The Rotary Club of Ellesmere had much good news to celebrate at its meeting at The Boathouse on March 14.

Firstly, members were delighted to hear about the success its two entrants in the final of the District 1210 Rotary Young Musician of 2018 competition, which was held at the Wolverhampton Music Hub on March 11. The club sponsored two pupils from Ellesmere College, Chelsea Ching in instrumentals and Seren Devismes in the vocals section. Both performed to a very high standard, with Seren being placed first in her class by the adjudicators. She will now go on to represent District 1210 in the Regional Final in Caerphilly, South Wales on April 22.

President of the club, Ian Williams, took great pleasure in welcoming Peter Cartledge as a new member. Peter has recently moved into the Ellesmere area after a career in finance, fulfilling his desire to spend his retirement in Shropshire, where he can offer something back to the community through the work of Rotary. He also promised to assist any fellow members with their fly-fishing technique.

As a final reward of the evening, members were delighted by a citation that was read to them that outlined the work of Rotarian John MacDonald as a prolific fund-raiser for good causes in the area which he spent doing over a very long period of time. In particular, the citation emphasised the unobtrusive charm with which John managed to elicit a spirit of generosity in others, as a mirror of his own sentiments. President Ian then bestowed a Paul Harris fellowship on John in recognition of his outstanding contribution.

Anyone interested in learning more about the activities of The Rotary Club of Ellesmere should contact the club secretary on 01691 777178.