AN Abingdon man has been elected as the new president of international charity the 41 Club.

Martin Green, 61, a health and safety consultant, will now lead more than 800 smaller 41 clubs in their activities, such as organising local events like firework displays and summer festivals.

The 41 Club is a national voluntary association for former members of the Round Table, and has almost 20,000 members.

Round Table is for younger men, so when they leave at 40 to 45, they can join 41 Club to carry on helping their community.

Mr Green said: “I’m looking forward to travelling to new and different places in the UK and all over the world, meeting other 41 Clubs and experiencing other cultures – I already have Switzerland, Spain and Sweden in the diary.

“It is a great honour to be elected President of 41 Club and be part of a worldwide club that has such a massive impact on local communities.”

The new president, elected in March, is particularly hoping to work with the MG Car Club.

The MG car was manufactured in Abingdon and is a significant part of the town’s history.

He added: “Many of our members own MGs and I hope they will bring them to meetings when I visit their towns and cities.”

Mr Green has also set himself a target of helping to raise £50k for Macmillan Cancer Support, explaining: “My wife Maria is an ex-nurse, so I am all too familiar with the effect cancer can have on people and their families and hope that we can help raise awareness as well as money.”