Past North East Governor of Rotary International, Syd Howarth MBE, has been awarded honorary life membership of the Newton Aycliffe Club.
It was Syd who first suggested Bishop Auckland Rotary Club formed a branch of Rotary in Newton Aycliffe, with a list of potential members provided. The club was formed in 1977 and Syd joined five years later and has given 36 years of service to the club and community.
Among his initiatives was the MRI Scanner Appeal, Nature Park, the Blue Bridge area Enhancement, Community Annual Christmas Concert, the War Memorial at St Clare’s Church and many others.
Syd was recently involved in the MRI Scanner Appeal, helping to arrange money for the Darlington and Bishop Auckland hospitals. He discovered that the hospital were paying a million pound per year to hire private equipment and he suggested that it made sense to buy their own as they only cost a million pound each. The appeal is still on going and two state of the art scanners are now installed at Bishop Auckland and Darlington. Newton News readers have been particularly generous in responding to this appeal.
Syd wishes to thank his Rotarian members for this honour and wishes the club every good fortune in their community work.
