Above: Members and guests at the November lunch
Probus Club and its history
Probus takes its name from the words 'professional' and 'business'. There are now over 200 Probus clubs in the UK alone. By 2018, there were 400,000 members in 4,000 Probus clubs worldwide.
The Probus Club movement was founded by Rotary members in Welwyn Garden City who decided there was a need for a lunch club for retired members. Today there is no longer a link with the Rotary movement.
In 1965, Fred Carnill, a member of the Welwyn Garden City Rotary Club, met other retired friends for morning coffee - mostly ex-commuters to London, with professional and business backgrounds. From this, he started a luncheon club. The meeting attracted 45 men and was named the ‘The Campus Club’. The inaugural luncheon of this first Probus Club was on the 2 March 1966.
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About the Burgess Hill and District Probus
Each branch is autonomous, and there is no central governing organisation. The Burgess Hill and District branch was formed nearly 40 years ago (1983) and our annual subscription is £30, and the monthly lunches cost c£20. These are held within eight miles of Burgess Hill. We restrict the club to 55 members and, on occasion, there may be a waiting list.
The club opened membership to retired ladies in 2019 and is keen to attract more to join. Our members can also bring guests and partners. In fairness to keen applicants and ensure club continuity, we expect members to attend at least half the year's monthly lunches.
Trips to local (and less local) places of interest are also a great way to get to know others and have a fun day out. These are an optional benefit and there may be an entrance fee you will need to pay.
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We try to make everyone feel very welcome and introduce new members to people they may like to meet. We won't ask you for an annual subscription until you have attended three lunch meetings. Click on this contact link and please do get in touch.