A Rotary Club which is working hard to destroy the idea that the organisation is old and stuffy is coming out of lockdown with a new President and a focus on giving community support.

Businesswoman Emily Small has taken the reins at the Rotary Club of Six Towns (Stoke on Trent) succeeding Elaine Cunningham.

Emily said: “Elaine has exceeded all expectations in lockdown and has built our community support. It’s my plan to continue and build on those efforts to support our local community.

“We’re a flexible group and our membership is amongst the youngest  of any Rotary Club, so we tend to do things a little differently.

“During 2020, we kept in touch via Zoom and raised funds to help pay for items such as an iPad, clocks and radios for the Covid wards at Royal Stoke Hospital.

“While we had formal meetings once a month before the pandemic lockdowns, we are very much focused on how we can help in and around North Staffordshire. One of my main aims for the year is to continue to raise funds for the Stoke-on-Trent Foodbank, which is based at Blurton Methodist Church and has outlets across the city.

Rotary is an international organisation which brings together people to network and support humanitarian causes.

Emily, a Director of Richard Jacobs Pensions and Trustee Services, said: “Six Towns Rotary was officially founded in 2017 and welcomes members from across Staffordshire.  We are looking to move  the emphasis from fundraising to how we can give practical support to organisations in the community.

“We help several organisations. These include the Buddy Bag Foundation, which supports children who enter emergency care after fleeing violent situations at home, and our members are also helping in schools by going in to classrooms to work with children who need to catch-up with reading following lockdown and by offering business skills.”

Added Emily: “We are always keen to attract new members as the more local business leaders we work with, the more help we can give. If anyone is interested in joining a new-look Rotary Club they can find out more by searching on Facebook for Six Towns Rotary and sending a message, or by going to our website at www.sixtownsrotary.org.