The High Sheriff was kindly invited by Mr Lindsay Bashford, Honorary Secretary, to attend a presentation evening given by The Market Drayton Rotary Club. He was welcomed by their President Mr Jim Grant who, in the course of the evening, presented cheques to a variety of major charities they support, namely ‘Help for Heroes’, ‘The Royal British Legion’, ‘Market Drayton First Responders’, ‘Hope House Hospice’, and ‘1st Battalion Royal Irish Regiment Welfare Fund’. The Rotary Club had managed to raise well over £5,000 from their ‘Tree of Lights’ campaign held over the Christmas period. Also present was Helen McSherry representing The Market Drayton Trussell Trust food bank, a wonderful national organisation which provides desperately needed emergency food aid support to local people in crisis. There was also in attendance Mr David Roberts, a retired Headmaster, who now runs the local branch of the Rotary Youth Leadership Award scheme (RYLA). This is a Rotary initiated scheme which enables young promising 16-18 yr olds from all over the county, having succeeded in an initiative test, to follow a course which gives them a vital head start in improving their skills. This very worthy course, as well as the above mentioned charities can be easily found on the website for anyone interested in finding out more. It was a most fascinating and enjoyable evening, giving the High Sheriff the opportunity to meet a number of interesting people working phenominally hard with the Rotary Club, assisting these extremely worthwhile charities to thrive locally.