Our
Journey Through
SERVICE & FELLOWSHIP
Celebrating the milestones that shaped the Inner Wheel movement in Sri Lanka of women who led with compassion and purpose.
How It All Began
Inner Wheel was introduced to Sri Lanka in 1965 by Mrs. Gerty Billimore and Mrs Jerry Nilgiri when the Inner Wheel Club of Colombo was formed.
The Pioneer Club received its Charter on 1st February 1966 at a ceremony held at Hotel Taprobane. Amongst the speakers at the event were Mr. Jabir A Cader, Mayor of Colombo and Rtn D.B. Ellepola, President of the Rotary Club of Colombo.
We initially belonged to Districts 320 and 321, including Tamil Nadu and Kerala. In 1985, Sri Lanka bifurcated, and thus, District 322 was formed with Mrs. Nirmalie Gunatilleke as the first leader of our District.
Since the year 1987/88, 08 Sri Lankan members have been International Inner Wheel Representatives and Board Members, and 11 Sri Lankan members have been elected as International Inner Wheel Board Directors. Mrs. Nirmalie Gunatilleke of Colombo West was one of the first recipients of the Margarette Golding Award bestowed by the International Inner Wheel for highly commendable personal services, and was followed by Late Mrs. Annie Samaranayake of Ja-Ela/Kandana, Mrs. Kumari Kulatunge of Inner Wheel Club of Kandy, Mrs. Mala Weerasekera of Inner Wheel Club of Colombo West, Mrs. Radha Sundarampillai of Inner Wheel Club of Colombo and Mrs. Yogeswari Wijayaratnam from the Inner Wheel Club of Negombo.
In 2024, the Inner Wheel Club of Maldives was established under the leadership of District Chairman Upekha Peiris, representing a significant milestone for District 322. Another important achievement for the district took place during the tenure of District Chairman Srimathy Sebastian, when the first E-Club was formed. Currently, we have 22 clubs with a total membership of over 500 members.
The District 322 made a donation to the Centre for Handicapped, Kundasale, towards its
Endowment Fund, a sustainable initiative established by Past District Chairman of Inner
Wheel District 322 Sri Lanka & Maldives, Srimathy Sebastian, during her term of office in
2024/25.
The Endowment Fund was created with the vision of providing ongoing support to
differently abled individuals. Through this initiative, Inner Wheel District 322 will annually
sponsor an artificial limb for a deserving beneficiary, helping to restore mobility,
independence, and dignity.
This enduring project reflects the district's commitment to creating meaningful and lasting
change in the lives of those in need.