PENNY Clarke has been appointed president of Northwich and District Soroptimist International.

Penny has lived, worked and volunteered in Cheshire for the past 25 years. On retiring from teaching she worked as a volunteer coordinator for what was the Parent Partnership Service which provides support for parents and carers of children with special needs and disabilities.

She has been a member of SI since 2007 and was attracted to the organisation by the commitment to the service of others through fundraising and direct support.

Penny's president’s charity is a solar energy project for the Good Shepherd Christian Junior School in Uganda.

The project is in partnership with SI Masaka who they have a friendship link with. The school has intermittent and unreliable access to electricity making it difficult for pupils, particularly with IT.

She is committed to maintaining the importance of Programme Action in the life of the club through fundraising and practical activities and is keen for the club to have a role in improving the environment in and around Northwich through partnership working with the Northwich Clean Team and the Canal and River Trust She is a keen walker and has two young grand children.