The national president of Rotary International has commended community efforts by Helston and Lizard branch to help build an activity centre kitchen as “what Rotary is all about.”

Peter King, president of Rotary International Britain and Ireland, was at BF Adventure activity centre in Penryn when the owner Adrian Richards was presented with a cheque for £2,000 by Rotary Club of Helston and Lizard president Edwin Lawrance.

The club has been heavily involved with the centre’s ‘Big Kitchen Build’, a £100,000 project to replace the centre’s old kitchen which was housed in a 25 year-old mobile building with a new, purpose built structure.

As well as fundraising, including the latest cheque from a golf day organised by the club’s sports officer Hjalmar Wara, the Rotary Club and the ladies of the Inner Wheel have been using their networks of contacts to source materials and drum up volunteers.

Peter said: “It’s really what Rotary is all about, making use of circles of members to support the community.”

Sarah Corbridge of Helston Inner Wheel was the first to come up with the idea of having materials donated.

She said: “We are mostly business people and well connected, instead of just giving BF Adventure money towards the kitchen build, I thought we could ask for donations of materials.

“We wanted to leave a legacy to the disadvantaged and disabled children BF Adventure help each year. If we work together, we can achieve so much more.

“We have had some incredible donations from local businesses and it is very exciting to see the timber frame up, windows in and the building almost water tight. It is becoming a reality now and we are looking forward to seeing the children sitting down to a proper Christmas dinner in the dining area, for some of the children this will be their first.”

Adrian Richards said: “Everyone can see the difference this site makes, with all the work we do with the local community.

“It’s safe to say without the support of Rotary, and in particular the Inner Wheel ladies, we wouldn’t have got this project off the ground.”