The club was delighted when the new district governor Dave Fenwick and his wife Sheila dropped in on their annual frugal lunch at the Royal National College for the Blind.

Dave and Shelia were welcomed by Ron Giles, the president of the club, and a strong contingent of club members.

“We were delighted to be able to welcome Dave and his wife to our lunch and very grateful to Christine Steadman and her team for their warm hospitality on the day,” said Ron.

Club members heard a talk on the progress of the new complex at the college by Christine, principal and chief executive, followed by a tour of the £9 million extension and development of the college to include a gymnasium, restaurant and accommodation block with extra educational and training facilities.

The blind football academy is due to be completed later this year and will be the home of the England squad. The England team returned from the European Championships last year with the silver medal and so qualified for this year’s Paralympics in Beijing. They will also be the host team at the Blind Football World Championships in 2010 and play a significant part in the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics.

“It was a real pleasure to be welcomed to the college and members were surprised to see the extent of the work being carried out at the college – it truly is going to be a very exciting place to be in the coming years. “The 2010 World Championships is a great opportunity to put Hereford on the map,” said Ron.

Rotary is an international organisation of professional and business people united helping people less fortunate than themselves.

Hereford City Rotary Club is always looking for local people who would like to give a little something back to the community. If you would like to find out more, give Paul Morris a call on 01432 344779.