Ellesmere Rotary marks 40 years of service to the town and the meres

Ellesmere Rotary has been celebrating four decades of service. The club marked its 40th birthday with a dinner at the Albright Hussey Manor Hotel, where members were joined by Deputy Lieutenant Diana Flint, civic dignitaries, local business people, community leaders and Rotarians from clubs across the county.

Over its first 40 years the club has supported people in Ellesmere and around the world. Its projects have included help for Chernobyl children's schooling, Ellesmere Ducklings, the Lyneal Trust's narrowboats for disabled users, defibrillators, holidays for older people and Spectacles for Africa. Members also set up and ran the Ellesmere Youth Club and Rota Kids for primary-aged children, planted the roundabout with flowers and took part in a humanitarian convoy to Romania, where they helped build a clinic for young orphans.

In town, Ellesmere Rotary is probably best known for its Christmas Tree of Light campaign and Book of Remembrance, the Rotary Regatta on the Mere, its marshalling at the Winter Festival and summer sporting events, and the pre-loved bookshop it runs in the centre of town. Money raised at its events is shared with local people and organisations, and the club gives away an average of £6,500 each year. Recent support has gone to the scouts, the food share and the Ellesmere Pumptrack.

Club President Dr Jim Davies used the anniversary dinner to call for new and younger members, so that Rotary can be a modern organisation able to serve the community for the next 40 years. "It is always good fun to plan and deliver local, national and international humanitarian service projects with fellow Rotarians," he said. "We develop friendships, discover fantastic opportunities for personal development and enjoy great experiences."

The club has already started its next chapter. This summer it set up the Ellesmere Men's Walking and Talking group, which meets every Monday at 6pm next to Blakemere Veterinary Surgery by the entrance to the car park.

The walks last around an hour at a gentle pace, with the focus on conversation and enjoying the outdoors rather than exercise. The group is led by Rod, who runs Mere Cycles in the Market Hall and is a trained mental health first aider. "There is no need to book and no fee," he said. "Bring yourself, bring your dog."

Anyone interested in joining Ellesmere Rotary as an individual or corporate member can contact Jim Davies at jrdrotary@gmail.com.