The Rotary Club of Newcastle-under-Lyme was organised on the 1st March 1929, its Founder Members were elected to membership on the 9th April 1929, it was elected to membership of Rotary International on 25th of May 1929 and it received it’s Charter on the 13th September 1929. 

The first move for the formation of a Rotary Club for Newcastle-under-Lyme was made in October 1928 at a preliminary meeting in Burkart’s Café. This meeting had the advice and counsel of Rotarian A. E. Gray the President at that time of the Rotary Club of Stoke-on-Trent. It was resolved at that meeting that a Rotary Club be formed. Harold W. Whitfield was appointed Interim President, R. P Astley Interim Secretary and G. Lamb More Interim Treasurer.

For various reasons the actual formation was delayed but the Interim President was determined to carry on with the project and he called a further meeting in The Guildhall, Newcastle-under-Lyme, early in 1929. At this meeting seventeen gentlemen agreed to become founder members of the New Rotary Club. To the regret of all one of these, the Rev. Father d. Kelly who had shown keen interests from the first meeting, for reasons not within his control had to retire.