The Rotary Club of Irvine Seagate raised a large amount of cash at their annual Sportsmen’s Dinner on Friday, February 28.

The total collected was a princely £3,700, the main beneficiaries of which will be the Crosshouse Children’s Fund and the Ayrshire Central Alzheimer Scotland Unit.

The club said: “Thanks are due to all who contributed to the event, by taking part or by donating prizes for the raffle and auction.”

On Monday night they were in charitable mood again as they issued a cheque to Stuart McDonald of North Ayrshire Council Streetscene for planting 3000 purple crocus bulbs for World Polio Day, on the slopes in front of the Trinity Church.

The club also heard from Colin Cameron, about his, and his wife’s, long connection with Malawi. In 1957, as a newly qualified lawyer, Colin took a post in what was then the British Protectorate of Nyasaland. His wife worked as a midwife. He supported the country’s pro independence movement, and by 1960 was a minister in the national government. He had to leave in 1964, when the country became a dictatorship, and established a legal practice in Irvine.

Thirty years later he was invited by the new democratic President to be Malawi’s Honorary Consul in Scotland, and represented the country for 20 years. Recently Colin and his wife were honoured by both the Scottish and Malawi Governments in recognition of their 60 years of service to Malawi and international relations.