WHITCHURCH Rotary Club is celebrating 85 years of service to the community this month with the town’s best known faces helping launch the celebrations.

The Mayor of Whitchurch, Councillor Andy Hall paid tribute to the way Rotary responds not only to local groups and projects but also to support international emergencies and humanitarian causes throughout the world.

Cllr Hall also teamed up with the ‘Town Pirate’ Guy Hepworth, who regularly ‘shouts out’ to promote Rotary activities during his weekly High Street news updates.

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Councillor Hall said: “Rotarians have been part of our local community for more than eight decades,”

“And it would be difficult to imagine life without the contribution they have made to the town.

“Whether that’s from healthcare initiatives, like the recent prostate testing, or arranging the annual Christmas appearances by Santa.

“Rotary is something that most of us have grown up with and always known.”

Whitchurch Rotary Club was given its official charter by Rotary International on October 25 1938 and the anniversary is celebrated every five years.

The ‘Town Pirate’ said: “The Rotary motto is ‘Service Above Self’ and everything they do is voluntary for the benefit of people who need help – which is why they will always get a ‘shout out’ from me.”

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President Graham King explained that the worldwide Rotary network has more than 46,000 clubs and 1.4 million members around the globe.

He added: “But first and foremost, we are here to serve our town and surrounding communities.

“As many local people as possible have first call on whatever we can offer because, at the end of the day, we work as a team to support local people, organisations, charities and causes, at the times they need it most.

“As we start our 86th year our priority is now to attract a new generation of members to ensure that our work can successfully continue into the next decade.”