A student from Malawi has arrived in Reading after receiving a £26,000 Rotary Foundation Grant.

Grace Mkangama, from Lilongwe, Malawi, arrived on September 18 to begin her one-year MSc in Climate, Environment, and Development at the University of Reading.

The funds, which also included donations from a local Rotary Club, will support her studies.

Members of the Reading Abbey Rotary Club will assist Ms Mkangama in settling into British student life and introduce her to the history and culture of the Thames Valley.

Upon completing her studies, Ms Mkangama aims to return to Malawi to work on programmes with young people and small-scale farmers to enhance food production while conserving the environment.

Reading Abbey Rotary Club is one of six Rotary Clubs in and around the Reading area.

The club is known for its volunteering, fundraising, and community service efforts for both social and business contacts.

Members hail from various backgrounds, contributing a range of knowledge and experience to the club's activities.

The club meets weekly on Thursday evenings, alternating between Zoom and the Caversham Business suite of the Crowne Plaza Hotel.

Meetings commence with networking, followed by dinner, and then a talk from a guest speaker on a topic of general interest.