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

Rotary in Great Britain and Ireland
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Unscripted brings together the voices, stories and insights that shape the Rotary movement – from grassroots initiatives to global partnerships - every month. Unscripted is brought to you by Rotary in Great Britain and Ireland and is hosted by Dave King and Alicia Reade. Look out for new episodes every month. To find out more about joining Rotary visit rotarygbi.org/join and to read more inspiring Rotary stories, head to magazine.rotarygbi.org.

  1. World's Greatest Meal: The £6 million fundraiser protecting children from polio with founders Susanne Rea and Mukesh Malhotra

    FEB 6

    World's Greatest Meal: The £6 million fundraiser protecting children from polio with founders Susanne Rea and Mukesh Malhotra

    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 informal gatherings in homes, workplaces and community venues. The discussion then turns to leadership development in the United Kingdom, with Karen Eveleigh from Faringdon Rotary Club in Oxfordshire outlining the Rotary Developing Future Leaders programme. Developing Future Leaders is an accredited qualification delivered in schools and colleges across England, including mainstream settings and those supporting learners with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities. The podcast is also joined by round-the-world sailor Jasmine Harrison while sailing in the South Atlantic from St Helena to Recife in Brazil on the latest leg of the Mini Globe Race. It is a remarkable interview captured while Jasmine was sailing in the middle of the ocean. The 26-year-old Rotarian from Thirsk in North Yorkshire discusses the voyage so far, and the challenges she now faces in the closing stages of the round-the-world race which finishes in Antigua in March.  --- You have been listening to 'Unscripted', the official podcast of Rotary in Great Britain & Ireland. Unscripted is hosted by Dave King and Alicia Reade. If you’d like to find out more about Rotary or join us, visit rotarygbi.org/join and read more stories in Rotary Magazine at magazine.rotarygbi.org. You can listen to our archive wherever you found this podcast. Please follow us to get new episodes immediately downloaded to your device. If you’ve enjoyed this you can leave us a 5* review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts – it helps to spread the word. We’d love you to share this podcast with friends, family and colleagues inside and outside of Rotary.

    52 min
  2. COP30, plastic pollution and Rotary's role in tackling environmental challenges with Judith Diment and Gert-Jan van Dommelen

    JAN 26

    COP30, plastic pollution and Rotary's role in tackling environmental challenges with Judith Diment and Gert-Jan van Dommelen

    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 spansinternational 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 for more than three decades in senior communications roles, including as Head of Public Relations at the Natural History Museum.  Within Rotary, she serves as Rotary Representative to the Commonwealth and Dean of Rotary’s Representatives to the United Nations. In that role, she has led Rotary delegations to COP26 in Glasgow, COP27 and COP28, and helped establish Rotary’s first pavilion at a UN climate conference.  The second guest is Gert-Jan van Dommelen, a Rotarian from the Netherlands and co-founder of EndPlasticSoup. Founded in 2018, EndPlasticSoup is a Rotary-led initiative that now operates as the plastics task force within ESRAG, the Environmental Sustainability Rotary Action Group.  The final guest is Phil Fletcher of Henley Rotary Club, who provides a practical example of environmental action at club level. --- You have been listening to 'Unscripted', the official podcast of Rotary in Great Britain & Ireland. Unscripted is hosted by Dave King and Alicia Reade. If you’d like to find out more about Rotary or join us, visit rotarygbi.org/join and read more stories in Rotary Magazine at magazine.rotarygbi.org. You can listen to our archive wherever you found this podcast. Please follow us to get new episodes immediately downloaded to your device. If you’ve enjoyed this you can leave us a 5* review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts – it helps to spread the word. We’d love you to share this podcast with friends, family and colleagues inside and outside of Rotary.

    1h 1m
  3. Gordon McInally on mental health, loneliness and the power of words | Plus Jeff Hutton, Bromley FC Community Trust

    12/08/2025

    Gordon McInally on mental health, loneliness and the power of words | Plus Jeff Hutton, Bromley FC Community Trust

    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 local change-making with Jeff Hutton, chief executive of the Bromley FC Community Trust. Jeff explained how the Trust’s programmes, including ones run in partnership with Rotary, are designed to tackle loneliness among older adults and are built around social connection rather than sport. The final guest in the December edition is Nan McCreadie, former President of Rotary in Great Britain & Ireland, who discusses the remarkable growth of the Rotary Poetry Competition, now entering its third year. --- You have been listening to 'Unscripted', the official podcast of Rotary in Great Britain & Ireland. Unscripted is hosted by Dave King and Alicia Reade. If you’d like to find out more about Rotary or join us, visit rotarygbi.org/join and read more stories in Rotary Magazine at magazine.rotarygbi.org. You can listen to our archive wherever you found this podcast. Please follow us to get new episodes immediately downloaded to your device. If you’ve enjoyed this you can leave us a 5* review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts – it helps to spread the word. We’d love you to share this podcast with friends, family and colleagues inside and outside of Rotary.

    51 min
  4. Bonus episode: Holger Knaack on the power of The Rotary Foundation and polio eradication

    11/18/2025

    Bonus episode: Holger Knaack on the power of The Rotary Foundation and polio eradication

    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 commitment on the ground.   In Pakistan, Holger witnessed the extraordinary dedication of health workers operating in challenging environments.    Joining Holger in the conversation are two Welsh Rotarians with their own Rotary Foundation perspectives:  Steve Jenkins of Cardiff Bay Rotary Club, who will become Rotary GB&I’s Foundation Lead in July 2026, and Robert Parker of Abergavenny Rotary Club, both share examples of how the Foundation’s resources empower local and global humanitarian work. --- You have been listening to 'Unscripted', the official podcast of Rotary in Great Britain & Ireland. Unscripted is hosted by Dave King and Alicia Reade. If you’d like to find out more about Rotary or join us, visit rotarygbi.org/join and read more stories in Rotary Magazine at magazine.rotarygbi.org. You can listen to our archive wherever you found this podcast. Please follow us to get new episodes immediately downloaded to your device. If you’ve enjoyed this you can leave us a 5* review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts – it helps to spread the word. We’d love you to share this podcast with friends, family and colleagues inside and outside of Rotary.

    50 min
  5. Voices of Polio Eradication with Dr Jamal Ahmed, Director of Polio Eradication at WHO

    11/04/2025

    Voices of Polio Eradication with Dr Jamal Ahmed, Director of Polio Eradication at WHO

    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 conflict zones and the movement of transient populations across borders. Adding a deeply human dimension is Emma Miller, a Rotarian from Bradford in West Yorkshire, whose family’s story highlights the devastating impact of polio before the vaccine era. Her uncle, Jeff Hall, was a promising England and Birmingham City footballer who died of polio in 1959, aged just 29. Completing the line-up is Peter Teahan, who, alongside fellow pilot Ed Galkin, completed the extraordinary ‘Circle the Atlantic’ flight challenge, visiting Rotary clubs across multiple countries, including England, to promote the End Polio Now campaign. --- You have been listening to 'Unscripted', the official podcast of Rotary in Great Britain & Ireland. Unscripted is hosted by Dave King and Alicia Reade. If you’d like to find out more about Rotary or join us, visit rotarygbi.org/join and read more stories in Rotary Magazine at magazine.rotarygbi.org. You can listen to our archive wherever you found this podcast. Please follow us to get new episodes immediately downloaded to your device. If you’ve enjoyed this you can leave us a 5* review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts – it helps to spread the word. We’d love you to share this podcast with friends, family and colleagues inside and outside of Rotary.

    50 min
  6. Marco Nicosia and the pioneering creation of Rotary in Europe 100 years on

    10/01/2025

    Marco Nicosia and the pioneering creation of Rotary in Europe 100 years on

    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 will also spotlight Daragh Morgan, an Irish swimmer and Rotarian from Galway attempting to circumnavigate the island of Ireland — an epic feat in endurance and resilience. --- You have been listening to 'Unscripted', the official podcast of Rotary in Great Britain & Ireland. Unscripted is hosted by Dave King and Alicia Reade. If you’d like to find out more about Rotary or join us, visit rotarygbi.org/join and read more stories in Rotary Magazine at magazine.rotarygbi.org. You can listen to our archive wherever you found this podcast. Please follow us to get new episodes immediately downloaded to your device. If you’ve enjoyed this you can leave us a 5* review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts – it helps to spread the word. We’d love you to share this podcast with friends, family and colleagues inside and outside of Rotary.

    57 min
  7. Heather Stuart on membership, Rotary's vision for the future, and meeting the King on her first day in the role

    09/01/2025

    Heather Stuart on membership, Rotary's vision for the future, and meeting the King on her first day in the role

    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 Club talks about Handitandem, a pioneering scheme adapted from France which enables people with disabilities to experience the thrill of tandem skydiving. --- You have been listening to 'Unscripted', the official podcast of Rotary in Great Britain & Ireland. Unscripted is hosted by Dave King and Alicia Reade. If you’d like to find out more about Rotary or join us, visit rotarygbi.org/join and read more stories in Rotary Magazine at magazine.rotarygbi.org. You can listen to our archive wherever you found this podcast. Please follow us to get new episodes immediately downloaded to your device. If you’ve enjoyed this you can leave us a 5* review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts – it helps to spread the word. We’d love you to share this podcast with friends, family and colleagues inside and outside of Rotary.

    52 min
  8. Sanj Srikanthan on 25 years of disaster relief around the globe with ShelterBox

    08/01/2025

    Sanj Srikanthan on 25 years of disaster relief around the globe with ShelterBox

    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 impact of Rotary’s disaster relief partnership celebrating its 25th year; Jasmine Harrison, record-breaking round-the-world sailor and member of Thirsk Rotary Club in Yorkshire, sharing her tale of courage and adventure from Fiji; Linda Crossland, from Retford Rotary Club, Nottinghamshire highlighting a powerful RotaKids peace project nurturing empathy and leadership in young people.  --- You have been listening to 'Unscripted', the official podcast of Rotary in Great Britain & Ireland. If you’d like to find out more about Rotary or join us, visit rotarygbi.org/join and read more stories in Rotary Magazine at magazine.rotarygbi.org. If you’ve enjoyed this you can leave us a 5* review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts – it helps to spread the word. We’d love you to share this podcast with friends, family and colleagues inside and outside of Rotary.

    57 min
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About

Unscripted brings together the voices, stories and insights that shape the Rotary movement – from grassroots initiatives to global partnerships - every month. Unscripted is brought to you by Rotary in Great Britain and Ireland and is hosted by Dave King and Alicia Reade. Look out for new episodes every month. To find out more about joining Rotary visit rotarygbi.org/join and to read more inspiring Rotary stories, head to magazine.rotarygbi.org.

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