The Frome Lions held their 47th Charter Dinner at the Cross Keys in Rode on Sunday 27th April.
This was a celebration dinner of the Frome Lions formation and its ongoing good work for the local community and charity.
The Lions had a good turn out with guests from Frome’s two Rotary Clubs, Dot Cretney president Frome Rotary Club and Ken Fricker vice president Frome Selwood Rotary and his wife Catherine, along with the Lions district governor John Mounty. Frome Lion Tony Buchan also attended in a dual role as he is the Lions district governor elect as well as a club member, a huge honour for both himself and the Frome Lions Club.
The Frome Lions would like to take this opportunity to wish him well for his next year as Lions district president.
All who attended had a good enjoyable meal follow by some excellent speeches. President of Frome Lions Frank Collins said in his speech, “In Frome Lions we are very proud of what we achieve for charity and our local community. In the past year we have organised events which have resulted in funds being raised for charity of almost £50,000.
“Our Golf Day last spring, with the help of our friends at Orchardleigh Golf Club, generated nearly £7,000 for Motor Neurone Disease. The Christmas Carol Float – organised in conjunction with our very good friends at Frome Rotary Club – managed an all-time record collection of about £12,200 thanks to a new assistant, HM Chancellor of the Exchequer. The funds raised from this go to local causes.
“A particular success a few weeks ago was our Annual Sporting Dinner. This broke records for everything – attendance, take on the raffle, money raised at the auction, and overall profit. The £8,000 raised directly from this event enabled the charity to obtain lottery match funding of £10,000 – giving Wessex Counselling’s project to provide a counselling service in local schools to troubled children a fantastic start.
“Lots of other smaller events happen too; only on Friday night our long-running quiz series marked its 100th edition and has raised over £22,500 in the 20 years it has been operating.
“While some of our fund raising is for specific charities, a good amount is for the Lions own charity, which enables us to support a huge range of worthy causes in the local community. In the past year we have supplied equipment to a number of local hardship cases, support for various local community groups in terms of time and events, funds to assist those affected by the flooding on the Levels, and support for local schools and other educational activities.
“What is achieved by Frome Lions is mirrored in the activities of other Lions Clubs all over Great Britain and about 190 countries worldwide. Frome Lions also support some overseas initiatives; most recently the Lions World Immunisation Day project to raise $1m for measles immunisation in less developed parts of the world; while one of our own members is not able to be with us today as he is helping with an educational project in Madagascar.
“None of this would be possible without the huge amount of time freely and voluntarily given by the members of the club and their ladies, and the support of our friends around the town. On behalf of the club therefore can I thank each and every one of them for their support.”
