Photograph: Gemma Kiddy looks forward to Leicester Rotaract, courtesy of Leicester Mercury Newspaper
A new Rotaract club is starting in Leicester, after one of the youngest Rotary club members in the area took on the challenge.
Gemma Kiddy, 25, Rotary Club of Leicester Novus, has persuaded young professionals and students to join Leicester Rotaract, which will be holding its first interest meeting in November. So far, there is a list of 16 potential Rotaractors.
Gemma, arts development worker for Leicester Belgrave Mela, joined Rotary nearly three years ago: “A friend once said to me that Rotary and Rotaract are best described as ‘social clubs with a conscience’ and I totally agree. I joined Rotary with an aim to do a bit of networking and support a few charities and I am glad I joined as I have made new friends and have the opportunity to engage more people with Rotary.”
Gemma is currently the Foundation committee chair in her club and has been involved in organising many projects to raise money for The Rotary Foundation, including an annual brass-band concert, murder mystery nights and also the filling of Aquaboxes. While still organising events she is working with Dipan Bhagalia, the New Generations chair, and many others, to help set up this new club. “It’s been an exciting time,” says Gemma. “Once the ball got rolling, there was no stopping us.”
As with Rotary clubs, Rotaract is committed to supporting good causes. Gemma says the good causes which Leicester Rotaract will be supporting this year are yet to be decided: “We hope to identify a couple of charities over the next month so that the Rotaractors have something to work with. It is important that the choice is made by members of the club. That decision will be at the top of the agenda at Leicester Rotaract’s first social meeting after which we are going ten-pin bowling.”
Rotaract clubs are a great way of getting to know people, making friends, having a good time and while doing all this, creating projects which do a bit of good in the world. Gemma has high hopes: “At the moment the proposed club will cover a large geographic area, eventually we hope that once the club has built a strong membership it may branch out to create a number of clubs in the county – but we will be taking one step at a time!” To make everyone aware of this exciting new development, the committee managed to get a full page article in the local paper, the Leicester Mercury.
Leicester Rotaract is supported by three local Rotary clubs, which are the Rotary Club of Leicester Novus , the Rotary Club of Wreake Valley and the Rotary Club of Leicester De Montfort.
If you are interested in joining Rotaract, or know anyone aged 18 – 30, male or female, who you think would be interested in Rotaract, contact your local Rotary club or visit the Rotaract website for more information.
