Our Story

In 2023, Rotary Club Atlântico moved from an organizational phase into operational reality. In 2024, Georges took an unexpected path to leadership — accepting the role of president-elect for 2024–2025 and stepping into the presidency earlier than anticipated. He embraced the challenge readily, despite having no prior Rotary experience.

His vision for the club was, and remains, clear — carried forward now by our current President, Simone Sequeira Lopes: to make Rotary Atlântico a space of sharing, laughter, and mutual respect, reflecting a community that genuinely enjoys coming together. Both leaders stress the importance of every member’s voice, and advocate for communication that is respectful and free of interruption. The club’s multicultural and multilingual character is both a challenge and an opportunity — one we meet with a firm commitment to translating all club communications so that every member, regardless of language, feels fully included.

Simone brings more than 26 years of Rotary service to this vision, forged during her many years with Phoenix Rotary 100 in Scottsdale, Arizona, where she was honored as a Paul Harris Fellow. She still holds a deep fondness for her fellow Arizonan Rotarians, whose tireless work touched so many corners of the community — schools, scholarships, fundraising campaigns, speech and debate programs, and countless quiet acts of service besides. Among them, Simone came into her own as a Rotarian: learning to hear “no” without losing heart, and to reach beyond her comfort zone in asking for help, for donations, for volunteers. What she gained from that community could fill a book — and she carries it still, with gratitude, into every room she enters today.

Back to the club here in Portugal, currently headquartered in Vale de Santarém: at its core, Rotary Club Atlântico is defined by service and by the active, motivated participation of its members in meetings and activities. Georges and Simone both underscore the importance of focus — rather than spreading resources thin across many initiatives, the club has chosen to commit deeply to one. That said, our members remain firm believers in collaboration with the wider Rotary community, across both Portuguese districts, D1960 and D1970, and with clubs around the world.

This year’s motto, chosen by our RI President — and a fitting one, I’d say — is: Create Lasting Impact. Crie o Impacto Duradouro!

What Makes Our Club Different

Rotary Club Atlântico exists for one purpose. We didn’t set out to add an environmental project to our calendar — we chose a single mission to be our entire reason for being: End Plastic Soup Portugal.

This matters more than most people realize. Microplastics have now been found in human blood, in placentas, in breast milk — this is no longer just an ocean problem, it’s a public health issue unfolding in real time, in our bodies and in our children’s.

As the Portuguese national coordinator for the global End Plastic Soup movement, Simone leads our club’s flagship initiative, End Plastic Soup Portugal, with Georges serving as Director (he is also the Secretary of Rotary Atlântico). Together, they drive awareness, education, and policy engagement year-round — partnering with municipalities, schools, scientists, and corporate allies to change how plastic is produced, used, and discarded across the country.This November, we enter the second year of our flagship campaign, Semana do Mar Sem Plástico (November 2–9), now carrying important patronage both nationally and internationally, with more announcements still to come in the weeks ahead.

This year, we are putting children and youth at the heart of the campaign: from educational storytelling reaching thousands of young readers, to a youth song contest, school presentations, and a dedicated conference — all designed to turn young people into ambassadors of change against the challenges of plastic, microplastic, and nano plastic pollution. We are also working diligently to expand our network of partners across the Mediterranean, Africa, Europe, and South America. It is a mission built not for a single week, but for a generation.

Beyond the Mission

Our vision extends beyond day-to-day club operations to also include a deep respect and admiration for our host country, Portugal. We see the club as a way for members to celebrate and connect with Portugal as a cherished home — one known for its exceptional quality of life. This includes weaving cultural experiences into our activities: artistic events and concerts, tours of historical landmarks, and culinary experiences that enrich our members’ lives and deepen their connection to Portugal’s rich heritage.

New to Rotary?

If you’re new to Rotary: it’s the world’s largest service organisation — 1.2 million members, in over 200 countries, united by one simple idea: Service Above Self. Rotary clubs bring together people from every walk of life to take real, local action on real problems, backed by a genuinely global network.

Want to volunteer or join? We cannot wait to hear from you — send us an email.