Frome Lions’ Club reflect on a busy year

ONCE again, it has been a busy year for Frome Lions Club. Mark Symes takes a look back at some of the highlights in 2016.

January: This month saw the club host its annual Sporting Dinner, with the speaker being Graham Gooch. The event attracting over 180 guests who enjoyed a fine meal at Orchardleigh House & were then entertained by Graham. A fantastic evening which raised a large amount of money, enabling the club to donate £10,000 to its chosen charity of Somerset & Dorset Air Ambulance.

February, March & April: The ever-popular quiz nights were held at the Rugby Club and the final for the year’s quiz events was a sum in excess of £1,500.

May: The club’s annual Golf Day took place at Orchardleigh, raising a sum of £4,000 which was donated to the Children’s Hospice South West.

June: This saw the club host the annual fete at Victoria Park and whilst the weather could have been kinder, we still raised over £500. The many families who attended the day had a fantastic time.

July: The Lions helped over the first weekend where the gardens at the Blue House are open to the public, and provided drinks and a selection of homemade cakes, which must have been popular, as there were none left!

July: The club hosted the annual Skittles & BBQ for the Gateway Club, where Gateway members can enjoy skittles and BBQ food all provided by the Lions.

September: The annual Operation Hay Bale took place where local farmers support the club with donations of hay which is then on sold to other farmers who need it. This event is superbly supported by the local farming community and if farmers have no hay to donate then they provide cash donations. It is expected that this event will raise over £1,300.

October: The club hosted the annual swim, which had to be moved from March due to the sports centre being closed. A total of 23 teams took part with over £4,000 being raised of which at least 50% goes back to the teams for them to donate to their own chosen charities.

November: This month saw the club involved with the annual Tree of Remembrance, where a tree is erected outside of Rook Lane Chapel and people can post messages in order to remember a loved one. This is a lovely illuminated tree and remains in place all over the festive period.

November: The club took over a shop in the Westway Precinct for four days selling a wide range of goods, including toys, books, CD’s etc. The total raised was in excess of £500.

December: One of the clubs main events and appreciated by young and old is the Christmas Carol Float, which tours the town and villages form the 3rd to the 23rd of December. It is run in conjunction with the Frome Rotary Club and  allows people to say hello to Father Christmas. Last year, thanks to the generosity of local people, the total sum raised was £12,000. The expectation is to raise the same amount again, as long as the weather does not throw any surprises at us!

Mark continued, “There are many other activities with which we are involved, such as senior citizens meal out, providing transport for partially sighted groups to attend monthly social events.

“The club receives a number of requests to help people. So far this year we have supported in excess of twenty-five requests, all for local people.”

Further Information can be found on the club website.