A new president for Rotary Club

Penny joined Rotary as a founder member of Brighton & Hove Breakfast Rotary Club in 1993 and having moved to Thakeham, she joined the Storrington & Pulborough District Rotary Club in 2000.

She is Sussex born and bred, having been brought up at North Farm, Washington; lived and worked in Hove for some time and finally moved back to her beloved Sussex Downs. Penny worked for some years as an Estate Agent in Hove and then for the Sussex Mutual Building Society; a 3 year stint as an asst producer for Miranda Birch’s afternoon programme at BBC Radio Sussex and finally 7 years as the Sussex Fundraiser for Marie Curie Cancer Care. Amongst other events she organised for MCCC were the very popular annual Son et Lumieres, two at Wiston House, one at Sompting Abbots and two at Michelham Priory.

Penny and her husband Michael have 5 sons between them and six grandchildren living between Aberdeen, Hong Kong, Singapore, Bognor and Thakeham.

For her year, Penny says: “The Club’s maxim is to help those in our Community whether they be the young or the old, not only to donate or help financially, but to be involved as much as we can, where we can, in meeting their needs. I am honoured to lead Rotary’s efforts to make a real difference in our area.

My other aim for this year is to make sure that people from our area know that our Club is always looking for like minded members who want to enjoy fellowship and to help in a variety of ways within our Community.”

Pictured is outgoing President of Storrington Rotary Club Mary Jagger (right) handing over to new President Penny Barnes with Hon. Secretary David Lowe (right) and Hon. Treasurer Alistair Smith looking on.

Report and picture contributed by Mike Lavender.