Knutsford & District Lions Club

Message in a bottle Spectacle Recycling Community Support Projects Youth projects Charitable Donations

ANNUAL CHARITY CONCERT

A Charity Concert is held in November each year. The concert was orginally held at Knutsford Metodist Church, but in recent years has been held at the larger St Johns Parish Church. The well known Houghton Weavers folk group played for a number of years. In 2023, 'Silouette' an 8 piece band wowed the audience with their 60s and 70s iconic sound. A full bar and prize draw made for an enjoyable evening. Over recent years, funds raised went to The Christie, the Welcome, Hope Central, Brain Tumour Research as well as the Lions charity fund.

PROJECT WENCESLAS

Each year since 2015 we have had a Wenceslas Appeal to aleviate crisis poverty in our area. The appeal runs from late November to early January. Donations can be made via our Just Giving account, alternatively a cheque can be paid to 'Knutsford Lions Charity Account' (marked 'Project Wenceslas') If the cheque is from a tax payer we can claim Gift Aid, which will increase the donation by 25% - a Gift Aid form available on request.

ANNUAL CHRISTMAS HOUSE TO HOUSE & ENVELOPE APPEAL

Each December we have a House to House envelope collection, wonderfully aided by Knutsford Hosts, to raise funds for the Christmas Day Lunch and other Lions good causes.

Donation envelopes can be given to any Lions member, a 'drop off' point in town, or at Knutsford Lions street collection on Princess Street in early December.

CHRISTMAS DAY LUNCH FOR THOSE ON THEIR OWN

For over 30 years, Knutsford Lions have been providing lunch for between 30 and 40 people who would otherwise have been on their own on Christmas Day. Transport is provided and a traditional Christmas lunch served at a local community centre.

CHRISTMAS DAY LUNCH FOR PEOPLE 'ON THEIR OWN' - 2023

We had our Christmas Day Lunch 'for people on their own' at the Stanley Centre. As always, it was a lovely occasion, many thanks to Town Mayor Peter Coan, Santa, the cooks, servers, washer uppers and drivers. Special thanks to Clive and Pat Heath for their meticulous organisation.

Due to Covid 19 restrictions in 2020/21, we joined up with the Welcome Centre and Hope Central to prepare and deliver Christmas Day Lunch – including soup, turkey and all the trimmings, Christmas pudding, Christmas cake and mince pie and ‘goodie bag’, to 60 people at their own home instead. We were supported by many local volunteers from Knutsford who helped cooking and delivering lunches.

KNUTSFORD LIONS KNUTSFORD ACADEMY SIXTH FORM AWARD

Since 2021 we have presented a prize to an outstanding student at Knutsford Academy for acedemic achievement but also volunteering and helping in the community. The inaugural prize was awarded to Ella Senior who is now studying veterary science at Edinburough University. The 2022 prize was awarded to Amelia Key who is studying sociology.

MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE

Message in a Bottle is a free scheme set up in the UK by Lions to help the emergency services by providing a known location for essential information in the event of an accident or sudden illness - particularly for people living on their own. The scheme in Knutsford is run in conjunction with the Knutsford Medical Partnership.

Each bottle is provided with a form to allow the essential information to be recorded (e.g. any key medical conditions, or medication issues and where tablets etc. are kept). This information is to be kept in the special bottle inside the fridge. Stickers are provided which should be displayed on the INSIDE of the front door (so that the emergency services know there is a bottle on the premises), and on the front of the fridge (so they know where to find it).

All four surgeries of the Knutsford Medical Partnership and Knutsford Community Hospital as well as Knutsford Lions hold a stock of bottles - if you would like one please contact us or Knutsford Medical Partnership directly.

SPECTACLE RECYCLING

With the help of opticians in Knutsford and members of the public, we collect used spectacles and send them to the Lions Club National HQ in Birmigham, where they are checked, sorted and then sent on to Medico France who supply them to Eye Camps in Africa, India and Eastern Europe. Currently used spectacles can be taken to Clare & Illingworth, Boots Opticians, Wendy Didhams in Knutsford, and Wheeldons in Wilmslow.

YOUNG LEADERS IN SERVICE AWARDS

Unfortunately this scheme has been halted, due to difficulties restarting in the years after the Pandemic

In November 2014 Knutsford Lions, in collaboration with the Knutsford Town Council, launched a Lions Young Leaders in Service Award Scheme. The Awards recognise young people between the ages of 11 and 18 giving service to the local community within a 12 month period. Each individual is issued with a small Log Book in which to record their activities. Certificates (Silver for 50 hours, Gold for 100 hours) are presented jointly by the Town Council and Knutsford Lions at an Awards Ceremony each year.

A recent GOLD ward was made to Misha ,,,, who completed over 200 hours of service including looking after her sister who has cerebral palsy and baking cakes for the local NHS during the pandemic.

COMMUNITY SUPPORT PROJECTS

Help with marshalling at local events - In recent years we have often provided marshals at a number of local events, including the Christmas Lights Switch On and the Pumpkin Path event for Knutsford Town Council

OTHER YOUTH PROJECTS

We participate in the annual Town Council award of a MILLENIUM BURSARY, open to local undergraduates.

We make grants to young individuals who embark on organised overseas travel projects eg local scouts to the World Scout Jamboree.

REGULAR CHARITABLE DONATIONS

Around 80% of our donations go to local causes. We have an annual review of regular donations in February, and other donations are given throughout the year as a need arises. Note that this runs separately to our Wenceslas Scheme to help reduce hardship. Although our donations are mostly local, we also donate to various national and international global crises as they arise.

Here is a typical list of organisations receiving donations.

Local Scouts and Guides	Citizen's Advice Cheshire North
Local Primary Schools	Knutsford Community First Responder Trust
Knutsford GROW	Crossroads Together
Town Council Millennium Bursary Awards	The Welcome, Knutsford
Claire House Children's Hospice	Hope House Children's Hospice
East Cheshire Hospice	Francis House Children's Hospice
Mid Cheshire Samaritans	Cheshire Young Carers
Local fuel poverty support	Lions Water Aid
Hope Central Food Bank	Lions Sight Savers
Stanley Centre	Lower Moss Wood Nature Reserve/Animal Rescue
Friendship Cafe	Cheshire Without Abuse
Knutsford GROW	Lions Measles Initiative Appeal
Age UK Cheshire East	Lions Disaster Committee Appeals
Knutsford Community Transport	Knutsford Heritage Centre
Abbeyfield (Knutsford)	Passion for Learning
Hearing Dogs for Deaf People (Cheshire)	Local Cerabal Palsy Charity