In the community
I’m in the fortunate position to be able to contribute to the community I live in and the global community too. On this page are a few examples, both current and from the past.
Rotary International
I have been a member of Rotary through the Rotary Clubs of Doncaster St. Georges and Haworth and the Worth Valley since 1995. Rotary enables me:
- to serve my local community and the wider global community,
- to learn from fellow men and women from different trades and professions, and
- to build on the fellowship that comes with regular meetings and develop strong and lasting friendships.
Community Grants Scheme
In Doncaster the club established a community grants scheme, making small donations to local charities and good causes, some of whom did not have the appeal of large national charities but were doing valuable work. We invested tens of thousands of pounds in those causes.
While I was president of the Haworth and the Worth Valley Club I established a similar scheme for that community. You can read about the initial grants at Rombalds Radio or Keighley News.
Keighley and the Worth Valley Railway
In contrast to Rotary, the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway is a new interest, partly because the trains almost pass through my garden every day during the summer and partly because I recognise the value the railway brings to our community. Currently I serve as a booking clerk and crossing keeper. Over the years I expect to take on additional roles.
International Quidditch Association
For three years (January 2016 to December 2018) I was proud to serve as a director of the International Quidditch Association with a particular focus on driving up the governance of the association and of the sport it governs. For 2017 I was Board Chairman of the organisation. I stepped down from the board following the completion of the establishment of the organisation as a not for profit organisation headquartered in New York.
Quidditch is a mixed gender, full contact sport played across the world. Originally inspired by the game in the Harry Potter series, quidditch has grown since the inaugural match in 2005 to be a sport played by thousands of players in over 40 countries.
Seven players on each team compete to outscore their opponents by scoring the quaffle through one of the opposition hoops, defending their own hoops with tackles and bludgers, and catching the snitch to end the game.
For me, the commitment to equality for all is the appeal. Quidditch is a full contact, mixed gender sport and welcomes people from all backgrounds. The sport particularly encourages participation from LGBTQ+ players.
Scouting
Scouting has been a part of my life since my first cub scout meeting the week I was eight years old. In many ways Scouting has shaped my beliefs, values and attitudes more than any other activity. It has left me with a commitment to get the best out of the people I work with, to have diverse teams with different perspectives and to treat people with the respect they deserve.
The quick timeline is:
- Joined as a cub scout at the age of 8, gained bronze and silver arrows but never gold
- Moved to Scouts at 11, went all the way to Chief Scout’s Award
- Moved to Venture Scouts at 15 and again went all the way to Queen’s Scout and Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award
- Became an Assistant Cub Scout Leader at 18 and carried on throughout my student days, in both Wakefield and the City of London (Coram’s Fields)
- Took a break when I got married, resuming in Doncaster as Assistant Scout Leader in Doncaster, switching to Assistant Cub Scout Leader and later “Akela”, the Cub Scout Leader.
- Stepped down from Akela and carried on as Assistant Group Scout Leader and also leading and managing the training and development of over 350 adult leaders in Doncaster