Probus Welcomes Mayor

The Worshipful the Mayor of Basingstoke & Deane Cllr Mrs Anne Court was guest of honour at the first lunch of the new Probus Club season. Alan Porter, the newly elected President of the Probus Club of Basingstoke welcomed the senior citizen of the borough to the Test Valley Golf Club on Tuesday 14 July. This was his first official function since being appointed President at their AGM at the end of June in his role as head of this club for retired professional and business managers – hence the name Probus.

There were several club members who were known to the Mayor, one had even worked with her late father when serving in the RAF.

Cllr Court spoke about the three charities she had selected for her mayoral year. Inspero which works with young people to promote healthy eating and living through food growing, baking and cooking programmes, Basingstoke Multicultural Forum selected because of her young life living in many parts of the world which exposed her to a wide array of cultures and the Ark Cancer Charity that is seeking to raise £5million towards a much needed cancer treatment centre to be built locally that will be a beacon facility to deliver cancer care and support that people in Basingstoke & Deane need and deserve.

Alan Porter presented the Mayor with a cheque in support of her charity appeal.

The Probus Club of Basingstoke has been in existence since 1979, the organisation having been formed in Surrey in 1965 by retired members of the Rotary Club. These days most towns have a Probus Club whose diverse membership, many having worked elsewhere but now live locally, bring a wide range of experiences to bear in what is a social organisation for like minded men. Their ladies also join in several times during the year with several lunches, a Christmas dinner and various outside trips. The Club’s web site http://www.probusbasingstoke.wordpress.com provides more information about their activities together with contact details for any men interested in joining.