My father was a Rotarian back in the days when it was a men’s only club and one had to wait to be invited to join. How things have progressed since then and when I discovered I could go on a Devonport Rotary aid project on Taveuni Island in Fiji to refurbish a school I could not wait to join up. It was such fun I made three more of these rewarding trips to Fiji.

Being involved with Rotary I have made so many good friends who share common values and a willingness to help others both locally and internationally.

It was a big step out of my comfort zone when I was elected president but having the valuable support of club members made it a positive personal growth experience for me which is one of the aims of being a Rotarian.