COWDENBEATH Rotary Club is setting a target to increase membership in 2017.

Natural causes and other reasons saw the club lose three members during 2016 and to maintain the support for local and international causes they need to boost their numbers.

At their last meeting boosting membership was discussed and it was clearly recognised that the issue needed to be tackled.

The club has 20 members currently as 2016 comes to an end which is around six down on what is stood at four years ago.

Membership convener Alex Cuthbertson told the latest meeting of the club: "We have been very fortunate to retain a very hardworking membership but to maintain and develop the work we do in the community need to increase our numbers.

"If we could increase our membership by around five or six it would make a huge difference to what can be achieved."

Alex did saw that a few people had expressed an interest in joining the club and it was hoped that they could be members by early in the New Year.

The club has three lady members and would welcome more and president Derek Walker told the meeting: "Over the last three years some excellent fundraising ventures have seen us able to raise more than £30,000 which has backed a lot of very good local causes, whilst the International scene has seen such things as Shelter Boxes sent to disaster zones and shoeboxes for children sent abroad at Christmas.

"Locally we have seen young sports people given donations to help with training and other expenses and local charities like the Curly Star Dream Foundation and Appawse for Autism backed.

"However, with smaller numbers it makes the task of raising the money to achieve these targets more difficult and it would be good to get a few new members aboard."

If people would like to know more about the work of the club contact the club secretary Tom Taylor on tom@bandtaylor.freeserve.co.uk