Lord Luce, President of the Royal Over-Seas League (ROSL) announced today on behalf of the organisations’ Central Council, that the Honourable Alexander Downer AC will be the next Chairman of the Royal Over-Seas League. 

Lord Luce said “I am delighted to welcome Alexander Downer as our next Chairman to succeed Sir David Brewer after he stands down at the AGM in May 2019.  Mr Downer is a most distinguished Australian public servant whose career has covered politics, diplomacy and the Commonwealth. He was Australia's longest serving Foreign Minister and recently retired as High Commissioner to the UK. His extensive experience and skills will be invaluable at this exciting time in the organisation’s long history.” 

Mr Downer said: “I am delighted and honoured to take on the role of Chairman of ROSL. This is an historic organisation which helps to bind the peoples of the Commonwealth together. As a citizen of the Commonwealth, I am enthusiastic about the work ROSL has done to promote the arts internationally, to help people suffering from disadvantage and to provide a home away from home for many in London. This work is particularly valuable at a time when so much internationally and within our own countries is going through substantial change and uncertainty”

The Royal Over-Seas League (ROSL), founded in 1910, is a non-profit organisation dedicated to championing international friendship and understanding throughout the Commonwealth and beyond. With 16,000 members worldwide, ROSL’s headquarters are at Over-Seas House in central London, which is a centre for its arts and cultural programmes as well as providing extensive facilities for ROSL members and others. ROSL Members also support arts, humanitarian and education activities in the Commonwealth in line with objectives set out in its Royal Charter to give service to ‘humanity at large’.

Alexander Downer will attend the 67^th ROSL Annual Music Competition on Thursday 30 May at the Southbank Centre.

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Further Information:

Gemma Matthews, Director of Marketing
ROSL, Over-Seas House, Park Place, London SW1A 1LR T: 020 7408 0214 / This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

NOTES FOR THE EDITOR:

Founded in 1910, the Royal Over-Seas League (ROSL) is a not-for-profit private members' organisation dedicated to championing international friendship and understanding, with a clubhouse in St James’s Street London.

ROSL supports talented young artists and musicians from the UK and Commonwealth, providing performance and exhibition opportunities which bring their work to the attention of the professional arts community, media and general public.

ROSL is an officially recognised Commonwealth NGO.

Membership has been open to men and women on equal terms since 1910 and today we are proud of our equal male/female membership ratio. Half of our 16,000 members are located outside of the UK.

Through our ROSL Education projects we help students from remote areas of Namibia to become teachers; support San communities in the Kalahari and the Pestalozzi Asian Village in India; fund school bursaries in Pakistan and Kenya; and the building of a computer lab in the Solomon Islands.

ROSL's London clubhouse; comprising 83 bedrooms, private garden and terrace with views of Green Park, restaurant, brasserie and bar (with al fresco dining in summer), drawing room and seven conference and private dining rooms.

Patron: Her Majesty The Queen, Vice Patron Her Royal Highness Princess Alexandra KG GCVO

www.rosl.org.uk