THE new president of the Royston Rotary Club has received his chains of office.

Chris Hardy, a 65-year-old retired commercial analyst, succeeds Neil Heywood, who as president during the past 12 months has seen the club through its 50th year.

Mr Hardy said: “In the coming year I would like to raise the profile of Rotary in Royston and bring to everyone’s attention the work we do here and internationally.”

He pointed out that rotary organised school events such as the Youth Makes Music concert, the Youth Speaks event and the Schools Technology contest.

There are also fund-raising events for charity such as the club’s Swimathon and the Royston Kite Festival, which is being held this year on Therfield Heath on Sunday August 5.

Mr Hardy said he was looking forward to “meeting the challenges of the year” as president of “such a vibrant club”.

His charity of the year will be mothers2mothers, an organisation that works in sub-Sahraran Africa to prevent mother to child transmission of HIV.

He hopes, too, to see an increase in members of the Rotary Club of Royston over the next 12 months, especially in the 40-50 years age group and in women members.

Mr Hardy has been a member of the Rotary Club of Royston for the past nine years and has lived in Royston for more than three decades.

He was a member of the club’s Rotary Challenge team that worked at a Mercy Ship’s clinic in Freetown, Sierra Leone in 2006.

For more details on the Rotary Club of Royston visit the website at www.roystonrotary.com