Coen van Beuningen has been a Rotarian for many years. He has farmed in Bintree since the 1970s, beginning conventionally but gradually converting to fully organic in 2001, always experimenting with new ideas.
 
With the help of his wife Wilhelmina and daughter Mary, they are currently concentrating on raising cattle and putting some land down to wildflowers. Even after 46 years he says he is still learning about land and soil and growing things.
 
Mr van Beuningen has been a keen cyclist for many years and is the oldest participant in an international ride in support of One More Child, which support orphans in Uganda. Every June, he leaves the farm to cycle some 500 miles on a yearly leg of the journey to Sydney.
 
This will be one of the charities supported by the club in the year ahead. Mr van Beuningen is also keen to continue support for research into treatment of Parkinson’s disease and other local projects.
 
Reepham Rotary arranges the fortnightly Sunshine Memory Café, which entertains those with memory loss and their carers. It also provides funds for Aquabox, which supplies drinking water in emergencies around the world, supports a number of projects with local schools and publishes Reepham Town News for the town council.
 
As ever, the club is keen to work with others on local projects where it can bring specific expertise to bear.