Australia for eliminating trachoma as a public health problem, marking a significant milestone in the health of indigenous peoples. Trachoma, the world’s leading infectious cause of blindness, no longer represents a public health problem in this country. Rotarians around Australia have played a significant role in reaching this goal.
The Rotary Club of Glenferrie acknowledges the traditional owners as the custodians of this land, recognising their connection to land, waters and community. We pay our respects to Australia's First Peoples, and to their elders, past, present and future.
The Rotary Club of Glenferrie | PO Box 2134 | Hawthorn Vic 3122
