I never would have imagined when I was a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar some years ago that I would one day become a Rotary International Director sitting on the Board of one of the world’s largest humanitarian organisations.
I am immensely honoured to have been elected to this role for the next two years and am looking forward to the time ahead and am excited about Rotary’s future.
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We are in the second year of One Region, One Rotary as the Rotary world’s first regional pilot which is an opportunity to embrace change and build a better future here in Great Britain and Ireland.
My unwavering commitment to Rotary has grown ever since I was given the life-changing opportunity of being a scholar.
Thanks to Rotary, I graduated with a Master of Science in Broadcast Journalism from Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. This helped me professionally working in TV and radio, including 20 years at BBC News.
It also opened my eyes to the inspirational world of Rotary and how Rotary transforms lives.
This is an example of how we as Rotarians are making a huge difference to our world and how our support for our own charity The Rotary Foundation is crucial.”
Rotary’s vision statement says: “Together, we see a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change – across the globe, in our communities, and in ourselves.”
And that “in ourselves” is important because by being able to help those in need locally and globally, Rotary makes you a better person. So, let’s spread that message to others to encourage them to join us.
As District Governor of Rotary in London in 2012/13, I linked with the District Governor in Mumbai, India for a successful Vocational Training Team project to stop mothers and babies dying in childbirth. We received a Global Grant from The Rotary Foundation for this impactful project.
This is an example of how we as Rotarians are making a huge difference to our world and how our support for our own charity The Rotary Foundation is crucial.
Walking through the slums of Delhi and putting two drops of polio vaccine into a child’s mouth during a National Immunisation Day in 2017 and seeing the child’s mother smiling at me grateful that her baby was being protected was an incredibly moving experience.
It shows the impact at the grassroots of Rotary’s top humanitarian goal to eradicate polio. Let’s finish the job and End Polio Now and forever.
Rotary is all about creating “Hope in the World” so let’s keep telling the Rotary story to others and invite them to join us so that we have more hands to help us serve the world and our legacy continues.
