Welcome to the New Rotary Year 2026–2027

Dear Fellow Rotarians, Friends, and Supporters,

A warm welcome to the new Rotary year. Although our Rotary year officially began on 1 July 2026, this newsletter marks the beginning of another exciting chapter for the Rotary Club of Paphos Aphrodite.

A new Rotary year is always an opportunity to reflect on the past while looking ahead with renewed enthusiasm and optimism. As I look back on the previous year, there are many wonderful memories, but two events stand out in particular. It was a great honour to attend the special celebration at the Presidential Palace in Nicosia to mark the anniversary of the United Nations—a memorable occasion that highlighted Rotary's commitment to peace and international understanding.

Another unforgettable highlight was the District Conference in Larnaca. It was a fantastic event, bringing together Rotarians from across the district, and I felt incredibly proud to see our club recognised with more awards than any other club in Cyprus. Those awards are a testament to the dedication, generosity, and hard work of every member of the Rotary Club of Paphos Aphrodite. We should all be immensely proud of what we have achieved together.

As we begin this new Rotary year, there is much to look forward to. I am especially excited about next year's District Conference in Beirut, which promises to be another excellent opportunity to strengthen friendships and celebrate Rotary across our district. Even more special will be our club's 30th Anniversary in April, a remarkable milestone that we will celebrate together with pride, reflecting on three decades of service, fellowship, and positive impact in our community.

I would like to thank everyone who contributed to the success of our club during the past year and extend my appreciation to our Board, committee members, and all our volunteers. Your enthusiasm and commitment are what make our club so special.

To our newer members, a very warm welcome. I hope you will quickly discover the friendships, opportunities, and sense of purpose that make Rotary such a rewarding organisation to be part of.

As we move forward together, I encourage everyone to continue embracing Rotary's motto, "Service Above Self." Every act of service, no matter how small, makes a difference, and together we can continue to have a positive impact on our local and international communities.

I wish you all a happy, healthy, and successful Rotary year. I look forward to sharing another year of friendship, service, and memorable experiences with each of you.

Yours in Rotary,

Thorsten Quakernack

Club Executive Secretary/Director

What an amazing night we had last Thursday! Members, families and friends filled Kouklia Square with laughter, dancing and pure Cypriot spirit. Thank you to everyone who joined — you made the evening special. Can’t wait for the next one!

Our Paphos Team at the DDG Handover in Nicosia on 2nd July.

We welcomed Jake Rakin and his parents to our last meeting. Jake was selected as our candidate for the Europe4Europe programme next month. He introduced himself and spoke about his interests and hobbies. A discussion followed with his thoughts on what he hopes to achieve from the experience. We are looking forward to hearing about his travels later in the year.

Last Saturday, Jennifer had lunch with a group of Rotarians and their families from Dupnitsa Rotary Club in Bulgaria. Banners were exchanged with their President and Jennifer was presented with their club cap. They were visiting Paphos for the day to see some of the historical sites accompanied by Olena from Larnaca Rotary Club.