A former president of Port Fairy Rotary Club, Mr Ellard is still an active member of the club.

One of his key roles is to coordinate Rotary's bowel scanning program.

Prompting good health

One of the annual activities of Rotary is to support the sale of bowel scanning kits.

In Port Fairy we make bowel scanning kits available through the town's pharmacy and try and encourage as many people as possible to get a kit and test themselves.

Behind lung cancer, bowel cancer is the second most common form of cancer in Australia.

It is important for people to do the testing, particularly those over 50.

The bowel scanning month is happening for the rest of May and into the first week of June.

Last year we sold 90 kits, they are $15 each, and we have 100 to sell this year.

Focus of support

This year a central focus of our club funding is Moyne Health Services.

We are so lucky to have a strong health service in the town and we want to play our part in helping it thrive.

Our members help out with meals on wheels and we have purchased a piano for the residents at Moyneyana House.

We think this will be an important part of their good well-being.

While Moyne Health Services is a key focus, we have also funded other projects around the town.

This includes a new lift chair for Belfast Aquatics.

Rotary making a difference

Being part of Rotary is a very fulfilling experience.

I have been a member of the club for the last 12 years.

Our membership numbers haven't changed a lot over the years, they are always steady.

The biggest difference is our membership is more active than it was a few years ago.

The rate of active members has climbed from about 50 to 90 per cent, that's a really strong rate and allows us to do a lot of activities in the community. Having so many active hands on deck means we can make a big impact through our work.

The money we raise from every gate we man and every sausage we sell goes straight back into the community, it is very rewarding.