Mr Collinge waselected President of the Auckland Rotary Club –a role which extends for three years as President Elect (2016-7), President (2017-8) and Immediate Past President(2018-9) leading up to its Centenary in 1921. Auckland Rotary is a prestigious Club and the first and oldestRotary Clubin New Zealand –founded in 1921. Hehas been a Member of Auckland Rotary for 17years (from 2001) andfollows a long line of distinguished Aucklanders as President in carrying out a vigorous public and community service programme–at local, regional, Pacific and internationallevels.
This includes leadership programmes and inter-country exchanges; relief of needy families; opportunities and encouragement of the disadvantaged; disaster relief; improvement of public facilities; support of numerous charities; etc.Mr Collinge has from the outset been directly involved –with the Rotary Clubs of Auckland, Wellington, Melbourne and Sydney -in a joint centennial project which involves vaccination of nine countries of the Pacific Islands against rotovirus, pneumonia, meningitis and cervical cancer. He isa founding Trustee of the Rotary Foundation designed to prepare and co-ordinate participation by Rotariansand the communityin disaster awareness, action and relief.
Auckland Rotary’s fund raising also involves community service, such as bringing the World Press Photographic Exhibition to Auckland –which provides a local activity which graphically portrays selected photographs of world events and issues to the public; assisting localcharities such as the City Mission; and hosting the Prime Minister’s (Hon Bill English) State of the Nation Address.
Under Mr Collinge’s Chairmanship, the Auckland Rotary Club’s efforts have been international (eg in its eradication of polio throughout the world); regional (eg in its assistance to eye clinics, water treatment projects, promotion of business activity), regionally (eg in its leadership programmes, in its assistance to low decile students), and locally within its area the CBD (eg in its support of the City Mission).
‘In recognition of his efforts, he was awarded a Paul Harris Fellowship in 2019.’