In this episode, Richard Nicholson talks about the Maiden Erlegh Rotary Club; a group of like-minded people who want to do things in the community and have a friendship group. The discussion covers the club's history, its core missions, and the challenges it faces.

The conversation delves into the club’s charitable activities, which focus on feeding the community and supporting youth. Richard explains that the club supports food banks and churches in Earley, Woodley, and South Reading, having distributed 7,000 meals over the past three years. The club is also active in schools, running competitions like "Youth Speaks" and helping students with mock interviews. Richard notes that these intergenerational efforts are mutually beneficial.

Finally, the discussion touches on the club’s biggest challenge: maintaining membership. Richard believes that while service clubs may not be fashionable now, this is a trend that will change. He concludes with a message about the club's desire to be a part of the community, helping wherever they can, whether through raising funds or offering their time and skills for various tasks.

TIMECODES

00:00 Greeting

00:22 What is a rotary club?

01:00 What are the focuses for Maiden Erlegh Rotary club

02:31 How Maiden Erlegh Rotary club collaborates and networks in the community

03:22 What do people need help with?

04:34 The benefits of older people and younger people interacting

05:48 What challenges have the group faced?

08:16 How the group markets itself

09:48 Training the group would benefit from

11:21 How much the group has contributed to the community over the last 35 years

13:13 Future plans for Maiden Erlegh Rotary club

14:53 Final thoughts

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Community Engagement as a Marketing Tool

Richard explains that the most successful way for the Rotary Club to form collaborations and get the word out is by getting out and talking to people, visiting schools, and speaking with community members. This highlights that in-person, face-to-face engagement remains a powerful way to build brand awareness and establish trust, even in a digital age.

The Value of Social Media and Adapting to New Platforms

Over the past four or five years, they have developed their marketing activity to be more active on platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. This shows that even non-profits and traditional organisations need to be flexible and adapt to new technologies to reach their target audience.

The Importance of Investing in Soft Skills

The club helps young people develop valuable skills such as public speaking and interview techniques. The Rotarians believe these are useful skills for anybody to have. This is a reminder to business owners that skills like communication, presenting, and interviewing are crucial for professional success, both for their own employees and for the future workforce. Investing in and supporting initiatives that foster these soft skills can have a long-term positive impact on the local talent pool and the community.