Newbury Lions Club celebrates milestone birthday and donating more than £15k to good causes and families in need in West Berkshire

Members old and new returned to celebrate 50 years of Newbury Lions Club at a Covid-delayed party.

The club was founded in 1970 but the pandemic meant the celebrations were put on hold for a few years.

So helping to mark what is now 53 years, family and friends, as well as former members and guests from other Lions Clubs, gathered at The Chequers on Friday, May 12.

Gary Norman, in one of his last events as mayor of Newbury, and Lions District Governor David Ebsworth also both joined the party.

As part of the celebrations, Mr Ebsworth ‘badged in’ a new member and presented the Melvyn Jones Fellowship award – the highest honour a club can award its members – to Peter Wood, Judith Colby and Adrian Ho.

President of Newbury Lions, John Coleman, said he was “pleased to see so many friends and supporters of the club enjoying the night” and made a special presentation of a plaque to the Ecchinswell Bell Restoration Trust to mark the restoration of the bells at St Lawrence Church in the village.

He said: “We are a very small club now with just a dozen members but we are still dedicated to supporting those in need in our community.

“We rely on volunteers from other organisations and individuals to help us stage our fundraising events, especially our annual fireworks display at the racecourse.

“It is good to welcome new members and at the same time acknowledge the years of dedicated service of our current members.”

The evening closed with the presentation of cheques to the mayoress, for the Mayor’s Benevolent Fund, and to Anne Ebsworth for her District Governor Partner’s charity, My Cancer, My Choices.

In recent months Newbury Lions has donated more than £15,000 to good causes and individuals and families in need across the area.

Newbury Soup Kitchen, West Berkshire Homeless and Loose Ends have received £1,000 each to continue “their excellent work” in the community, while £500 was donated to Two Saints Hostel for the purchase of a new freezer.

Kennet Radio, Eight Bells for Mental Health and Ecchinswell Bells Restoration Trust each received a donation of £500, and a total of £3,000 was donated to the Injured Jockeys Fund and the Greatwood Charity, nominated by Newbury Racecourse, as a thank you for the help Lions receive in staging the annual fireworks.

Mr Coleman added: “We are proud to be part of the International Association of Lions Clubs which is dedicated to supporting communities across the world in whatever way we can.”

If you would like more information about the work of Newbury Lions email president@newburylions.org.uk or check out their Facebook page @lionsclubofNewbury

Newbury Lions next fundraising event is Speen Fete, which is being staged on Saturday, June 10, at Speen Recreation Ground.

This year’s event will feature drill displays from the English Civil War Society with the firing of muskets and cannon.