Swings and roundabouts

A relatively new Rotary program is rescuing old playgrounds from landfill to bring joy to children in developing nations.

The City of Greater Dandenong, Vic, typically replaces around four playgrounds per year. In the past, the old playgrounds have often gone straight to landfill. However, Melinda Bell from the Rotary Club of Greater Dandenong and Endeavour Hills, and Gavin Roberts from the City of Greater Dandenong Council, have teamed up to provide an ‘elegant solution’. Through Rotary’s Removal of Recycled Playgrounds (RORP) project, playgrounds are ‘harvested’, rejuvenated and sent to poorer countries, such as Sri Lanka, where they continue to bring joy to thousands of children.
A team of hardworking Rotarians recently removed a playground from Memorial Drive, Noble Park. It has already been reconditioned and shipped off to its new home in Sri Lanka.

RORP is an initiative of Rotary Australia and, in its four years of operation, has already delivered over 40 playgrounds to needy communities abroad. For local councils, the program allows them to significantly reduce their carbon footprint by avoiding landfill, while fulfilling the responsibilities of their sustainability and waste policies.

With her first-hand knowledge of Sri Lanka, where she supports a local school, Melinda leapt at the chance to serve both Greater Dandenong and developing countries – and to help the environment – through Rotary and RORP. Under her leadership, Rotary and the council will not only do that, but will also bring hours of healthy pleasure to many children in our part of the world.

The Rotary Club of Greater Dandenong and Endeavour Hills is always looking for new members to help in their work, both locally and internationally. Information can be found on Facebook.