THE end of June is set to mark a momentous occasion for Anton Rotary Club, which will be celebrating its 30-year anniversary.

The club has become known for supporting Andover’s local charities by organising and running various fundraising events, such as its annual duck racing day at Riverside Park on the Anton River, its Easter egg raffle and Christmas Santa displays.

The club also holds annual metal detecting weekends thanks to the generosity of local farmers lending out appropriate pieces of land for detectorists to try their luck.

Thirty years ago, the club held its inaugural meeting at the Centre of Army Flying, in Middle Wallop, as it joined the international family of Rotary.

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For the first few years, the club’s meetings were held at the White Hart Hotel in Bridge Street every Thursday evening, but in recent years, The Oak in Smannell has become the club’s venue for meetings and events.

The club has provided support for local charities and over the past few years has been a primary supporter of the Andover Foodbank. The club has also supported the Countess of Brecknock Hospice, Andover’s young carers, Mind and smaller local charities. 

The club has also provided special days out for children from Andover’s SEN schools in the town including Kids Out, a national rotary initiative giving SEN children the opportunity of visiting a local amusement park or zoo. 

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Project leader for Anton Rotary Club, Barry Hawgood, said: "It’s a great tribute to the remaining five original members that the club has flourished and been so successful in supporting the Andover community over the years.  The club was formed in June 1993, but it is less well known that five current club members were part of the initial group who formed the club in June 1993."

The five members are ​Ian Mcleod, the current president, Tony Lynn, the club’s treasurer Fergus Houghton, Herbie Wilhelmy and Chris Baxendale.

"These members as a core group have led the club through the last 30 years in its support for local charities and Rotary International’s projects such as the eradication of Polio and immediate support for disasters as they appear around the world," the spokesperson continued.

The anniversary meeting on June 29 will signify the end of the Rotary year and see the club's leadership pass over from Ian McLeod to Gary Adams, who will lead the club through the Rotary year 2023-2024.