Reflections of past President, Kath Ayres (24-25)

From July 2024 to June 2025, Kath Ayres was Poundbury Rotary’s Club President. Here, she reflects on a year of shared effort, new ideas and community spirit.

Following my year as President, I have been reflecting on what Poundbury Rotary means to me, and on what we achieved together during that period. For me, my year was never about fundraising alone. It was about supporting our community, enjoying fellowship and making sure every member had the chance to contribute.

A decade in, and ready to serve

I was there when Poundbury Rotary was founded in 2014, so becoming President in our tenth year felt particularly meaningful. It also meant putting my head above the parapet — something that may even have been suggested to me before I fully volunteered!

I was fortunate to share the role’s wider journey with Mark, Marcus and Leah. We agreed to serve as Presidents consecutively, supporting one another as President Elect and Past Presidents. That gave us continuity, encouragement and a useful support network. It also meant the club was not relying on one person to carry everything alone.

Putting in, not just fundraising

My year focused on community support, fundraising and fellowship in equal measure. Fundraising was important, but it was most effective when it connected members with projects they cared about and with people who would benefit from our support.

Each project had a lead who could choose which charity benefited from the fundraising. That gave people real ownership and allowed them to shape the club and the flow of funds. Members were also encouraged to organise social or club events that interested them. This helped Poundbury Rotary feel like a club shaped by its members, rather than a programme handed down from above.

The achievement I am proudest of is that every member contributed in some way during the year. Contribution did not have to look the same for everyone. It might be leading a project, helping at an event, sharing an idea or simply being there when the club needed support.

Making room for every voice

One of the biggest challenges was chairing our monthly business meetings. They could sometimes feel like “herding cats”, particularly when there were strong opinions in the room. That energy is part of what makes the club lively, but it was important that everyone was heard and that meetings remained productive.

We introduced a process where proposals were submitted before meetings and circulated in advance. This gave everyone time to consider them, rather than allowing decisions to be shaped only by the loudest voices in the room. It was a simple change, but it helped us have more thoughtful discussions and make better use of our time together.

A year of projects and shared memories

I am proud of the full range of projects and events we delivered. They included support for care leavers, work with Mosaic, creating a community pond and holding a Christmas formal social. Each one brought something different to the club, whether that was practical community support, fundraising, creativity or simply the chance to spend time together.

My favourite memories are the Christmas Party and President’s Night. I particularly enjoyed dressing up and seeing everyone enjoying one another’s company. Those occasions captured the fellowship at the heart of Rotary: the work matters, but so does making time to celebrate the people who make it possible.

Rotary then, and Rotary now

I grew up around Rotary because my grandfather and uncles were Rotarians. It has therefore been part of my life for a long time, although Poundbury Rotary has grown into a larger club with more members and more ideas than when we began.

What I value is that we are relaxed and do not stand on ceremony, while still following Rotary principles and getting things done. We can take our responsibilities seriously without taking ourselves too seriously, and that balance has helped the club develop its own character.

Local action, wider impact

Rotary has become part of my life. What begins with local people supporting their own community can contribute to positive impact nationally and worldwide. That is what makes the organisation so special to me: the opportunity to put something in, alongside other people, and see that effort reach further than any one of us could manage alone.

As a founding member and Club President, I ended my year as President feeling grateful — for the projects, the conversations, the laughter and, above all, for every member who contributed. Poundbury Rotary is at its best when we work together, make room for one another and turn good ideas into action.