WORCESTER Lions Club marked its 50th anniversary with a special celebration at Worcestershire Cricket Club.

The Mayor of Worcester, Councillor Allah Ditta and his wife Naseem Akhtar recently joined Worcester Lions Club members as well as other lions clubs representatives from around the country and other dignitaries, at The Graeme Hick Pavilion, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Worcester Clubs Charter being presented.

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Over the years the club has provided service to numerous organisations and good causes around the city. It is probably best known for its grant scheme that runs twice yearly in partnership with the Worcester News.

Club members help the local food bank as well as cooking and serving food to the rough sleepers that attend Worcester Street Cafe. They also help St Richard's Hospice with some of the events they run. Used spectacles are collected and dispatched to be recycled and used in sight saving projects around the world.

The club is also known for its Christmas sleigh that tours the city during the run up to Christmas, with the majority of the money raised going towards grant scheme funding.

To raise the money to fund the service the club provides the club has organised and run a large number of varied events over the years. These have included, swimathons, golf tournaments, fun days, coffee and cake mornings at the Guildhall, and they have also run stalls and games at city fetes and fairs.

The duck races held in Gheluvelt Park during both the St George's Day celebrations and the Worcester Show are also organised and run by members of the Worcester Club.

Money is also raised by raffling large Easter eggs at various venues in the area.

In 1972 the club twinned with the French, Orleans Doyen Lions Club and for many years the members of the two clubs held exchange visits and funded joint projects.

In 2012 with the help of the Ladies Lions Club of Kathmandu Bhrikuti, one such project provided 10 vegetable carts which assisted women at that time living in a run down building in the Dallu area of Kathmandu, to work and earn money to feed, clothe and educate their children.

The clubs also funded the purchase of roof materials need to complete the rebuilding of a secondary school in Kathmandu following the Nepal earthquake.

Geoff Lewis, from Worcester Lions Club, said: "Through Lions Clubs International Foundation the club has helped fund both national and international disaster appeals.

"Club members have also hosted young people attending youth camps. Another youth project that the club is involved with involves students that attend New College.

"Worcester Lions Club are always in need of new members to enable them to carry on the work of organising events and providing direct support to individuals, groups and good causes in our community."

For more details about Worcester Lions Club visit worcesterlionsclub.org.uk or email worcester@lions105m.org.uk.

Worcester Lions club ensure that every penny they collect counts and goes to good causes. Not one penny is spent on administration.