A STEETON churchwarden has become president of the country’s Inner Wheel Clubs.

Thelma Pacsoo was recently installed as the ‘Big Wheel’ by the Association of Inner Wheel Clubs in Great Britain and Ireland.

Thelma, warden of St Stephen’s Church, is a member of the Inner Wheel Club of Ilkley and has held every post in the branch.

She has also been chairman at district level, and president at the Association Executive level.

When Thelma joined Inner Wheel, a global woman’s voluntary service organisation, she had intended to ‘stay in the background’.

Thelma’s hectic year as national president will involve travelling thousands of miles, as she visits each of the 29 districts across the isles.

She will also attend the Triennial International Inner Wheel Convention in Copenhagen, mingling with representatives from the organisation’s 100,000-strong international membership.

Thelma’s chosen charity for the year is Home-Start UK, which supports parents of young children experiencing tragedy or distress.

The charity’s new project Big Hopes Big Futures aims to ensure that children begin school with the skills necessary to prevent them being isolated and left behind.

Inner Wheel was founded 90 years ago by the wives of Rotary club members in Manchester, and its objects are friendship, service and international understanding. Association members last year raised more than £1.5 million for good causes.