Philip Wilbourn – DG for 2024-2025
Current District Environment Officer
Epworth and Isle of Axholme Rotary Club
Loving the Rotary shirts above? Cheer up your Rotary events by ordering one for yourself! Philip designed the shirts to present a more upbeat, colourful, and modern look for Rotary.
Because it’s important to stand out, the shirts are to encourage questions about why the collar is purple, and what are the seven areas of focus on the back, for example. We can start a conversation as opposed to looking like security or construction workers in Hi-Viz!
About Philip
Uniquely amongst his cohort, Philip has never been a President of a Rotary Club. To become a District Governor, Philip was given a special dispensation by the board of Rotary International due to Philip’s extensive work in the Environment as a professional property consultant.
In March/April 2011, Philip walked the Inca Trail, Peru, with a group from RICS, raising £9,500 for Weston Park Cancer Charity. The group of 15 raised £76,000 for good causes. On 17th July 2021, he undertook a MacMillan Mighty Hike in memory of those who have succumbed to cancer, raising £3500. In addition to his hill walking activities, he is a former Private Pilot, Rugby Union referee and supports Championship Rugby Union side Doncaster Knights. He is also a member of the Epworth and Isle of Axholme Rotary Club, and looking forward to being a District Governor in 2024/25. He was made a Paul Harris Fellow in 2023.
Alongside his career advising global business on how climate change in all its guises poses an existential threat to asset values, from 2022 onwards, Philip has been invited to deliver seminars and mentoring for the students studying in the Built Environment, Environmental Management, and Geography at Sheffield Hallam University.
Championing District 1220 Projects
The Great Green Read
Philip has led the way in helping underprivileged children articulate what they think about environmental issues. This will continue in 2024/25. The projects rolled out in Doncaster and Nottingham allow young people to read and write about what they think of the state of the planet. Some of the results have been outstanding and humbling. The overall winner was 10 year old Selena Simelevic whose first language is Lithuanian, from Saltersgate Junior School Doncaster. She said in her 1400 word paper:
“The plan for our planet is remarkably simple. Reduce our impact by making sure whatever we can do we can do forever”.
World Water Day
Rotarians around the district are being encouraged to produce ideas for this event, which was based around Sustainability Development Goal 6, namely, “Clean Water and Sanitation.”. “without a functioning, resilient water cycle for all people everywhere,” human health, environmental integrity and a sustainable, equitable future “will remain out of reach.” UN 2023 Water Conference vision statement
Water is inextricably linked to the three pillars of sustainable development, and it integrates social, cultural, economic and political values. It is crosscutting and supports the achievement of many SDGs through close linkages with climate, energy, cities, the environment, food security, poverty, gender equality and health, amongst others.
Broxtowe Women’s Project
Rotary District 1220 started working with Broxtowe Women’s Project in 2021. The purpose of our association is to raise awareness among members about domestic abuse and how they can combat it through their clubs and in their communities. Many clubs have signed up to be supporters of White Ribbon – a campaign focused on educating men and boys about violence against women and girls. Clubs have had presentations from Chris Harris (employed by BWP) and have connected with refuges and other domestic abuse charities in their communities to lend their support in the battle against this terrible crime. In 2024, it’s clear that there is still much to be done. As a result our work with sports clubs enables us to reach young men and we continue to tackle this head on.
Climate Clever Schools
In a nutshell, Be Climate Clever is a structured climate action programme, delivered through a digital platform and packed full of resources and materials to make implementation easy and time effective. It has motivational emails, certificates along the way, and culminates with a celebration, of success for Schools, Rotary Clubs, and businesses when Climate Clever status is achieved. So as not to be a one-hit-wonder, this is the beginning rather than the end, as schools for example work year on year to retain the CCS status by further developing and expanding their climate action.
World Environment Day
World Environment Day 5th June 2025. This is a very important date to be cemented inside the District 1220 Calendar. This year being its 52nd anniversary was built around beating plastic pollution. Our work with Kids Against Plastic fits perfectly with this mission.
Come back to Philip’s page again soon!
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