Presidential Address

                                              Presidential Message

I have been a member of Rotary since 2008. In this time, I have enjoyed all aspects of Rotary including serving the community, helping others, contributing to the wider society and the fellowship. 

I feel proud thinking about the projects we have been involved with nationally and internationally. The lives we are improving as a result of little things we do is really commendable and I want to thank our members for their contributions.

I was given the responsibility to lead the club in 2020 but due to the Covid, I could not do some of the things that I wanted to do so I am back to do the unfinished business.

Keeping this mind, I would like to make “Fellowship and Improving lives of the less fortunate” as the theme of my year again.

We are witnessing a rapid change in the outside world. Technology and artificial intelligence are having a significant impact on our lives and our club is ready to embrace the change that I with the help of our inhouse experts Mike Clewes and John Barrows will be delivering. 

Since Covid, we are regularly meeting at the Northcliffe Gold Club with good attendance levels. This venue has been very lucky for us and we have so far recruited three new members in a short span of time. The membership committee head is so joyous with his performance that he has pledged to recruit two new members during this Rotary Year.  Membership Committee keep up the good work. 

For the forthcoming year and noting the above points, I hope we can make a difference on various fronts and will continue to do the following : 

1. Supporting a variety of local and international charities either with donations or more ideally with “hands-on” projects.

2. Continue supporting Saltergate Children’s Home Ethiopia, Nell Bank and Gambian Schools Trust Project. 

3. Undertake our annual tree planting.

4. Continue organising and holding our Charity Golf Day at Ilkley.

5. Purchase tangible items with the Blaize Trailers walk fund.

6. Support RYLA.

7. Support Kids Out.

8. Continue supplying the “Dictionaries” to local schools

9. Possibly joining up with a fellow Rotary Club to enable a “more beneficial” Rotary event to be arranged. 

This is not an exhaustive list because we as a club want to do things as and when opportunities come our way. 

I will encourage a few outside visits and for each of our members to attend at least one of the Bradford 10 Rotary Clubs in the year ahead.

Muhammad Atif

President 2023-24