A LONG serving Rotarian has taken on the chain of office as newly-elected president of Ilkley Rotary Club.

Former Ilkley parish councillor, Dawn Emsley, was presented with the chain of office by past president, John Metcalf.

Ms Emsley has enjoyed many years within Rotary International. In her mid twenties she joined Aireborough Rotaract , the Youth Programme for 18-30 year olds, in which she became President.

She welcomed the opportunity to join Rotary in 1997 when the Rotary Club of Ilkley Wharfedale was founded as a dual gender club in the town. She became President of the Club in 2000 and in 2005 she transferred to the Rotary Club of Ilkley.

Ms Emsley is a Private Music teacher and a freelance vision mixer. She is a former employee of Yorkshire Television where she was a vision mixer, single camera director and researcher.

“I feel very honoured to become President of the Rotary Club of Ilkley, the town where I was born,” she said.

Her two named charities for the year are Ward 5, the stroke unit, at Airedale Hospital, where additional equipment is necessary to help aid rehabilitaion following a stroke, and Keighley Women's Aid which provides safe temporary refuge accommodation for women with or without children who need to get away from violence and abuse in the home.