Three new additions join the ranks at Fareham Meon Rotary Club
A trio of new Rotarians have signed up to join Fareham Meon Rotary and ensure the club’s 45th year starts off with a bang!
Fareham Meon’s team of volunteers has expanded by welcoming three new members - Marion Lawless, Sue Song and Jim Roberson – which will enable the club to further strengthen their community engagement and support for educational initiatives.
Marion, Sue and Jim, join at a vital time, bringing fresh energy to help expand the club’s impact across the region.
Fareham Meon’s recently inducted President David Fawcett said “We are absolutely thrilled to welcome Marion, Sue and Jim to Rotary. They arrive with impressive CVs and a clear passion for community engagement. I know with their skills and energy we can significantly increase both the breadth and depth of our community support both locally and nationally.”
David added “To have three new Rotarians join at the same time is unprecedented for Fareham Meon and I believe this has not happened for over 30 years. I would like to personally thank fellow Rotarian Ron Crank for identifying and recruiting our new additions.”
Fareham born Marion Lawless is a qualified optician with a passion for environmental issues, the natural world and animal welfare. She is Greenpeace supporter, RSPB member as well as being part of Butterfly Conservation. Marion commented “My good friend Paul Jones introduced me to the work of Rotary and once I heard about their outreach work, I was excited to get involved and make a meaningful and impactful contribution to the local community.”
Sue Song attended college in Portsmouth after which she set up a printing and typesetting company in the city. She is also trained in holistic therapies, managed a family business specialising in cookware products and worked for Portsmouth City Council in the areas of alcohol and drug addiction and supported housing. Sue said “I am absolutely delighted to join Fareham Meon Rotary, everyone has been so welcoming, and I have been impressed with the commitment of my fellow Rotarians. I’m really excited to belong to an organisation that has community support at its heart.”
Jim Roberson was keynote speaker at Fareham Meon’s recent Changeover Meeting and was so impressed with what he heard about their work that he wanted to become a Rotarian. He was born in Yonkers New York and his passion for American Football earned him a scholarship at the University of Rhode Island. Jim came to the UK in 1989 where he combined his love for Football with his teaching expertise to teach in various schools reaching Deputy Head Teacher status. He also founded Youth Minded Ltd to deliver the message of the importance of education to young people. Jim said “When I attended the Changeover event, I saw first-hand the passion and commitment of the club members, it was therefore a no brainer to get involved. I can’t wait to get started and help in any way I can.”
Mr Fawcett said: “To start my year as President and the 45th year of our club with three such exciting additions certainly bode very well for the next 12 months. I am excited to see what we can achieve in the coming months.”