Haworth and the Worth Valley is to get its own Rotary Club as an offshoot of the long-established Keighley organisation.

Women and men are both welcome to join the new group, which aims to support good causes both locally and internationally.

Keighley Rotary Club is sponsoring a group of professional and business people in setting up the new group.

Founder chairman Chris Kates says many such people want to put something back into their local community. He says: "I hope one of the key aims will be to encourage and support local people helping themselves. Over the next few months members will decide which projects to support in 1999 and into the new millennium.

"This is a great opportunity for individuals to become involved in moulding this new club, which will be make a difference locally and internationally."

The new club will become part of a worldwide organisation with 27,000 branches and more than a million members around the world. Among the 93-year-old organisation's most recent successes is the Polio Plus Campaign which has helped eradicate the disease in most parts of the world.

The parent organisation has recently taken measures to become more open, welcoming women for the first time and shaking off its old image.

Keighley Rotary Club regularly supports Airedale Hospital and Manorlands, the Oxenhope cancer-care hospice, and has joined with four other clubs to raise £50,000 for an anti-drugs campaign.

Anyone interested in joining Rotary can go to meetings each Tuesday (7.30pm) at the Three Sisters Hotel, Haworth, or phone Mr Kates on 01535 647024.

Alternatively they can phone Keighley president Mike Ward on 01535 665969.

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