Bandstand tribute marks rotary club's centenary

The Rotary Club, pictured with its members, marked its centenary by installing a plaque and bricks engraved with the names of its 100 presidents.

Ornamental bricks have been installed around the base of a bandstand in Leamington Spa to mark the centenary of the town's Rotary Club.

They are engraved with the names of the club's 100 presidents along the base of the Victorian raised platform.

The bandstand was opened in the Pump Room Gardens in May 1889 and underwent a major restoration in 2021, thanks to the district council and the Heritage lottery Fund.

Linda John, from the Rotary Club of Royal Leamington Spa, said the bricks, along with a new plaque, would "provide a lasting memorial to celebrate the fantastic work accomplished by the club since its inception".

"Our Rotary Club was inaugurated in October 1925," she said.

"Since that time, we have supported many good causes in Leamington and raised hundreds of thousands of pounds to support charities and the community."

The work has been funded by Warwick District Council's Green Spaces team, which the local authority said meant that donations received towards it could be reinvested in the rotary club's other projects.

The Leamington Society, set up to promote the town, has called for the bandstand to be used and not be "solely an ornamental structure".

A restoration project in 2018 saw the structure dismantled and sent to a specialist workshop in Wigan to be returned to its former glory.

Moira-Ann Grainger, Warwick District Council's Portfolio Holder for Neighbourhood Services, said at the time of its unveiling that the "amazing work" meant it could be enjoyed by local residents and visitors "for many years to come".

Over £100,000 was raised towards the project.