Sunbury resident and Rotary past district governor Terry Grant has a long history with Sunbury. Oscar Parry spoke with Terry about his connection to the town and the Rotary Club of Sunbury.
What is your connection to Sunbury?
Gayle and I moved to Sunbury 45 years ago. We moved from Reservoir to Sunbury as we both loved the rural ‘village’ atmosphere of the town. Then, the theme was “city living – country style,“ and that certainly was the case – a very lovely place where we decided to raise a family … we have raised three sons here with a great lifestyle.
What do you like about where you live?
I like the community aspect of involvement with most people. It has been a wonderful to get the best of both worlds – access to a vibrant city, being Melbourne, with the benefit of a country style, relaxed family and community environment.
What, if anything, would you change about where you live?
If anything, I would like to see a greater involvement in community and service clubs within our town. Over the years we have been here, there was always a heavy level of folk engaged in the activities that benefitted all members of the community. Following Covid and its devastating impact on communities and service groups, such as Rotary … people no longer seem to want to get involved.
Tell us a bit about your history with Rotary?
The Rotary Club of Sunbury has a proud history of 51 years of service to local, national and international programs. We have provided assistance to local entities through community and international service by providing an ambulance, sporting equipment to new schools, sending school representatives to a summer science school in Canberra, and youth exchange [with] students from around the world.
As a part of Rotary District 9790 which encompasses 64 clubs in towns from Broadmeadows to Albury, Corryong and Deniliquin – Australia’s Food Bowl region – we have some 1200 members and were honoured to assist communities through Marysville and Kinglake to recover after the devastating bush fires, this only recently completed. We are holding a Lift The Lid Walk on March 1, where funds raised will be directed to research into family violence as a follow on to the forum we held earlier this year … all [are] welcome to attend.
What do you enjoy most about volunteering, and what do you believe some of the key benefits are for yourself and society?
During the years since 1989, when I joined Sunbury Rotary, I have been privileged indeed to meet and work with some wonderful people. The difference a single person can make in assisting those less fortunate is something that cannot be taken for granted. For me it has been a wonderful way to put back into a community that has been so good to us. Sunbury Rotary is always open for new members and ideas that can benefit this wonderful town of ours … please, if anyone is interested, make contact with us and together see what we can achieve in the future.
