Loddon Valley Lions Club News
Lions Service Rewarded
When Loddon Valley Lions Club celebrated the 36th anniversary of them being Chartered as a member of Lions Clubs International, on 21st January, a number of their members were rewarded for distinguished service to the Club and to our International Organisation. Ken Williamson received his award for thirty years of service to the club and our President, Barry Germain received an award for 20 years of service. Barry's distinguished service, together with his work on behalf of the Loddon Valley Day Care Centre and Tadley Citizens Advice Bureau over many years, was further rewarded by the award of a Melvin J
ones Fellowship, the highest award that a Lions Club can bestow on one of its members. Our Treasurer, Geoff Foan was also awarded a Melvin Jones Fellowship for his valued contribution to Loddon Valley Lions for over 20 years. Guests at the celebratory Dinner Dance included (see below left and from the left: Sue Germain and our President Barry, Jenny Foan and Geoff, the Duputy Mayor of Basingstoke and Deane, Councillor Martin Biermann, District Governor Ron Twining and Ann, Vice President of Loddon Valley Lions, Richard High and the Deputy Mayoress of Basingstoke and Deane, Chansopha Biermann .
Awards to Burnham Copse Poets
Our Lions District of Central Southern England, the Isle of Wight and Channel Islands decided to organise a Poetry Competition to provide a means by which the 66 clubs of the District could forge links with their local schools. Loddon Valley Lions decided to embrace this competition by going into partnership with Burnham Copse Primary School in Tadley and the school produced twelve entries to the competition. The District organiser asked us to whittle that down to six, three for each of the two age groups. When the competition was judged, entries from Burnham Copse gained first and third places in the 7-10 Age Group Competition and second place in the 11-16 Age Group Competition. Our congratulations to the successful poets and our sincere thanks to the Headteacher and staff at Burnham Copse Primary School for allowing us to promote this competition through the school. For more information about Burnham Copse Primary School, Please Click Here. To see the winning entries, click on the relevant names.
7-10 Age Group: 1st Lauren Graham, 3rd Callum Brook
11-16 Age group: 2nd Jack Haines
Helping Thrive to Help Others
On 2nd December 2011, Loddon Valley Lions presented a cheque for £4,200 to Thrive to enable them to develop a 'Journey Garden'. This will be designed to provide therapy for people recovering from mental illness and depression, and measure the progress of their recovery. It is claimed that exercise can increase the release of brain chemicals which can affect our mood and make us feel happier; help us over come feeling isolated; improve communication; give us a sense of purpose and boost self-esteem as well as improve concentration. The garden will be at Thrive's Trunkwell Gardens location at Beech Hill, near Reading. Our picture shows (from the left) Treasurer Geoff Foan with Loddon Valley Lions President Barry Germain and (right) Immediate Past President John Goodchild presenting the cheque to Sue Tabor from Thrive (second from right). For more details of Thrive, Please Click Here.
2011 Firewor
k Fiesta Raises over £15,000
The 31st Loddon Valley Lions Annual Firework Fiesta was held at Wellington Country Park on Saturday November 5th. Please Click Here for more details of the Park. Despite an attrocious weather forecast earlier in the week, the weather was kind to us on the night and many thousands turned up to view our display,. Unfortunately, due to heavy rain the previous day, one of our car parks was unuseable to all but four wheel drive vehicles and all useable car parks were full over an hour before the display was due to start. However, our patrons were truly resilient and many walked in having parked their vehicles well over a mile from the park entrance. We thank all those who attended for helping us to raise over £15,000 to support our humanitarian efforts. For a review, more pictures and video of the event courtesy of Scott Stonham, Please Click Here and pictures from Laurence Gough can be viewed by Clicking Here. For more details of our Sponsors and Helpers, Please Click Here.
Annual Charity Golf Day
Loddon Valley Lions Club held their 16th Annual Charity Golf Day on Monday 5th September. Forty eight participants, including eleven from the West Berkshire Golf Club, competed in a four ball better ball stableford competition over 18 holes at Bishopswood Golf Club, Tadley. Weather conditions were good for most of the time, although the blustery wind produced some interesting outcomes on occasions. For the first time in the history of the competition, there was a Hole in One and this won the Nearest the Pin Prize for the fifth hole. More details, including pictures of action on the course, the presentations of prizes, and details of the prize winners can be obtained by Clicking Here.
The Lions Den
You may recall that a little while ago, we invited local groups from the area we serve to enter the Lions Den. A number of local groups took up this challenge and o
ur 'Dragons Den' style event was held at the Sherborne St John Social Club on the evening of Monday 25th July. The groups who participated didn't look too mauled when they emeged from the den and seemed very happy with the sums of money they were awarded for their efforts. Organiser, Loddon Valley Lions Vice President Richard High, was a little dissappointed that more groups and individuals didn't participate but was pleased overall at the way the evening turned out and hopes to organise another similar event in the future.
Another year - Another President
At a pleasant social event held at Ashford Hill Village Hall on Sunday 3 July 2011, John Goodchild handed over the Presidency of Loddon Valley Lions Club to Barry Germain. John was thanked for his stewardship of the club during the preceeding 12 months and in reply, wished incoming President Barry every success during his year. Unfortunately at that time, Barry did not have a Vice President to hand over his Vice Presidential collar to and ended up wearing both the Presidential and Vice Presidential Collars. John warned him that this meant that he was still Vice President of the club and would have to carry on in office for a second year if he had not found someone to take over. This 'threat' seemed to do the trick and Barry invested Richard High as his Vice President at the next Business Meeting of the Club.
Tadley Treacle Fair 2011
Loddon Valley Lions 2011 Tadley Treacle Fair was a very successful event enabling us to raise around £8,000 to support our humanitarian work in our local community and the wider world. We thank the public for their support in helping to make this event so successful and, the many local organisations who helped or provided sponsorship for the event. For a full report and details, please Click Here.
Easter Egg Raffles
Loddon Valley Lions thank all the Pubs, Clubs and other outlets who joined with us in our Easter Egg Raffles in the run up to Easter 2011 and also, all those who entered the draws, which helped us to raise over £2,200 for our humanitarian causes.
Spec Trek 2011
On Sunday 17th April, Petersfield Lions Club went on their annual tour of our Lions District of Central Southern England collecting up all the used spectacles amassed by the 67 Lions Clubs of our District during the previous 12 months. Over 119,000 pairs of spectacles were collected and these will be shipped to a factory in Le Havre which is wholly owned and operated by the Lions Clubs of France. There, the spectacles will be graded, refurbished and distributed to countries of the developing world, where they will provide the gift of sight to many who would otherwise find a pair of spectacles totally beyond their financial reach. Our picture shows David Fowler handing over part of Loddon Valley's contribution of 600 pairs of specs. This was down on previous years, so please, do let us have your unwanted specs for this very worthy cause. These can be handed to Father Christmas when he tours around in December, brought to the Treacle Fair or, by contacting us through our Contact Us page on this website.
Loddon Valley Lions Support for New Zealand and Japan
Loddon Valley Lions, in common with many Lions Clubs around the world have made money available for their fellow Lions in both New Zealand and Japan who are tirelessly toiling to try and bring some relief to the many thousands affected by the recent disastors in those countries. Our International Organisation has also made several large grants to Lions Clubs in the affected areas to help their relief efforts and, in the longer term help rebuild the infrastructure of destroyed communities. To see this and more pictures full size, Click Here
To find out more about what the Lions are doing in New Zealand, Please Click Here.
To find out more about what the Lions are doing in Japan, Please Click Here.
Loddon Valley Lions Celebrate their 35th Birthday
Loddon Valley Lions celebrated their 35th Charter Anniversary on 29th January 2011 at a Dinner dance held at the Hampshire Court Hotel, Basingstoke. Around 120 Lions and guests were in attendance, including The Mayor and Mayoress of Basingstoke and Lions Clubs International were represented by Past Chairman of the Council of Governors, Lion David Firth from the Lions Club of Westbury. Lions from the Basingstoke, Fleet, Newbury, Hart, Hook & Odiham, Pangbourne, Theale & District, Reading, Wokingham and the Yateley & District Lions Clubs were also present. After an excellent meal, both the Mayor, Cllr 
Keith Chapman and David Firth, congratulated the Loddon Valley Club on all that it had achieved in the past 35 years and Loddon Valley President, John Goodchild, presented The Mayor with a cheque for The Mayor's Charities to the value of £1,500.
President John then went on to present service chevrons to; Bob Bone for 30 years service, Guy Elliott (35 years), and Geoff Wheeler (35 years). Lion Martin Spooner was presented with a Melvin Jones Fellowship (the highest award any Lions Club can bestow on one of its members) for his dedication to the cause of Lionism and his outstanding work for the Club over his 22 years of membership.
Christmas 2010 in Loddon Valley
This year, Father Christmas managed to undertake all of his Christmas Tours around the area served by Loddon Valley Lions Club, despite the cold, the snow and the ice. There were one or two roads his sleigh was unable to get down because of the snow and ice in combination with parked vehicles, but we hope that no one on his published route who wanted to see him had too far to go. We sincerely thank the public for their donations which raised a total of £10,800 to support our community work. We also thank the public for their donations of unwanted spectacles and hearing aids which will be refurbished and distributed the by Lions in countries of the developing world. Father Christmas also visited The Loddon Valley Day Care Centre in Tadley and a number of Childrens' Homes and Nursing Homes to bring cheer to their residents in the run up to Christmas. Some of the money raised by Father Christmas was used to put together 120 boxes of Christmas Cheer to distribute to the elderly and lonely in the area served by Loddon Valley Lions. Father Christmas was also pleased to receive a large number of pictures coloured in by children. To see the results, Please Click Here.
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| Sherfield in the snow | Sherfield-on-Loddon | Tadley XMAS Lights Switch On |
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| Bramley | Loading XMAS Boxes for delivery | A Christmas Box |
We Remembered Them
Loddon Valley Lions were represented at four Remembrance Services in their area on Sunday 14 November. Our President laid a wreath on behalf of the Lions at the War Memorial in Mortimer and in addition, Lions wreaths were also laid during the services held in Baughurst, Silchester and Tadley by various club members. Lions from around the country were also present and laid a wreath at the service at the Cenotaph in London. After that service, they joined the March Past to Horse Guards Parade, where the salute was taken by HRH The Princess Royal.
Lions at The Lord Mayor's Show
Two Lions from Loddon Valley were part of a 50 strong contingent of Lions from South and South East England, London and East Anglia who supported the Lions Float at The Lord Mayor's Show in London on 13 November. The procession formed up along London Wall, before moving off to The Mansion House where it was joined by The Lord Mayor in his State Coach to the Royal Courts of Justice, where he took the official oath of office. The procession then returned via the Victoria Embankment to The Mansion House and London Wall. To see a Slide Show of the event, Please Click Here.
Loddon Valley Lions Fireworks Fiesta 2010
Loddon Valley Lions Club held their 2010 Fireworks Fiesta at Wellington Country Park on Saturday 6th November, by kind permission of His Grace The Duke of Wellington.
The weather was kind, if a little cold, and we were able to provide a spectacular display for the many thousands of visitors who attended, as can be seen from our pictures. Through this event we have raised in excess of £17,000 to support our humanitarian projects within the area we serve and, in the wider world. We sincerely thank the public for their support. To see more pictures Click Here. See more pictures on the Kestrel FM Website by Clicking Here.
Loddon Valley Lions are most grateful to A4 Metal Recycling of Beenham, Berkshire and Kestrel FM, who were the major sponsors of our Firework Fiesta for 2010.
Loddon Valley Lions Support Kestrel Kids
For a number of years, Loddon Valley Lions have received great support from Kestrel FM for our Firework Fiesta and our Treacle Fair. In recognition of that support, Presenter and Community Support Manager Phil Hatto was invited to talk to the club about the work of the Kestrel FM Kids Trust, which was set up in 2009 to:
- Relieve poverty, hardship or the distress of families with children;
- Promote the physical or mental welfare of families with children in need of care and attention;
- Improve the lives of individual families with children and children's groups in Basingstoke and the surrounding areas.
Phil went on to talk about Neil Read's forthcoming trek up Kilimanjaro to raise funds for the Kestrel FM Kids Trust Click Here for more information about this trek.
As the aims of the Trust are very much aligned to some of the ways in which the Lions support their local community, President John Goodchild was pleased to present a cheque from the club for £1,000 to help the Trust in its work and in thanks to the support Loddon Valley Lions have received from Kestrel FM.
Lion President John takes over the reins
A1.JPG "Tim hands over the Presidential Chain to John")
A pleasant Social Evening was held at the Sherborne St John Social Club on the evening of 7 July. New Lions Peter Grigoleit and Chris Hurst were presented with their Certificates of Membership, but the main purpose of the even
ing was to effect the handover of the Presidency from Tim Boulsbee to John Goodchild. John thanked Tim for having provided a superb buffet and the opportunity for an excellent social occasion for the Lions, their families and friends. He went on to praise Tim for his excellent leadership of the club during the past twelve months which had resulted in the club recruiting three new members and some highly successful fundraising events to support its programme of humanitarian projects. Tim thanked the club for their support during his Presidential year, before handing over the chain of office to John, who, in response presented Tim with his Past President Pin and a gift from the club of a case of wine. Concerned that once the wine had been consumed, Tim would have no lasting memory of his Presidency, he was also presented with a "cuddly lion and cub". John then went on to instal Barry Germain as Vice President for the fortcoming year.
Tadley Treacle Fair 2010
The 2010 Tadley Treacle Fair was blessed with good weather and an excellent attendance from the local area. Loddon Valley Lions thank all those who supported us for helping us to raise £10,500 to support our humanitarian programmes in the local community and, the wider world. The event was highly successful and we will publish more information as soon as it becomes available. To see the report from Newbury Today and watch video footage, Click here. We also thank our many sponsors a list of which can be viewed by clicking here.
Loddon Valley Lions support for Haiti Earthquake victims
Loddon Valley Lions have made £1,000 available to the Lions Clubs International Foundation fund to support the victims of the recent Haitian earthquake. Lions from Haiti and around the world are working on the ground to provide immediate help after the disaster and will continue to support the area physically and financially, long after the aid agencies have left. This support will help to rebuild important infrastructure such as schools, hospitals, orphanages and housing. For more information, Click Here.
Loddon Valley Lions celebrate 34 years of service to the community and, the wider world.
On the evening of 30th January, Loddon Valley Lions celebrated their 34th Charter Anniversary (Birthday) at a Dinner Dance at the Hampshire Court Hotel, Basingstoke. Highlight of the evening was the presentation of Melvin Jones Fellowships (the highest award that a Lions Club can bestow on a member) to two Lions who have been members of the Club since it was accepted into our International Association 34 years ago. The awards were presented by District Governor Judith Goodchild and Lion President Tim Boulsbee to Guy Elliott (left picture) and Geoff Wheeler (right). The club had also received a letter from HM Lord Lieutenant of Hampshire, Dame Mary Fagan, in which she praised the many years of much valued work carried out by Geoff Wheeler on behalf of the St John's Ambulance Brigade.
Also during the evening, service awards were presented to Steve Davey (Right), and Iain Aldridge (left) (each for 10 years service) and to Roy Bridgewater second left) (for 30 years service).
The evening was attended by 137 Lions, guests and friends and included members from the Lions clubs of Basingstoke, Fleet, Hart, Hook & Odiham, Newbury, Wokingham, Yateley & District and Yeovil as well as members of the Loddon Valley Club. Following the meal and presentations, there was dancing to Fairlight 2. A splendid evening, thoroughly enjoyed by all who attended.
Father Christmas toured Loddon Valley
Despite the snow in the run up to Christmas, Father Christmas did manage to complete all but three of his tours. At the beginning of December, Father Christmas and his helpers got extremely wet on some occasions, but the weather did not deter children young and old from coming out to hand in their entries for the colouring competition, donate their old and unwanted spectacles for recycling or just to have a chat with Santa. Then, it got very cold, but that was no deterent for Santa and his helpers, nor it seems, for Santa's supporters. However, immediately prior to Christmas, the snow came. Santa, Rudolf and his helpers managed to slither around Kingsclere, but Rudolf needed considerable help to get Santa around some streets. Further snow the following Monday made it impossible for Rudolf to take Santa out and the condition of many of the roads and footpaths made it unsafe to attempt the tours on the Tuesday and Wednesday immediately prior to Christmas. Rudolf and Santa apologise to those in Pamber Heath, Sherfield-on-Loddon and Baughurst for being unable to visit.
Loddon Valley Lions would like to thank the public in their community for their generosity during December, which enabled us to collect over £8,000 for our programme to bring a little cheer to the elderly, the lonely and the disadvantaged at this festive time of the year.
Tadley Christmas Lights Switch on
Loddon Valley Lions Christmas Float took Father Christmas to the Tadley Christmas Lights switch on on Friday 27 November. The weather was ideal for the event and Father Christmas was swamped with youngsters who all wanted to let him know what they wanted him to bring them for Christmas - so much so, that he even ran out of lolipops. There were also numerous performing artists to keep the children amused, as well as outdoor musical performances and Carol Singing and a very popular indoor Christmas Market. The lights were switched on by special guest Jamie Rickers, who is playing Buttons in Cinderella at The Anvil in Basingstoke and is also on CITV's Toonattik on weekend mornings.
Loddon Valley Lions also took a collection, the proceeds of which will be donated to the Tadley and District Branch of Age Concern. To see pictures of the event, courtesy of Cllr Stephen West, Click Here.
Congratulations to Tadley Town Council and their team, for a great evening.
Loddon Valley Lions Fireworks Fiesta 2009
This event was highly successful, with several thousand visitors attending our event on Saturday 7th November at Wellington Country Park. As always, we are grateful to His Grace The Duke of Wellington and the Park Management Saff for allowing us to run the event at this splendid venue. The weather was good enabling clear views of the fireworks as they exploded into fountains of colour several hundred feet into the air. Although the accounts are not yet complete, it looks as if it has earned us in the region of £10,000 for our humanitarian work in our local community and, the wider world. We thank the public who attended for their support, but most importantly all those who helped us in the sponsorship, organisation and running of this event.
New President takes Office
On 5th July Lion President Bob Bone hosted a Garden Party at his home, during which he formally handed over the Presidency to Tim Boulsbee for the 2009-2010 year. The event was blessed with superb weather and was much enjoyed by all the members and their partners who attended. To see more pictures of this event, Click Here. Our thanks to Bob Bone for providing the pictures.
