Wetherby District Lions Club

the local branch of Lions International, which covers Wetherby and the surrounding villages of Walton, Thorp Arch, Boston Spa, Collingham, Clifford and Bramham.

A member of Lions International, with the motto “We Serve”, the club is a service organisation which fundraises for charitable purposes and cooperates with other charities and not-for-profit organisations to help them achieve their aims.

Beneficiaries of the club’s charity account and charitable trust include local, national and international causes, helped by the international nature of the Lions organisation.

The menus to the right give access to more detailed information about Wetherby District Lions Club and the Lions Clubs International organisation, whether you are an interested member of the public, a person or organisation seeking help or support or someone interested in becoming a member of the club.

You can see photos and videos about the club on Flickr and Youtube by searching on “Wetherby Lions” and follow us on Twitter

We are indebted to the Bridge Inn, Walshford, LS22 5HS for providing meeting rooms and hospitality to the club

Lions are reconstructing the Notre Dame School in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, with Lions of District 103-SW, France. The school will serve 361 disadvantaged students. Two years later, learn how Lions and LCIF continue to rebuild hope in Haiti through long-term relief efforts.

US$35,000 has been awarded to Lions in the Philippines, to assist with relief efforts following Typhoon Washi. Lions are sponsoring several relief operations to provide blankets, food and water throughout the city, particularly in the hardest hit areas of Iligan City and Cagayan de Oro City.

Lions have renewed their commitment with the World Health Organization to strengthen efforts through SightFirst-funded programs to fight preventable blindness.

See all grants recently approved, find out about our grant program areas or locate grant applications.

Here are some of the photos taken on the day:

Press the pause (||) button to look at a particular picture.

You can see more photos by going to Flickr and searching on “Wetherby Lions” then choosing “Photographers”; “Wetherby Lions”

“Shopping in Wetherby on Saturday 17^th December?” asks Lions publicity officer Steve Cooper. “Be sure to visit the Market Place where you will find the Dickensian spirit of Christmas”.

“Wetherby Lions Dickensian Christmas includes some special treats and one surprise for 2011”.

“Mark the date in your diary, come along with your children and grandchildren.  You will be able to listen to the Silver Band, hear the Musical Theatre Group’s singers and experience the old world charm of a barrel organ”.

“Local schools have been invited to bring along their choirs and singing groups too”.

“While all this is happening you will be able to keep warm with hot roasted chestnuts and bacon rolls while the Market Place deli will also be serving soup”.

“Santa Claus will be in his grotto to hear last minute Christmas wishes”.

“And then there’s the surprise – genuine reindeers and their sleigh. You will be able to have your photograph taken on the sleigh so be sure to bring along your camera.

Santa and two of his reindeers

Tempo FM’s promo of Santa in the Market Place

Fundraising is not always about high profile events with hundreds of participants raising tens of thousands of pounds of profit.

Wetherby Lions run a season of quizzes at St Joseph’s Church Hall for about 80 hard-core quizzers and raise funds for various charities and causes nominated by the club. Over the last seven years the quizzes have raised over £13,000.

Image from the Smile Train website

However the quiz team comprising quizmaster Terry Burns, AV presenter John Wardley and the club’s founder member Colin Gaden as doorman and bouncer has become a bit of a franchise.  They recently presented a quiz evening for the Yorkshire Countrywomen’s Association and their supporters which raised £487 for the YCA’s chosen charity, The Smile Train which provides surgery for hare lip/cleft palate deformities for children in developing countries.

Lion Terry manages to combine the compilation of his quizzes with his role as club treasurer and involvement in three local chorus singing groups.

PS: There’s no prize for the correct answer but do you know by which name the character in literature Natty Bumppo is better known?

We are pleased to announce our timetable of Santa’s sleigh visits to the streets of Wetherby.

We are again grateful to Nidd Vale Motors for the loan of a towing vehicle for Santa’s sleigh

Santa at the Farmers' Market last year

On Sunday evening, 14th November at the Leeds Carnegie Stadium GYBR organiser John Taylorson MBE reported on the 2011 event which has now surpassed its £2,000,000 target for sponsorship raised over its 27 year history.

He paid tribute to the cyclists who raised over £144,000 this year and his support team who are mostly close friends who have been with him from the start of the event.  He thanked the numerous sponsors of the event who provide various facilities such as vehicles, food and finance and the charity volunteers who provide marshals and staff at the start, along the way, at drinks stops and at the finish.

Individual and group sponsorship successes were recognised with trophies, while the beneficiary charities received cheques and explained the uses to which they would put the generous donations.

Wetherby Lions Vice President Mike Earle accepted our cheque which we will share with other Lions clubs and organisations who assist us on the day or are part of the pre-planning which we undertake in the run up to the day.

Inspired to enter next year’s event?  Then go to gybr.co.uk, read more about the Great Yorkshire Bike Ride and bookmark the site to return in February 2012 and enter – but be quick.  Entry numbers are limited for obvious safety reasons and they go quickly.

VP Mike Earle receives Wetherby Lions donation from the 2011 GYBR

The slideshow below details the donations that the club made in the year ending June 2011.

Here’s a slideshow of the various trophies and cheque presentations which took place (it takes a while to load).

Download John Taylorson’s press release of 22nd November [pdf format]

Lion President Stuart Arnold, accompanied by three club members, visited YAA’s Air Support Unit to present a £2,000 cheque to their charity fundraisers.

Lion Maurice Upton, Development officer Nicky Massen, Paramedic James Vine, President Stuart Arnold and Lion Jenny Wade

The donation comprised the money raised by participants in the Lions Pram Race in July; Sicklinghall school, Wetherby Tennis Club, the Windmill at Linton, Castlegate Stationery, HMP Wealstun, Wetherby Musical Theatre Group and Wetherby Police which amounted to £1,025.62.  It was matched by the Lions Charitable Trust to total £2,000.

The subsequent guided tour included seeing the BBC’s permanent facility for producing the television programme Helicopter Heroes, Helimed 99 itself and the operational side of the YAA.  One little known fact to emerge was that the YAA takes a proactive role by monitoring 999 ambulance calls and offering its services for suitable calls rather than waiting to be summoned.

The YAA is a charity supported totally by donations and needs to raise £2.65 millions per annum.

The control room manned by dispatcher Martin Brookes

You can read about the Yorkshire Air Ambulance at yaa.org.uk

Helimed 99's pilot Chris Attrill

BBC camera director Matt Richards

Our meeting on the 3rd October proved to be a busy night with an audio-visual presentation by Wetherby Scouts to tell us about their visit to the World Scout Jamboree in Sweden, which included a stopover in Denmark on the way and a subsequent exchange visit to Finland. Nine local scout members benefited in part from the sponsorship provided by the Lions, visited Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen, camped in the wild in Sweden and met their counterparts from as far afield as Hong Kong and Brazil before travelling on to Finland.

Wetherby Lions celebrated Robin Harrison’s 25 years membership of the club with the presentation of a commemorative chevron

We also inducted a new member, David Anderson, the second new member in a month.

The Bridge Inn at Walshford is the new meeting venue for the club

We will be collecting tinned and bottled foods in Wetherby to sell at a charity stall at Wetherby Market on Thursday, 27th October.

Local collections will take place from October 17th but if you won’t be at home you can leave them outside your front door after that date or you can arrange collection by phoning Lion Chris on 583559.

For more information download this double-sided A5 leaflet.

You can support Wetherby Lions charity activities by donating online via Virgin Money Giving or by mobile SMS using JustTextGiving – details alongside.

Wetherby Lions Club is pleased to welcome new member Greg Webster into the fold.

Greg, pictured being inducted by Lions Vice President Mike Earle, originates from Sydney and came to the UK in 2006 with his partner Gail. They have decided to settle permanently in Wetherby as they like the community spirit here and he wants to “do his bit” in the community while enjoying the fellowship of the Lions club.