If you wondered what this year’s Hands On Volunteering With The DG events were a warm up for, Big Difference in Fed Square is your answer.
Our booked-out Big Difference activation in Melbourne's Federation Square on Saturday 27 May capitalised on the community demand for what our clubs do well: meaningful, hands on, convenient volunteering. The energy, the shared purpose is real!
In a collaboration lead by District 9800, Rotary Canterbury’s FORaMEAL and Rotary Activate, dozens of Rotary members from clubs across Victoria and around the world signed on to supervise. Big Difference booked out at 1,200+ registrations of new, motivated volunteers from across Melbourne, arriving early and keenly queuing for their turn to help pack 100,000 emergency relief meals for people in need, achieving the target 90 minutes early!
In concert with the city-wide Rotary brand-building advertising campaign featuring our members that we co-produced with Rotary International, we’ve achieved unprecedented levels of public profile for Rotary, with Big Difference achieving:
- Channel Nine News prime Saturday night coverage
- ABC Melbourne radio interview with Jacinda Parsons
- 3AW interview with Darren James
- Sunday Age article online and print editions
- Featured by Rotary International CEO John Hewko on his Facebook feed
- 1 million+ Melburnians reached through social media over four weeks
Clubs and District are now following up on an unprecedented number of membership enquiries from the day, and we’re promoting further meaningful, hands on, convenient Rotary and community projects to keep participation by new volunteers rolling. Get in touch with Lili Teichman to include a project for your club or in your community.
A huge thank you to Big Difference team: Lili Teichman (Activate, District Service Director), Doug Hawley (Canterbury), Nora Ley (Canterbury), Janet Hay (E-club), Maryanne Decleva (Activate), Lachlan Wilson (Activate), Bec Heitbaum (Port Phillip), Alison Jones (friend of Port Phillip), PDG Greg Ross (North Balwyn), DGND Peter Shepheard (Altona) and Greg Harbour (Activate) for pulling off this epic event.
Thanks also to Rotary Canterbury and all our 60+ Rotary supervisors from clubs across our District, neighbouring Districts, and around the world, who generously gave their time not just on the day but also at training events. Rotarians were encouraged to chat with the volunteers, ask what mattered to them, and how Rotary could help. We’ve heard wonderful reports of connections being made and follow-up membership enquiries happening directly with clubs who helped on the day.