The Road Trauma Support Service of Victoria (RTSSV) is a not-for-profit organisation contributing to the safety and well-being of road users. It provides counselling and support to people affected by road trauma.

Bernadette Nugent is the CEO of RTSSV and she is passionate about the work that her organisation does to help anyone impacted by a transportation incident. The services which are delivered by professional counsellors are free of charge, confidential and unlimited in number. The number of counselling sessions is growing exponentially. Last year there were 2050 referrals to the service, mainly by Victoria Police. In addition, there were 2500 counselling sessions which were provided via telephone, face-to-face or within a group.

There are a wide range of clients accessing the service but they are generally made of up either drivers, bereaved persons, victims or witnesses. They use the service because they can be suffering from numerous trauma-related problems including flashbacks, nightmares, anxiety, depression, insomnia and lack of concentration and motivation.

The grief that they are experiencing can be categorised as shock, confusion, disbelief, anger, blame, guilt or a combination of these feelings.

In addition to the counselling that RTSSV supplies, it also organises a number of annual events that highlight the effects of road trauma which in turn will make people focus on safety and responsibility on our roads. Some of these events include:

• Time for Remembering (17th November 2019) - this is a service held at Government House. It gives attendees the opportunity to commemorate and celebrate the lives of loved ones lost on our roads. It is also an opportunity to pay tribute to those agencies and individuals who work tirelessly to reduce the associated trauma and grief.
• Shine a Light on Road Safety Campaign is a national community program to highlight the services provided by Road Trauma Support Services Victoria (RTSSV) and how we can all play a part in road safety. There are several components to this campaign:
  • Shine a Light Walk (5th May 2019) around Albert Park Lake where participants have the opportunity to talk, cry and laugh together and to unite together in the ambition to make a difference and to ultimately help influence change for Victoria's road users.
  • Illuminations (6th May – 12th May 2019) where landmarks across Australia are illuminated in yellow for road safety.
  • Turn Your Lights On (10th May 2019) where motorists around Australia turn their headlights on to acknowledge the importance of safe driving.

Pictured above is our club member Phil Purdy (right) and fellow-rider Dennis O'Brien (Rotary Club of West Footscray) who are two very tired and relieved bike riders after recently completing the 1000 kilometre bike ride from Sydney to Melbourne to raise funds for ROCAN (Rotary Ovarian Cancer Research).

Phil and Dennis admit they are not the fastest riders. They usually bring up the rear on each day's ride. But they are respected by the other riders for their determination and spirit. Despite the tough times on their 8-day journey including hot weather, high winds and big hills, they managed to reach their destination safely.

Special mention should also be made of the fantastic efforts of the support crew which included club member Geoff Smith and also our friends Lexie Smith and Barbara Purdy.

This year's ride raised about $100,000. Over the last 20 years, it has been successful in raising a total of $1.5 million for ROCAN. Congratulations to everyone.

On 14th March, charter member Ian Knight and his wife Genny celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary. This is a monumental milestone which deserves the heartiest of congratulations. They plan to celebrate the occasion with a dinner with family and then they will board the Queen Elizabeth ship for a cruise around New Zealand.

Not only is their anniversary a major achievement, they also share a rather unique coincidence. Genny Knight (nee McIntosh) was born in Melbourne on 11th October 1936 and Ian Knight was born 4 days later, also in Melbourne. Their birth notices appeared beneath each other in The Argus newspaper on the same day in October 1936. They were obviously made for each other.

Twenty-three years later they walked down the aisle at St Cuthbert's Church, Brighton, having met through family friends at 16 years of age.

This unusual coincidence attracted the attention of Ross and John on Radio 3AW who rang Ian and Genny to talk about it. Click here to listen to the interview. 

Ian has been a member of the club since its inception in 1968 which means that he and Genny have been involved in Rotary for a significant part of their marriage. Ian explained that, when the club was started, he became the Charter Secretary and Genny wrote up all the minutes of the Board meetings for the next 3 years. What a team!

The couple has also hosted 9 Rotary exchange students in that time which, Genny says, has enriched their lives as well as those of their children. In fact, the program had such a profound impact on their daughter Sue that she eventually became an exchange student to Japan in 1981.

Here is a copy of Ian and Genny's birth notices. 

It's very late notice but, if you're not doing anything this Sunday, why not participate in the Wyndham Rotary Fun Run/Walk?

You have a choice of running 5km or 10km or walking 4km or 8km along the Werribee River. The course is ideal for first time runners, avid walkers or experienced runners seeking a new challenge!

Children under 12 can participate in a 1500m run and, for the under 6's, there is a 400m run. There will also be other fun activities for the kids.

This is a great community event which raises vital funds for the Werribee Mercy Hospital.

Click here to visit the website.

The Werribee Rotary Car Rally is planned for Sunday 24th March.

Peter Ross would love you to be part of the rally which will take us on a magical mystery tour from Werribee to Anglesea. It promises to be a fun time that will test your sight-seeing skills. It may also test your relationship with your navigator!

When you eventually arrive in Anglesea, you will be refreshed with a BBQ and a few drinks at the holiday house of Peter and Elizabeth Ross. If you bring the little ones, they can play games or go to the beach.

This is a great opportunity for members and families to get together in fellowship. 

Peter would appreciate your immediate response if you would like to participate in this wacky social event. Please contact him by email or call him on 0418 333 729 as soon as possible.

On Saturday 23rd March, the Donations in Kind (DIK) warehouse is conducting its annual Open Day and you are very welcome to attend.

The warehouse stores a large amount of medical equipment and the focus this year is on improving patient care. You can speak to people at DIK who are helping to improve medical care in developing countries and saving lives. You can find out how easy it is to make a difference.

It is an opportunity to meet other like-minded people, to share ideas and to learn from each other.

The facility will be open from 10am to 3pm. It is located at Shed 40, 400 Somerville Rd, West Footscray.

In conjunction with Wyndham City Council, we will be conducting a Community Tree Planting day on Sunday 19th May. A total of 1454 trees will be planted. So it is a bigger exercise than our previous project where we planted 700 trees. That's why we are advertising it as a community event where we are asking for support from the people of Wyndham.

Click here to see the poster which will be displayed on various street notice boards.

The Rotary Leadership Institute (RLI) is a grassroots education and learning development program conducted in many Rotary Districts around the world. 

In District 9800, RLI is a District Managed Program that provides participants with a high quality experience, that engages and involves them in the education and learning process. It is a four-part program over 2 days where you will learn a little more about Rotary, the early history, traditions, the Rotary Foundation, and its relevance in the world today.

You will make new friends in an enjoyable environment. This program is perfect for members who have joined Rotary in the last few years and for those who may be keen to become more involved in Rotary activities. It is a great learning experience!

For more information visit the Rotary Leadership Institute website.

The next RLI course is on Sunday 24th and 31st March from 9:30am to 2:30pm at the Montague School, Montague Street, South Melbourne. Registrations are required by 20th March. There is no charge.

If you are interested in attending, please discuss with President Graham Roper.