Induction of new President

At our annual dinner held at Addington Palace on 27 June 2017 we were delighted to welcome their new President, Peter Spalding.

Over many years Peter has been active in his support of the community in and around Croydon. In the early 1970's he served as a Councillor in the London Borough of Sutton and was also a Councillor in Croydon for 14 years, serving as Croydon's Mayor during the 1996-1997 civic year. He also served as a Governor of Croydon College and as a Governor of Thames Polytechnic, now part of the University of Greenwich. 

He was a founding director of both the Croydon Business Education Partnership and the South London Training and Enterprise Council. He has chaired the Addiscombe, Ashburton and Woodside Neighbourhood Partnership, served on the Croydon Community and Police Consultative Group for 29 years and been actively involved in many local, regional and national charities and campaigning organisations.

Peter is an Honorary Alderman of the London Borough of Croydon, an Honorary Conservator of Mitcham Common, an Honorary Vice-President of the Croydon Branch of the NSPCC and also of the Croydon Playing Fields Association. He serves on the Council of the Greater London Reserve Forces and Cadet Association and is Honorary President of the Whitehorse Youth Centre. He is a Vice-President of Croydon TUC and a member of the Regional Council of the TUC. He is also a Trustee of the Eleanor Shorter Fund and a Trustee of the Croydon Hearing Resource Centre. Peter is a Freeman of the City of London and a member of the Loriners' Livery Company.

The Croydon Hearing Resource Centre (CHRC) is Peter's chosen charity for his term as President of Croydon Rotary Club and during his year the Club will be raising funds towards the cost of a Tympanometer. This much needed instrument is used to test the condition of the middle ear and the mobility of the eardrum and the conduction bones by creating variations of air pressure in the ear canal. Each Tympanometer costs around £9,000.

Peter, who has an Honour’s Degree in the Humanities and a Master's Degree in London Studies, became a Rotarian in 2012.  Peter married Nuala in 1994 having met when they both served as local Councillors.

As President Peter will be continuing Croydon Rotary Club's "Five Year Plan" initiated by his predecessor John Cheetham. The Club is determined to ensure that as it nears its 100th Birthday in 2001-22 it remains relevant, especially to younger people, by encouraging the promotion of Rotary's long-established principle of selfless service to both the local community and to the wider world.