Swaffham & District Lions Club

Lioness 2021

In April 2018, the Lions Clubs International Board of directors decided to end the sponsorship of any new Lioness Clubs. They also recommended that all combinations of Lioness districts and administrative roles, should no longer be supported at any level.
The transition for those long-valued members, to new clubs and groups, has to be completed by the 30th June this year. There will be no Lionesses after that point.
So, 30years on from their formation, we welcome Swaffham Lionesses as members of the Lions global community. As importantly though, we gain nine new members for Swaffham and District Lions Club, bringing with them new ideas and experience, as well as the wish to work together for the benefit of our communities.
This fresh arrangement, allows the "new Lions Members" to meet as a separate club, now named Swaffham and District Lioness Lions Club branch. The President is Nicola Claxton and their Secretary is Karen Nye. Swaffham and District Lions will, in all respects, be the Parent Club.
We all look forward to new projects and events together and to the Club Branch realising it's own ambitions.

Tony Lakey

Swaffham & District Lions President

Magpie centre 2021

Swaffham & District Lions have been impressed with the work that West Norfolk Riding for the Disabled do at the Magpie Centre. The centre, which has been running for 30 years, has just reopened following lockdown and has welcomed a small number of clients back, before lockdown up to 130 attended both riding or on carriages. The centre manager, Natalie Dade, explained they have 15 horses, 5 staff and up to 100 volunteers. The cost of running the centre, which relies heavily on donations and fundraising events, has still had to pay for hay, vets, staff and general running costs during lockdown without the ability to fundraise.

Lion President Tony Lakey and Lion Pam Tallon presented at cheque for £500 on behalf of Swaffham & District Lions to Natalie Dade with Buddy a 13-year-old Dark Bay Irish Cob.

LCIF 2021

Swaffham and District Lions Club is part of Lions Clubs International which, as the name suggests, is a worldwide organisation with Clubs in over 200 countries and geographical regions. In 1968 the organisation established its own charitable Foundation known as Lions Clubs International Foundation. This is a non-profit making Foundation which collects monies from Lions Clubs and individuals and distributes it in terms of donations in response to national emergencies and disasters. The monies are always donated to a Lions Club(s) based in the area of need and never given to governments or spent in war zones. Every penny donated to the Foundation is used to fund its responses and it is the duty of Club(s) receiving donations to provide the Foundation with receipts and details of how the monies have been spent – such transparency is an integral part of the organisation.

Lions Clubs across Europe are celebrating Lions Clubs International Foundation Day on Saturday 12^th June. This is an opportunity for Clubs to publicise themselves as well as their Foundation and the tremendous work carried out on its behalf by Lions Clubs across the world.

Although Swaffham and District Lions Club uses the majority of the monies it raises to worthwhile causes in the local community (at least 80% is donated locally) the Club is proud to support the Foundation on a regular basis. It is pleasing to note that the UK receives a fair share of the Foundation’s donations. In the last 3 years severe flooding in the North West and the Somerset levels has led to Clubs in these areas receiving financial support and just last year the Foundation donated in excess of £160,000 to provide PPE for each Air Ambulance based in the UK, and some £40,000 was for the Air Ambulances based in East Anglia.

Ink Bin 2021

With over 1million ink cartridges going into land fill each day, causing contaminates to pollute the water table and taking up to 1,000 years to decompose, Swaffham Lions have launched an ink cartridge recycling scheme as part of their commitment to look after the environment. The cartridges (no toners) can be handed in at Swaffham Community Centre or on Sunday morning between 10-12 at the Assembly Rooms. Swaffham Lions also collect spectacles, hearing aids and food for the Foodbank.

Litter Pick 2021

As part of looking after the environment, Swaffham Lions are asking local residents which areas they would wish the Lions to litter pick. Once the areas have been selected, following any safety concerns, a team will be allocated to an area with the view of looking after the area on a regular basis.

The Lions nationally are trying to collect 2022 bags of litter before the start of the 2022 Commonwealth Games that are to be held in Birmingham. They will be displayed at the opening ceremony; its aim is to highlight the need to look after the environment

Awards 2021

With the Lions still unable to meet in person they continue their monthly meetings on Zoom. This month they invited Lions Vice District Governor, David Pope, to give an update on the work the Lions are doing in the district. He thanked the club for all for work they are doing in the community, especially with their foodbank collections. Lion David took the opportunity to recognise Swaffham Lions members with long service awards.

Diana Merchant 10 years

Chris Rainbow 15 years

David Spooner 15 years

Dennis Tallon 20 years

John Ludlow 35 years

David Merchant 35 years

Glasses 2021

With the pandemic causing the loss of spectacle recycling venues, the closures of opticians, Swaffham Lions recycling bin at Tesco remained open and has collected 70 pairs during the last lockdown. Since Swaffham Lions have been collecting, they have sent over 100,000 pairs of spectacles to be recycled and forwarded on to needy countries. We try not to use the term glasses, as we have had drinking glasses donated in the past not spectacles.

Necton Co-op 2021

Following the success of the Lions Sunday Food collection, and their partnership with the Iceland food collection, the Lions are pleased to announce that the Necton Co-op have joined the food collection for the Foodbank. One of the Co-op managers, Sarah Faulkner, was delighted to be able to support such a worthy cause in these trying times and thanked the Lions for setting up the project.

Since the Lions Sunday Food Collection started the Lions have collected over 1500kg of food.

Pandemic 2021

Despite the Pandemic Swaffham Lions are continuing to support the Community with their Sunday Food Collections as well as the weekly delivery of donated food to the Foodbank in Dereham, returning with made up food parcels. The Lions have also answered calls to collect and deliver duvets to the local women’s refuge and helping a lady by moving a bed downstairs so that her husband could return home from hospital. The Lions see this as a major part of their work even in the good times.

Feeding the Hungry 2021

Swaffham Lions have been in partnership with Tesco and the Trussell Trust for the past five years, managing their annual food donations, due to Covid-19 this has changed to collecting food donations on a weekly basis. The donations that are collected weekly are up to 100kg, this is combined to the Lions Sunday and Iceland collections and transported to the distribution centre at Dereham by the Lions(picture). The centre then makes up food boxes for individuals and families which the Lions then transport back to Swaffham.

With the churches unable to collect food for the Foodbank, Swaffham Lions started a Sunday food collection (photo) collecting up to 50kg each Sunday, with the success of the collection, Iceland Food Stores asked if they could participate in food collections (photo) with up to 40kg collected each week this has proved hugely successful.

There have been many spin-offs to the Sunday collections with good coverage on Social Media. We have had requests to further support the community, the local butcher wished to give a food hamper to a local family (photo), the Lions Welfare team located a deserving family who were over joyed, it made their Christmas

The Welfare team have teamed up with Swaffham Community Fridge and supplied local families with food parcels and Christmas Hampers, as well putting them in contact with local council officials, this is a long-term project with the team keeping a watching brief on the families

Other spin-offs include a donation of over 300 toys (photo) to distribute to local good causes and families. A local business donated hats and scarfs for the homeless (photo)which the team donated to a local charity specialising in supporting the homeless.

Swaffham Lions have a very good reputation for its work in the community and is the first port of call for donations and community support.

Meat donation 2020

The generosity of Swaffham businesses and residents continues during this festive yet troubled season. The latest act of kindness comes from Impson the butchers who have donated a meat package to the Lions to pass on to a Swaffham family. Tony Potter, from Impson’s, was very keen to support a local family during this difficult period.

Hats & Scarves donation 2020

Following a request from Artichoke, a shop in Swaffham, to find a home for Hats & Scarves that they wished to donate together with other local donners, the Lions thought they would be good for the homeless people to receive during these troubled times. Tony Lakey, the Lions Welfare Chairman, took the donations to the Purfleet Trust in Kings Lynn who support the homeless. This follows a series of donations the Lions have distributed over the festive season including, a Christmas Hamper, Christmas handmade goodie bags, blankets and over 300 toys.

Christmas Tree 2020

With the Pandemic causing so much stress for families, Charlotte Walsh from Meadow House though it would be a good idea to have a Christmas tree trail around Swaffham. Swaffham Lions were only too pleased to be involved in the project and have erected at tree at the Community Centre overlooking the Campingland. With over ten trees on the trail it should provide enjoyment as well as exercise. A list of trees will be available on Social Media and Facebook healthcare homes.

Toy Donation 2020

With the Pandemic causing most of the school and village fetes to be cancelled this summer, Eileen Childs who runs a charity fun stall at these events had a large number of toys left over. She contacted Swaffham Lions to see if she could donate them to good causes. Lions welfare chairman, Tony Lakey and his team set up a viewing for local Charites who are involved with children and families.

Local charities including Home-Start, Family Action, Tennie Iceni, Iceni Partnership, together with local families all benefitted from over 300 items.

Andrew Francis, Funeral Directors have supported, Operation Christmas Child, which is run by Samaritan’s Purse, a Christian international relief organisation who provide toys and other items for shoe boxes which are sent around the world. They were able to fill a couple of boxes for this worthy cause.

Iceland Food collection 2020

Following the success of the Lions Sunday food collection the Iceland food store have asked if they can join forces with the Lions in collecting food donated by their customers. The food will be collected with the Sunday Collection and transported to Dereham by the Lions, where it will be sorted and made into food boxes for families or individuals which are then returned to Swaffham.

Men's shed 2020

Swaffham & District Lions were please to support the new Men’s Shed in Swaffham with a donation of £500. Howard Cardus, from the Men’s Shed, said that their aims were, to reduce the social isolation and loss of purpose that can be experienced particularly, but not exclusively, by older men on retirement, redundancy, increasing disability or ending of a partnership and thus alleviate many of the adverse health consequences linked to these major life changes. We consider this particularly important with the isolation and loneliness caused by the restrictions in meetings and movement by the COVID-19 pandemic. We aim to do this through the provision of a social venue (a Shed) where men can participate in a range of creative and practical activities or just meet and have a cuppa and a chat.

Wreath Laying 2020

With restrictions on laying wreaths on Remembrance Sunday, Lion Maj (Retd.) Rod Goddard MBE who served 34 years with the Royal Corps of Signals, laid the wreath on behalf of Swaffham Lions in a simple mark of respect.

Foodbank Collection 2020

Swaffham Lions have expanded their Sunday Foodbank collection to include glasses and hearing aids. This week the Lions collected 61kg of food, 26 pair of glasses,1 hearing aid and £12. We have had a very positive response to the Sunday collections on social media, it also gives us the opportunity to engage with the public albeit at a social distance.

Brain Tumour Bike ride 2020

team from Swaffham & District Lions completed an eight-hour static bike ride for the Lions/Brain Research Charity. Over £700 was raised, which included raffling a special cake donated by Jennifer Stride of Frosted with the charity’s logo on the top. This was the final part of a of Lions fund-raising for the charity and included selling surplus items on the internet and a bucket collection in four local food outlets during the Eat Out to Help Out campaign, a total of over £1000 has been raised for the charity.

Pudsey Walk 2020

A Bear, three dogs and some Lions went on a walk to raise money for Children in Need. With two routes on offer, 3 or 6 miles, the walks took the 20 walkers through the hidden gems of the Swaffham Countryside, making use of the disused railway tracks. A total of £250 was raised for Children in Need.

Glasses collection 2020

Swaffham Lions held a very successful recycle spectacles event in the Market Place, it has been very difficult for people to donate glasses at the outlets due to Covid-19.

Lion Adrian Adcock the leader of the Lions glasses recycling said

MJF award 2020

Lion President, David Elsom, on behalf of Swaffham & District Lions, presented Lioness Karen Nye with a Melvin Jones Foundation Award. This is the highest form of recognition and embodies humanitarian ideas consistent with the nature and purpose of Lionism.

In giving the award, Lion David said that Karen, who was a founder member of the Swaffham Lionesses, had worked tirelessly in the community and had held every office in the club as well as being President on a number of occasions.

Childre in Need Walk 2020

“A successful day, collecting around 100 pairs of spectacles, which we will forward to Chichester Lions Club for sorting and onward transmission eventually to third world countries. We have spectacle collection bins in the 3 Swaffham surgeries, Litcham Surgery and also in D.A Seaman Opticians in Swaffham Market Place and over the past 25 years have collected well in excess of 100,000 pairs. Covid 19 has changed the way that doctors’ surgeries and opticians have to work and therefore access to the collecting boxes we have on their premises is somewhat restricted. Every Sunday morning, between 10am and noon outside the Assembly Rooms in Swaffham, we collect donations of food for the local foodbank. If anybody has old spectacles that they wish to donate, then please feel free to bring them along to us between these times”.

Swaffham & District Lions President, David Elsom, presented The Melvin Jones Fellowship Award, to two Lions, on behalf of the Lions Club International Foundation (LCIF), this is the highest form of recognition and embodies humanitarian ideas consistent with the nature and purpose of Lionism. The recipients of this award were, Tony Lakey and Peter Young, who are model Lions because of their exemplary service to their club and the community which it serves. Lion President in giving the award to Tony Lakey (who has been with the Lions for over thirty years) praised his contribution to the work that Lions carry out in the community especially with Diabetes and sight. The award to Peter who has been with the Lions for over twenty years, many of those as secretary, works tirelessly in the community giving many hours to help others.

Litter Pick 2020

As part of their community work, Swaffham Lions did a litter pick in 3 areas of Swaffham, Lynn Road, The Market Place and the alley opposite Tesco, 4 full sacks of rubbish was collected including a wellington boot, outside one shop 30 cigarette butts were collected.

Certificate of Appreciation 2020

The last six months have been a worrying time for most of us with the constant threat of Covid 19 particularly for a large number of residents of Swaffham who were unable to go out to shop, see their GP or collect their prescriptions. The WHITE HART in Swaffham stepped up to the challenge and set up the Swaffham Emergency Action Group on Facebook, with the help of volunteers they delivered meals and essential items to those vulnerable or disabled who were self-isolating in the community. They then set up a prescription delivery service to ensure medication reached those who needed it. The community fridge was set up outside the pub which was generously supported by donations of food from local supermarkets as well as generous individuals. With churches closed because of the lockdown they took over the collection for the foodbank with those in need able to pick up items from outside the pub.

At Easter a local chocolate factory made a large donation of Easter eggs to the Emergency Action Group to be distributed around the town, in conjunction with the police and emergency services Swaffham and District Lions delivered these eggs around the town and nearby villages. After the Easter delivery it was found that there was surplus of these chocolate eggs so Swaffham & District Lions were able to make a further delivery of chocolate eggs at the end of June to households displaying a rainbow in support of the NHS key workers.

Because of the community work done by Kurt Oliver and his White Hart team which included Brenden Holmes, Kevin Williams and supported by Swaffham Town Council, during the Pandemic. Swaffham & District Lions wish to recognise this by presenting them with a special Certificate.

Lions President David Elsom thanks everyone, community and hospitality alike, who have helped Lions and others in these very difficult times. It shows that together we can achieve so much more.

Foodbank Delivery 2020

Each week Swaffham Lions transport the food that has been donated on Lions Sunday food collection, plus Tesco and Waitrose donations, to the centre at Dereham. This week it was 672kg. The food is transferred every Monday to the centre where the staff sort the donations into food boxes for families or individuals, these are then returned to Swaffham for distribution to those in need. This cannot be done in Swaffham as they don't always have the correct stock to make up a comprehensive box that includes all the items required to sustain a family for up to a week.

Brain Tumour Research 2020

To support local business and the Lions/Brain Tumour Research, Swaffham Lions have started a fund raiser for all of August. Book a meal any time of day at the at White Hart, Shelly's or the East Garden on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday take advantage of the £10 government grant and you can donated it to the Lions/Brain Tumour Research bucket.
Shelly's 722622
White Hart 724295
East Garden 725722

Send Families 2020

When the Lions had a call from Louise Thompson about a small charity SENsational Families need for funding for their carers, the welfare team investigated the work of the charity. The charity based in Norfolk work with families of children who have Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). The charity has been sending out Smile boxes for children but they have recognised that the careers also need to be looked after. They have made up boxes that include hand cream, body lotion as well as tea and coffee for the carers, Swaffham Lions have donated enough money for 20 boxes to be distributed to carers in Swaffham.

Chocolate Delivery supporting NHS 2020

Swaffham Lions wished to thank people who showed their support for the NHS by making Rainbows and displaying in their windows. With over 260 chocolate eggs, donated through the White Hart, a team from the Lions bagged, labelled and delivered them to residents who displayed the rainbow, in Swaffham and surrounding villages.

Food from Morrisons 2020

Swaffham Lions received an urgent call from Morrisons Store in Fakenham to help with food that they wished to donate. With the pressure on space they required the Lions to collect it today.

On arrival there was 1375 kg of food, so with the help of Morrisons manager, who supplied a van and driver, the Lions transported it to the foodbank distribution centre at the Baptist Church in Swaffham ready for onward shipment to the Dereham foodbank centre.

Whilst there Morrisons donated 234 children’s books for the Lions to sell for their funds

Selling for Lions 2020

Due to the Pandemic, Swaffham Lions have been unable to put on events to raise funds for their work in the community. As with most households, the members have been tidying their garages and houses. The unwanted items that they have found, the Lions are selling on the internet to raise funds to continue their work in the community, so far, we have raised £250, selling items such as golf clubs, storage cabinets, hose reels to name a few.

Prescription service 2020

With the continued lockdown, vulnerable people are unable to collect their prescriptions, to ease this problem Swaffham Lions have joined forces with the Iceni Partnership in a prescription delivery service. Every Wednesday the Lions will collect the prescriptions from the local chemists and doctors’ surgeries and deliver them to the patients’ homes in Swaffham or the outlying villages. (known as the drug run).

Sunday Foodbank Collection 2020

Swaffham Lions launched a very successful Foodbank collection in Swaffham’s Market Place on Sunday morning. With the closure of the churches, which was the main place for food donations, the Lions took on the task to collect food and other items. The Sunday collection resulted in 48kg of food and other items being donated. The Lions will be in the Market Place every Sunday Morning until the Churches reopen.

New President 2020

Following a very successful year as Lions President, John Collins handed over the reins to David Elsom. David was born in Edmonton, North London in 1948. He went to East Herts College and studied Engineering and worked for a German engineering company then went into Sales. After Bobbie and I married in 1972 and bought a house in Royston, Herts, we have two children a daughter born 1978 and a son in 1980, we now also have three wonderful grandchildren.

He moved to Swaffham in 2016 relocating from Cambridgeshire where they were both involved with East Anglian Air Ambulance. So after settling in Swaffham we wanted to be involved with a charity which worked to help the local community and found that Swaffham & District Lions ticked all the boxes and joined them in 2017.

Dunham Foodbank May 2020

Following the successful Easter Egg delivery, Swaffham Lions have teamed up with Kurt from the White Hart to supply surplus food donated by Waitrose to Little Dunham. Little Dunham Parish Council purchased the telephone box from BT for a £1. Simon Fowler, who is a local councillor, thought it would be good to put it to use during the current crisis. The longer plan is to fit a defibrillator into the telephone box if funding can be found.

Samaritans April 2020

Recognising the important work that the Samaritans do, especially with the Lockdown causing people to be in despair, Swaffham Lions decided to hold a quiz and donate the profit to the King’s Lynn branch. Unfortunately, due to the virus, the quiz had to be cancelled. Not to be deterred Swaffham Lions took advantage of a £100k fund that has been created by Lions Clubs Foundation of the British Isles to help combat COVID-19 virus. Swaffham Lions gained a £500 grant for King’s Lynn Samaritans.

Kings Lynn Samaritans would like to thank Lions International for their recent donation of £500.

A Kings Lynn Samaritan Trustee said “Coronavirus is changing our lives and our services are under extra strain. Lions International’s donation will help us to reach those who are struggling to cope at this very difficult time. Thank you for making sure that Kings Lynn Samaritans can still be there for people now and over the next few months.

Thank you again Lions International for their generous donation at this difficult time”.

Age UK April 2020

With the Coronavirus still causing major problems with charities funding, especially those serving the elderly and lonely, Swaffham Lions Welfare team recommended that we support Age UK especially their befriending group with a donation of £500

Michelle Jay, Fundraising and Communications Officer for Age UK Norfolk quoted

“We are so incredibly grateful to the Swaffham Lions Club for their generous donation of £500 to Age UK Norfolk. Kind donations like this will enable us to continue supporting older people in Norfolk through the quarantine period with our services which include our information and advice help line and telephone befriending. We are so pleased to have the support of local communities behind us, supporting our increasingly important work with older people.”

Easter Egg delivery 2020

Swaffham Lions joined forces with the White Hart in Swaffham to deliver over 200 Easter eggs around Swaffham. Nine Lions filled their cars at 7am on Easter Sunday to deliver the eggs which had been donated by the businesses and local people to add Easter cheer in this difficult time. Great care was taken to ensure government guide lines on social distancing were adhered too.

Some comments received from local residents

🙌🙌🙌 a big thank you to Swaffham Lions and all lovely people for their effort to deliver this lovely surprise to my doorstep this morning. Happy Easter 🕊❤🙌🙏🐓🐣🌞
Big Thank you too the white hart and Swaffham lions this morning such a lovely surprise for the kiddies
Thank you so much made my little girls day
Sarah Emm Thank you to the London street Easter bunny, whoever you are, I was so excited to come out my front door to go on shift and find a golden egg on the doormat! I nearly cried!💞🌈
Joanne Titchmarsh

Yay Easter bunny is real. Ty you guys are amazing x

Easter Basket 2020

Like most charities, Swaffham Lions fund raising activities have slowed but they managed to completed their Easter Basket draw, although takings were down due the closure of pubs and clubs. One lucky winner was Paul McMahon from Swaffham, who was delighted with his prize and said that he had forgotten he had purchased a square.

Coronavirus 2020

Due to the Coronavirus and in line with many other organisations Swaffham Lions have cancelled fund raising and social events until the end of June, including the World Quiz for the Kings Lynn Samaritans. The club will reassess the programme at the end of June.

One important activity not cancelled is taking food collected in Swaffham to the Dereham distribution centre and returning with made up boxes for families. Last week the Lions brought back 50 boxes of food to be distributed from the Baptist Church in Swaffham.

Lion President Peter Wood 2020

Swaffham Lions welcomed two guests to their regular monthly meeting, Peter Wood the President of Newbury Lions, who gave the club an insight into the workings of their club. Nicola Claxton the President of Swaffham Lionesses, who talked about the challenges the Lioness faced and the future of the Lionesses in Swaffham. Both Lions clubs exchanged their banners as a sign of friendship.

Palars Hall Cafe winner 2020

Alistair Cairns, from the Pedlars Hall Café in Swaffham, generously started a raffle in aid of Swaffham Lions. Following a trial period, the draw has raised over £300 for the Lions, Alistair is running the draw, with a meal for four as the prize, on a monthly basis. Lion David Elsom thanked the café for their support and said that the donations will go a long way to help Lions local good causes. The winner of the February draw was the Curtis family from Ditchingham.

Esme Walk 2020

Swaffham Lions were attending a charity walk in aid of a youngster battling with cancer. A total of £1000 was raised for Esme Lambert through a glow walk, The Swaffham Lions mascot turned up for the walk and was arrested by the police in a light-hearted moment

Pancake Races 2020

Swaffham Lions held their annual Pancake Races outside the Swaffham Assembly Rooms, with sixteen teams from Scared Heart, Nicolas Hamond, and the Church of England Primary School together with teams from Ward Gethin Archer, the atmosphere was electric. The teams of two were drawn from a hat for the competition, over four rounds, with the final being contested by teams from the Scared Heart and Nicolas Hamond. The eventual winners, after a very close three race final, were Matilda Ahrenfelt and Rosabel Pickard from the Sacred Heart School. This is the third time the school has won the engraved frying pan trophy, which was presented by Lion David Elsom. One spectator said that its about keeping traditions going and creating memories for years to come, the day I ran in the Swaffham Pancake Race.

Pedlars Hall cafe 2020

Alistair Cairns, from the Pedlars Hall Café in Swaffham, generously started a raffle in aid of Swaffham Lions. Following a trial period which raised over £100 for the Lions, Alistair is running the draw, with a meal for four as the prize, on a monthly basis. Lion David Elsom thanked the café for their support and said that the donations will go a long way to help Lions local good causes.

Iceni youthgroup 2020

Following a request for funding, members from the Iceni Youth Group gave a short presentation to the Lions on the benefits the group would gain from a visit to the Spring Fair being held at the Norfolk Show Ground. The benefits included career advice, confidence building, raising self-esteem, as well as knowledge to help with Swaffham’s Community Garden. Lion President, John Collins, handed over a £335 cheque to the group to cover the cost of the tri

Forest School 2020

Swaffham Lions were only too happy to purchase a £400 shed for the Heartwood Forest School at Swaffham Infant and Nursery School. Cara Butters, the teacher in charge, said thatat a time when funds for community groups and charitable organisations are becoming more difficult to access, we are incredibly grateful to Swaffham Lions for this opportunity to make a real difference to the children of Swaffham and surrounding villages. The shed will enable us to keep our tools and equipment safe after four mindless vandalism attacks.

1st Necton Brownies 2020

Following changes in the Guides and Brownies programme, Swaffham Lions were asked if they would fund the new material that the 1^st Necton Brownies would need to comply with the new system. Swaffham Lions were only too willing to help the group and were invited by the Brownies leader, Julie Faiers, to their Australian themed evening where the Lion President handed over a cheque for £250. The Brownie pack, which has 20 members, decided to theme the evening in support of the animals that had been affected by the fires in Australia

SpectaclesCollection 2020

Swaffham Lions continue to collect unwanted spectacles from the three Swaffham surgeries, the two opticians and the surgery at Litcham. A further 300 pairs have been sent this week, so far Swaffham Lions have collected over 100,000 unwanted pairs which are then sent to the Lions at Chichester, by Parcel Force free of charge, where they are sorted before being sent to France for grading.

Chichester Lions are receiving used spectacles from Lions clubs throughout the UK, as well as from opticians and supermarket. Spectacles are delivered to them in boxes and bags of all shapes and sizes and are processed by their club members and other volunteers in their workshop. They use their considerable experience to select the items that are suitable for recycling and to sort them in preparation for onward transmission to Medico France in Le Havre. Medico France has the necessary equipment to clean and grade the spectacles ready for use in eye camps in Africa, India and Eastern Europe.

Every year Chichester Lions send over 300,000 pairs of spectacles to Medico France. Through Chichester, the UK Lions clubs provide more than 50% of the spectacles processed by Medico France - more than any other national group including France itself

Football Club 2020

Swaffham Lions continue to support local youth groups with a donation of a portable Dugout for the youth teams at Swaffham Town Football Club. The club run four youth groups under 16-10- 9- and 7-year olds, they train every Saturday at their home ground in Shoemakers Lane and play friendly games. The portable Dugout will house the trainers and substitutes during matches. Kevin Williams, from the club, said how wonderful it was that the Lions supported local youth and that the dugout will give the young people pride and a sense of professionalism when they go out on the pitch on match days.

Australian Fire 2020

Like a lot of people around the world, the Lions are shocked by the devastation caused by the fires in Australia. Swaffham Lions have contributed £250 to the Lions Clubs International Foundation who have sent $343,000 to Australia in support. Swaffham Lions have also supported the Lions fund for the floods in Northern England.

Seniors Christmas Lunch 2019

Swaffham & District Lions

Swaffham Lions held their annual Seniors Christmas Lunch at the Sacred Heart School, over 70 people sat down to a traditional Christmas Turkey lunch. The guests, many of whom were collected by bus, were welcomed by Lion President John Collins and offered a welcoming drink of sherry. He thanked the Sisters for the use of the dining room and kitchen, St John Ambulance and the Lionesses. The Mayor, Jill Skinner, mingled with the guests before lunch, which was served by the Lionesses. Entertainment was provided by the Phoenix Singers who sang Christmas Carols and Paul Derby with three rounds of bingo. A visit by Santa gave an opportunity for the guests to have their photo taken with him. The lunch was planned by the Lions Welfare team, headed up by Bobbie Elsom, which involved preparing the vegetables supplied free of charge by Tesco, cooking the meal, finishing with washing up all the pots and pans.

Santa @ Raf Marham 2019

Swaffham Lions had a wonderful evening touring the married quarters at RAF Marham with Santa in his sleigh. The Lions had notified Marham of the route the sleigh would take, which enabled the families to come out with their children. With cameras flashing it was difficult to see who was more excited, mums and dads or the children. Santa’s Marham tour is one of the most rewarding events that Swaffham Lions do in the community, despite the fact that it was cold and raining, especially when you see the joy and smiling faces of the children.

Nicolas Hamond 2019

Swaffham Lions have for the past two years sponsored the Maths award at the Nicolas Hamond Academy. This year the award went to Eliza Williams, which was presented by Lion President John Collins. John said that he and the Lions were proud to be able to give the prize to such an able and caring person.

Eliza citation read, throughout her career Eliza has always worked to the best of her ability. She showed extreme dedication throughout the GCSE course and her work ethic both in and out of school was exceptional. On top of this she was an absolute joy to have in the classroom. She is always polite, respectful to anyone she interacts with and will help anyone she can. Eliza always had high aspirations for herself and there is absolutely no doubt in my mind she will be a fantastic, caring and compassionate paramedic.

Dementia Cafe 2019

Swaffham Lions Santa took time out of his busy schedule to visit the Dementia Café in the Assembly Rooms and present a cheque of £300 to cover the room hire costs for a year. Celia Batty, one of the organisers, was thrilled with the cheque and said that it was a great help and supported the 24 people who attend the monthly meeting where they have entertainment and guest speakers. Whilst there Santa thanked all the volunteers for their work, then distributed presents to the group, including the volunteers.

Tesco Foodbank 2019

A team from Swaffham Lions, supported by the Lionesses, managed the three-day Tesco Food Bank collection for the 3^rd year. The Foodbank collection is held once a year in Tesco’s stores in partnership with FoodShare and the Trussell Trust. Tesco also donate 20% of the amount of food collected in cash.

Medow House cheque 2019

Following a very successful quiz Swaffham Lions handed over a cheque for £800 to Meadow House for sensory equipment. The Lions attended a demonstration of the equipment and were very impressed with the way it helped the residents improve their mobility and social skills, At the cheque hand over the residents were very keen to have their picture taken with the cheque.

Children in Need 2019

Swaffham Lions supported this year’s Children in Need with Pudsey collecting outside the Assembly Rooms and at Tesco’s store. The children loved to give Pudsey a hug, whilst the mums wanted selfies. The collection raised £551.46

Anthony Nolan Trust 2019

Following a very successful Trolley Dash at Swaffham’s Tesco store, Swaffham Lions were able to hand over a £500 cheque to Janet Qualters (who lost a child to Leukaemia) on behalf the Anthony Nolan Trust. Beatrix Passmore from the Trust who was unable to receive the cheque wrote,

It costs £40 to recruit each new person to the register, and that one person could match that someone with blood cancer or a blood disorder and is desperately in needs. There’s not really a way I can thank you on behalf of Anthony Nolan or the families the funds you raise will give hope to.

RemembranceDay 2019

Swaffham Lions and Lionesses took part in the parade, marching to the War Memorial where they joined hundreds of local people for a Remembrance Service in Swaffham. After the parade through the streets of the town, Lion David Elsom and Lionesses President Nicola Claxton laid a wreath.

Poppy Collection 2019

Swaffham Lions were only too pleased when asked by the Royal British Legion to do two days collecting for the Poppy Appeal at Tesco. As usual the people of Swaffham were very generous with their donations, with the favourite being the Poppy lapel pin.

Halloween 2019

Swaffham Lions joined forces with the Iceni Youth Group to celebrate Halloween. With twenty pumpkins, supplied by Tesco, the young people soon started to carve the pumpkins to their own design, under the watchful eye of the leaders. Judge, Pam Tallon from the Lions, had the very difficult task of choosing the winners. The winners from the younger group were Willow and Shae and the older group Tempy and Demi. Pam said that at the end of the day they were all winners and was glad to see how much they had enjoyed the evening.

Fire 2019

Swaffham Lions have launched a Fire Door Hanger to be hung on your hotel room door, aimed at people who have hearing problems and may not hear a fire alarm. The hotel staff will ensure that your room is checked for occupancy if the alarm is sounded. It can also be used for people who have mobility problems. You can obtain your free door hanger from Age Concern at Swaffham Community Centre.

Lilly 2019

Swaffham & District Lions

Swaffham Lions invited Clare Peak from Family Action to give a talk on an internet help programme named Lily.

Lily provides a comprehensive range of support in West Norfolk to combat loneliness and social isolation in adults of all ages. The Lily online directory lists organisations, services and activities that help people to live healthy, active and independent lives.

Following the talk, which gave the Lions a greater understanding of the programme but also the need for such a programme that can combat loneliness in our community, Lion President, John Collins, thanked Clare for such an informative talk.

Trolley Dash 2019

Swaffham Lions held their annual Trolley Dash at Swaffham’s Tesco store. This year the proceeds are going to the Anthony Nolan Trust which is UK’s pioneering blood cancer charity. With the winning ticket drawn on Sunday evening, Shelagh Hutson was delight and shocked to see she would be doing the Dash. Prior to the Dash, Shelagh was shown the isles she could collect items for her trolley. With a pre-determined plan Shelagh manage to fill her trolley with £70 worth of goods. After expenses the Dash raise £400 for the cancer charity.

Lions Den 2019

Swaffham Lions held their bi annual Lions Den at Swaffham Community Centre, with the audience waiting in anticipation for the different groups to give their presentation. The stars of the evening were the young people from the Guides and Brownies who received an ovation from the audience.

£2500 was shared out on the evening, between TOSH, 2^nd Swaffham Brownies, 2^nd Swaffham Guides, Louise Thompson and Swaffham Rugby Club.

Simon Fowler 2019

Retired local solicitor and founder member of Swaffham Lions; Simon Fowler, receiving a certificate in recognition of thirty-five years’ service for the club. Simon has been chair of various committee’s as well as being President the award was presented by Lion President John Collins.

Circus Trip 2019

Swaffham Lions took a party youngsters to the circus at Great Yarmouth, joining 250 children from East Anglia, all paid for by the Lions. A great day started with lunch and entertainment at Yarmouth racecourse, followed by a visit to the fun packed circus where they enjoyed a free ice cream. For many it was their first experience of a circus and a memory that will last a life time.

Boat Trip 2019

A party of sixty Swaffham Lions and friends enjoyed a break with a boat trip on the Broads. Setting off from Swaffham in a coach to catch the boat at Horning, where the Lions enjoyed the scenery and dancing to a jazz band during their two hour tour.

Blood Bikes 2019

Following a very successful Brecks to Broads play, put on by Three Company on behalf of Swaffham Lions, the Lions have donated £500, the proceeds from the play, to Norfolk Blood Bikes, a charity they have supported in the past and is run by local volunteers,

Norfolk Blood Bikes transport blood, plasma, platelets, samples, vaccines, donor breast milk and any other urgently required medical items to hospitals in Norfolk as well as to the East Anglian Air Ambulance.

At no cost to the NHS, Norfolk Blood Bikes rely entirely on donations to keep them on the road.

Esme Fun Day 2019

Swaffham Lions were only too pleased to help and support the Esme Mega Fun Day at Swaffham Rugby ground, by manning the gate and bringing their famous pig race game to entertain the public. Two year old Esme, who has been having treatment for a brain tumour, was the star of the event and made great friends with Swaffham Lions lion.

Petanque 2019

Swaffham Lions held their annual Petanque competition at the Petanque pitches at the Narborough Community Centre. Trisha Mandall, who is going to represent Great Britain at the Transplant Games, playing Petanque, was guest of honour. After three rounds and a playoff, the reigning champion Alan Jude who retained his title was awarded the trophy by Lions Vice President David Elsom.

Breck to Broads play 2019

When approached by the theatre group 3’s Company, to see if the Lions would put on their play, Brecks to Broads, the Lions were only too pleased. The audience, in the Barn Theatre, were taken on a magical bus tour from Yarmouth to the Brecks and around the coast, with song, poetry and verse by well-known Norfolk people including, Nelson, Stephen Fry and the Pedlar of Swaffham to name a few. The evening, which would grace any West End stage, was a roaring success and raised £400 for the Norfolk Blood Bikes.

Long Service awards 2019

Swaffham Lions, at their business meeting, presented long service awards to four members of the club. David Cunnington, fifteen years with Swaffham Lions, John Sorrell , Colin Mowles and Adrian Adcock thirty five years.

Infant School 2019

Swaffham Lions had a busy weekend attending three fetes, Swaffham Infant School, Necton Festival and Swaffham Cottage Hospital. The well supported Infant School Fete, where the young people, as well as parents and grandparents, enjoyed the Lions Pig Race game with lots shouting their pig to the finish line. The Swaffham Lion made an appearance much to the delight of young and old. At Necton the Lions displayed their Message in a Bottle and handed out free bottles to the visitors. On Sunday the Pig Race was at the Cottage Hospital entertaining the staff and visitors.

Change over lunch 2019

Swaffham Lions held their Presidents Change Over lunch at the Crown public house in Munford. The twenty seven guests enjoyed a three course meal, before John Collins, who will be President during the thirty sixth year of Swaffham Lions, outlined his plan for the coming year.

35th Charter 2019

35 years and still going strong, Swaffham and District Lions celebrated this significant milestone with a highly successful dinner and dance at Knights Hill Barn, King's Lynn, on Saturday night. Other lions from Dereham and King's Lynn and Lionesses from Swaffham, helped mark the occasion, at which the Vice District Governor Ujjal Kular and Swaffham Town Mayor Councilor Jill Skinner, congratulated Swaffham Lions on their past successes and looked forward to their continuing commitment to service in the community. The Vice District Governor also delivered warm congratulations from the Lions International President Gudrun Yngvadottir to the club and presented John Collins, Swaffham Lions President with a commemorative pin. Music for the night was provided by local band Solid Gold. "

Sausage Quiz 2019

Swaffham Lions held a sausage quiz night at the Station Pub in Swaffham. The unusual quiz devised by Lions David and Bobbie Elsom involved tasting twenty one different sausages and recording what their composition was on a score sheet. The sausages were supplied by Johnsons of Oldhurst in Huntingdon and were cooked by Jim Luff, the landlord of The Station. The sausages had a variety of ingredients, besides the pork; they ranged from Guinness to chillies and Marmite to black pudding. The winners of the quiz were Rod and Eileen Goddard with eight correct answers; they were awarded a beautiful golden sausage trophy.

EAAA 2019

Following a very successful Race Night which raised £2300, Swaffham Lions arranged a visit to the East Anglia Air Ambulance based at Norwich Airport, to hand over cheques to Air Ambulance and Home-Start.

The group were given a conducted tour of the base by Amy Haynes from the fund raising team, who explained the workings of the Air Ambulance, as well as a new service that involved the use of a car to get to the incident. Whilst on the visit the helicopter was called out to attend an emergency, the group could see at first hand the workings of the service.

RAF Neadishead 2019

A party of twenty from Swaffham Lions enjoyed a two and a half hour tour of the RAF Air Defence Radar Museum Neatishead, after an enjoyable meal on the banks of the river. Following a brief introduction to the museum, the group enjoyed two guided tours of the World War 11 and The Cold War rooms. They heard how big a part East Anglia played in both these parts of history, through their expertise in radar. At the end of the tour Lion Tony Lakey give a vote of thanks to the guides for a very interesting and informative tour.

Musical Keys 2019

Swaffham Lions invited Ed Maxfield from Musical Keys to their monthly meeting to give a talk about Musical keys. Ed showed a video explaining that Musical Keys is a charity which provides music and arts activities for people with disabilities and additional needs in Norfolk and the surrounding area. Their passion is making music accessible to everyone.

They run groups throughout Norfolk with activities which enable participants to take part and benefit from, music and creativity, using both traditional and modern methods.

Following the presentation Swaffham Lions donated £250 to the charity.

British Red Cross 2019

When Swaffham Lions were asked by the British Red Cross if they would help with a collection at the Tesco Store, twelve members said yes. The collection raised over £100 for a very worthy cause.

Well being Group 2019

Swaffham Lions were invited to give a talk about the work Lions do in the Community to Family Action’s Well- Being group. Pam and Dennis Tallon showed two videos, “Message in a Bottle” all about the bottle which is kept in the fridge and” Lions making the difference” showing the work the Lions do throughout the world. The talk concluded with a Power Point presentation about the work Swaffham Lions do in the community. Kelly Bennett, the group’s leader, thanked Dennis & Pam for their informative talk on behalf of the fifteen strong audience as well as the Message in a Bottle which they took home.

St George quiz 2019

Swaffham Lions held their annual St Georges quiz in Swaffham Assembly Rooms. With ninety people attending, the competition for the first prize was intense. The winning team, the Billabongs from Castle Acre, retained the title they won last year and were presented with six bottles of wine by Pam Tallon, whilst the wooden spoon went to Clueless, who received puzzle books. The evening raised over £970 for Lions good causes.

John Chapman Centre

Swaffham Lions responded to a call for help, in providing kitchen equipment and craft items for the John Chapman Centre, which is housed in the Malting’s Care Home. The centre, which is open four days a week, has up to thirty five people attend and they enjoy a cooked meal and join in various craft activities. Simon Fowler, chair of the Lions welfare team, helped to start the centre many years ago, which was opened by Princess Anne.

Beach Clean up 2019

Swaffham Lions joined in the Lions Beach Clean Up of 5 beaches in and around Hunstanton. 18 Lions and Lionesses were kitted out by the local council with pickers, gloves and sacks and spent over 2 hours cleaning up the beaches.

Easter Baskets 2019

Maureen Rutland was one of twenty seven winners in this year’s Lions Easter Basket draw, when number 30 was the bonus ball on the National Lottery. The baskets which were in local businesses raised over £1200 which will good to Lions good causes.

Marathon Runners 2019

Swaffham Lions are proud to sponsor two local people in this year’s London Marathon, both receiving £150. Les Scott, from Stratton’s Hotel, is running for Neuroblastoma UK and Gill Creed, from Just Hair, has a team of five running for the Autistic Society. Gills niece, Lucy Dickerson, has a son who was diagnosed with Autism when four years old, now nine he attends a special school in Dereham. Les’s first grandson, Rafe, was taken ill quite suddenly aged just over one year old. The subsequent diagnosis of Neuroblastoma left him facing a long, painful and ultimately unsuccessful treatment in Hospital. He died without reaching his third birthday in 2006

Race Night 2019

Forget the Grand National; Swaffham Lions held their own Charity Race Night in aid of the East Anglian Air Ambulance and Home-Start in Swaffham Assembly Rooms. With eight filmed races the packed audience of over 100 enjoyed the thrills of watching their horse compete and sometimes win. The winning owner of each race won a bottle of Champagne which was presented by Past President Pam Tallon. The evening raised £2300 for the charities.

Marham Pre-School 2019

Marham Village Preschool is run as a non-profit charity. The day to day running costs of the preschool are quite high, so they often have to resort to fundraising for larger purchases. Swaffham Lions were only too glad to support them in their quest to provide an outdoor play area that could be used all year round. The project will cost between £5-6K and will involve laying artificial turf in the play area. The manager, Julie Walkey, said that the £250 donation from Swaffham Lions was a great start to their fundraising for the project. Two children Izzy & Madison presented Lion President, John Collins, with a wonderful handmade Lion thank you card.

10 Pin Bowling 2019

Sixteen Swaffham Lions enjoyed a 10 pin bowling evening at Fakenham. Following a meal at a local restaurant the bowling completion started with ten members competing. With much banter and a considerable lack of skill, from some members, Pam Tallon emerged as the winner retaining the ladies trophy from last year; Tony Lakey came a close second and received the men’s trophy. The Trophies were presented by Lion President John Collins.

RAF Marham 2019

A group of twelve Lions visited the RAF Marham Aviation Heritage Centre, where they were given a two hour guided tour by Steve Roberts MBE, the curator. We 38 years’ service Steve was able to give a fascinating tour that went through the history of RAF Marham, from its early days through to the present day, describing in detail some of the operations that the station has been involved in. Some of the static displays included a nuclear bomb, various missiles and other items of interest.

Pancake Races 2019

Swaffham Lions held their very successful annual Pancake Race in Plowright Place with 34 contestants, some in fancy dress. There were Lions, Flying Foxes and a Father Christmas all trying to beat the speedy teams from the Sacred Heart School, who were the eventual winners. The event put on by Swaffham Lions is for fun and keeping the tradition of Shrove Tuesday pancake races. The winning team were presented with an engrave frying pan stating they were Swaffham Pancake Race Champions 2019 by Lion Past President Pam Tallon.

Marie Currie 2019

Swaffham Lions, along with 100’s of Lions across the country, collected for Marie Curie’s Daffodil Appeal, this weekend. Dressed in the distinctive yellow tabard and top hat, Swaffham Lions were kept very busy at Swaffham’s Tesco store over a two day period. Marie Curie offer care and support through terminal illness.

Zone meeting 2019

Swaffham Lions hosted a Lions Zone meeting at the Community Centre on Tuesday 19^th February. Zone Chairman, Paul Southerton, welcomed the guests from five Lions clubs and updated the meeting on decisions that had been taken at cabinet. Following the reports from the clubs on their activities, Lion Liz Godden gave an interesting talk on the Lions Young Ambassadors of the 21^st Century programme

Keith Mitchel 2019

Following a very successful launch of their promotional video for Message in a Bottle, explaining how the bottle works, Keith Mitchell the narrator was awarded an Oscar in true Academy style for his performance by Lion President John Collins.

Valentine Dance 2019

Swaffham Lions had the town rocking to the sound of The Strollers at their Valentine Dance held in Swaffham Assembly Rooms with over 60 people dancing to the sound of the 60’s. A romantic evening for one couple, who in true Valentine spirit, announced their engagement. The successful evening which raised over £700 for Lions good causes.

Guide Dogs for the Blind 2019

Swaffham Lions were only too pleased to help with the collection for Guide Dogs for the Blind. Lions worldwide support visually impaired people with a variety of programs to help them integrate into society. Swaffham Lions collect and send spectacles to Chichester for onward shipping to France for recycling, they have sent over 100 thousand pairs to date.

Swaffham Cricket Club 2019

Swaffham Lions were please to support Swaffham Cricket Club with a £250 cheque to send Billy Staines on a level 2 coaching course. The club based at Myers Playing Field, have Saturday and Sunday teams, competing at the highest level of local cricket. With a membership of forty, there is an emphasis on training the younger members, allowing them to play in games with no pressure.

Home-Start 2019

Swaffham Lions continue to support local charities, especially those that work with children. Home-Start is one of those charities that are working with young families and have had their funding cut by Norfolk County Council. Their volunteers work alongside parents, in their own homes, to help them cope with the stresses and strains of life and make sure they have the skills, confidence and strength they need to nurture their children.

World Quiz 2019

Swaffham Lions held their most successful quiz for many years, with over 100 people attending. The World Quiz attracted 19 teams who were allocated a country together with the country’s flag. At the start of the quiz, in true Olympic fashion, one member from each team paraded in carrying their flag, accompanied by their national anthem. With a keenly fought completion Morocco and Australia tied, with Morocco winning the tie question. The evening raised £1000 for Lions charities.

Sunday lunch 2019

Following a quite January, 28 Swaffham Lions, plus wives and husband, went for a very enjoyable Sunday Lunch before the busy period of quizzes, a Valentine Dance and pancake races.ay Lunch 2019

Scotties Little Soldiers 2019

Following a very successful variety show, held in November, Swaffham Lions were able to hand over a cheque for £1500 to Brendan Holmes of Scotty’s Little Soldiers, the charity that helps children who have lost a parent whilst serving in the military.

Lions Mark 100years since end of 1st World War 2018

Swaffham & District Lions, who have been a major supporter of military charities, are holding 2 events to mark the 100 years since the end of the 1st World War.

A highly acclaimed and sometimes moving play, Momentous Times, performed by Three Company, about 5 women from different countries and their experiences during the 1st World War. The performance will be held at the Barn Theatre on the 9^th November with the proceeds going to the British Red Cross

A sell out Variety Show on the 17^th November at Swaffham Assembly Rooms, with the room set out as a street party, with red, white & blue table cloths and Lest we Forget bunting as well as memorabilia from the war. The acts, who have given their time free of charge, include Pot of Gold (a Shanty Band), Ukulele Band, Phoenix Singers, Comedy Act, Musical Family and a Compare. Proceeds will be going to Scotty’s Little Soldier’s a charity for bereaved Armed Forces children, who will have a display of their work on show.

Poppy Collection 2018

Swaffham Lions were only too pleased when asked by the Royal British Legion to do two days collecting for the Poppy Appeal at Tesco, especially at this time, when remembering the 100 year anniversary of the end of the 1^st World War.

Pumpkin Carving with Youth Club 2018

Five members of Swaffham Lions helped with the pumpkin carving at the Iceni Youth Club. With eighteen pumpkins supplied by Tesco, the eight to eleven year olds soon got into the carving mode. The Lions ensured that the young people, many dressed in Halloween costumes, had a good time carving a variety of different designs whilst being safe. The pumpkins will go on display at the Halloween event in Plowright Place.

Trolley dash for Hospice 2018

Swaffham Lions held their 4^th annual Trolley Dash at Swaffham’s Tesco store. Pauline Adams ticket was draw out to do the Dash, as she has walking difficulties the Lions allowed her to nominate a stand in. Reg Reynolds, a family friend, stepped up for the challenge. In the 90 seconds allowed, Reg managed to collect £80 worth of goods much to the delight of Pauline. The £466 profit will go to Swaffham & Litcham Home Hospice Support.

World Sight Day 2018

Swaffham Lions held a Sight Awareness Day in Swaffham Market Place, supported by the Guide Dogs for the Blind, NNAB and D.A.Seaman Optometrists. The Mayor of Swaffham, Cllr Colin Houghton, took a blindfold walk around Swaffham with Helen Sismore from Guide Dogs for the Blind. He encountered numerous obstacles including A Frames, bollards and cars badly parked, all of which cause major problems for people with impaired vision. He was also shown the importance of tactile paving and the proper use of the controlled road crossing points. Two ladies with their guide dogs were able to answer questions from the public.

Harvest Foodbank delivery 2018

With the Harvest Festivals well under way in schools and churches, some of the food they have collected has been donated to the Swaffham Food Bank. Swaffham Lions have put on six extra trips to take the donated food from Swaffham to the distribution centre in Dereham, where it is made up into boxes suitable for individuals or families. Swaffham Lions have been doing a regular fortnightly trip, delivering the donated food to Dereham for the past four years.

Life Boat visit 2018

A group from Swaffham Lions took time out from the busy schedule to visit the world famous Henry Blogg Museum in Cromer, followed by a guided tour of the all-weather Tamar lifeboat.

The day started with a slide show about the history of the Cromer lifeboat and Henry Blogg.

Coxswain Henry Blogg was a local man who became a national hero. During his 38 years as coxswain, he carried out 387 rescues and helped to save 873 lives. He was awarded many honours, including three Gold and four Silver Medals from the RNLI, the George Cross for general war service and a British Empire Medal. To this day, he remains the most decorated person in RNLI history.

The group then went to the lifeboat station where they were met by Derek Hines, chairman of the Cromer RNIL, who gave a tour of the 32 ton Tamar class lifeboat and explaining that it cost £2.7m and had a range of 110 miles with a crew between 5 and 7.

At the end of a very enjoyable and informative visit the Lions presented him with a cheque for £100.

Boules Event 2018

Following a trial run a few weeks ago, Swaffham Lions took the opportunity to use the Petanque Court at Narborough Community Centre for a Boules competition. Under the watchful eye of David and Bobbie Elsom, who are seasoned veterans of the game, the singles matches were played with varying degrees of skill. Lion President, Alan Jude, remained undefeated during the afternoon and was crowned champion.

Awards Evening 2018

Swaffham Lions held an awards and review evening at Swaffham Assembly Rooms which was packed with over sixty guests. Lion President, Alan Jude, welcomed the guests with a drink before the proceeding started. Dennis Tallon gave a slide show presentation of the activities Swaffham Lions held during their Centennial year, coupled with some humour.

The awards for supporting the Lions during their Centennial year went to Swaffham Town Council for putting on the Civic Reception, allowing the Lions welcome signs to be erected at the entrances to Swaffham. The award was presented to Graham West, who received it on behalf of Swaffham Town Council, was made by Lion Tony Lakey.

The second award was presented by Lion Colin Mowles to Jurgita Stipiniene of the Iceni Partnership for their support in room hire, printing, technical support and the 208k cycle ride that raised money for Lions good causes.

The third award was to the Reverent Janet Allan, vicar of St Peter & St Paul Church, for arranging the Thanksgiving Service in the church and the bell ringers coming along to make the evening extra special. The top award presented by Pam Tallon & John Collins went to the Tesco Store for their continued support, allowing the Lions the use of the store throughout June to celebrate the Centennial as well as allowing numerous charity events and food collections, The store manage Cherri Yallop and community support officer, Candy Chapman, received the award on behalf of Tesco.

Circus Trip 2018

Sixteen children and adults went on the Lions annual trip to the Yarmouth Circus; they met up with other Lions groups from East Anglia at Yarmouth Racecourse. The children were entertained by a clown before having a packed lunch; it was then off to the circus to see the fabulous show packed with fun and laughter. At half time the children were treated to an ice cream, they all went home having had a wonderful day with the Lions.

Jazz Train 2018

Swaffham Lions and Lionesses took a trip on the Mid-Norfolk Railway’s Jazz Train, with music by DixieMix. The group played in the carriages, much to the delight of the passengers. The train stopped at stations on its way to Wymondham where the jazz group got off to play on the platform. This allowed the guests to stomp their feet and dance. A wonderful night was had by all.

Wine Visit 2018

A group from Swaffham Lions took time out following a busy summer to visit the award winning Winbirri Vineyard near Norwich. Following a tour of the vineyard and processing plant, they were entertained by the owner, Lee Dyer, with a presentation about the history of the wine and organisation. The visit finished with a tasting of their award winning wines, much to the approval of the group.

Cheque for Swimming Pool 2018

Swaffham Lions were only too pleased to help Swaffham & District Swimming Club with a £100 donation towards their transport costs. The group of 24 travel each Tuesday to the Dereham swimming pool for their weekly exercise.

Beachhamwell Fete 2018

Swaffham Lions were invited to attend the Beachamwell fete with their now famous Pig Race game which puts smiles on the faces of the young and old. Local MP, Liz Truss, and family had great fun cheering on their pigs, the 50p winnings will not go far in reducing the national debt.

Poppy Apeal October 2017

Swaffham Lions are supporting the Royal British Legion with their annual Poppy Appeal, with a team to cover two days at Tesco’s Swaffham Store. With a large range of Poppy items to sell, it was encouraging to see how generous the people of Swaffham are in supporting such a wonderful cause; it was not uncommon to see £5 and £10 notes being donated.

Pumpkin Carving October 2017

Swaffham Lions teamed up with the Iceni Youth Group to have an evening of pumpkin carving at the Community Centre. The 26 pumpkins were set out on the table for the young people to start carving their own design; some wearing their Halloween costumes. A group of helpers, under the guidance of Sally Palmer, ensured that there were no problems with the young people using knives. Lion President Pam Tallon had the difficult task of choosing the best three carved pumpkins as well as the best Halloween costume, the winners were presented with tubs of sweets in true Halloween tradition. It is planned by the Lions to make this an annual event. All the carved pumpkins will form part of the Halloween celebrations in Plowright Place.

Sophie's Concert October 2017

Swaffham Lions held a Variety Show for Sophie Burke at the Convents Barn Theatre on the Saturday night. A packed audience were entertained by a variety of acts including the Kings Lynn Brass Band, Daisy’s Cat Folk Group, Andrew Masterson and a guest appearance by Amber Batton. The evening was compared by Nigel Wilkins who kept the show going with a series of jokes and light hearted comments. Sophie told the audience how much she appreciates the support that she was receiving from the Lions. The evening raised over £800 which will go to the fund supporting Sophie.

Lions Carpet October 2017

Pam Tallon, President of Swaffham Lions, was presented with a handmade carpet by Ray Buckley-Stevens to commemorate 100 years of Lions International. Ray a former Paramedic has Parkinson’s and has always been interested in hand crafts, he used to do fine work with needlepoint and crochet, but since his illness he has taken up carpet making which he finds therapeutic and easier to hold the needles. The rug took over four months to complete and used approximately forty balls of wool.

Trolley Dash October 2017

Swaffham Lions held their annual Trolley Dash at Tesco Store in Swaffham. The winning ticket holder was Doug Smith who asked his daughter, Julie Gibbs, to do the Dash for him and the Lions agreed. With the help of Lion President, Pam Tallon, Julie had a preview of the isles to see which goods she would wish to put in the trolley. After ninety seconds of dashing she managed to fill a large trolley with loads of food and chocolate, dad Doug was over the moon with his daughter’s efforts especially the chocolates. The proceeds from the Dash will go to the British Heart Foundation and Diabetes UK.

Lions Den October 2017

Swaffham Lions held their Lion’s Den at Swaffham Community Centre, with over forty people in the audience. The nine groups who applied for funding gave a presentation on why they required the funding to a panel of four Lions including Lion President Pam Tallon. After careful consideration the panel awarded

1^ST Swaffham Scouts, who have forty members, awarded £250 for benches and tables

2^nd Swaffham Guides who have fifteen members with more joining at the end of the year awarded £250 for ovens for camp

2^ndSwaffham Brownies, who have 24 members, awarded £300 to attend a regional summer camp

Wayland Carers Social Group, 24 carers who meet socially awarded £250 for outings.

Swaffham Town Football and Social Club, who have fifty adults players, awarded £200 to replace battery and pads for their defibrillator.

Swaffham Cricket Club, who have two teams together with youth groups awarded £200 for benches

Swaffham Visually Impaired Peoples Society meets monthly with twenty four members required funding for room hire awarded £250

Friends of Swaffham Infants School required funding for a shed for children to use as a den for learning awarded £200

Necton Youth Football Club with sixty two young players awarded £300 for running costs

There was a real buzz from the audience when the awards were announced. All the groups who benefited from the evening said that it would be a major help to them and thanked the Lions for holding the event.

Each year the Lions hold events for Lions charities; this enables us to support events such as the Lion’s Den where the total donated to local groups was £2,200

Food Bank October 2017

Swaffham Lions have had a busy week with Foodbank deliveries. A large number of Harvest Festivals have taken place in schools and churches with the surplus food being donated to the Foodbank. With the help of the Lions this was then collected and put into bread baskets ready for delivery, by the Lions volunteers, to Dereham. As there was such a high intake of food the Lions had to put on extra delivery runs to cope with the forty bread baskets full of food and household items. The Foodbank team had a stall at the Health Forum explaining the type of food and household items they were looking to be donated

Health Forum October 2017

Swaffham Lions took part in the Health Forum along with thirty other groups in the Assembly Rooms. The main focus for the Lions was their Message in a Bottle scheme; it gives medical and other information about the householder to the emergency services and is held in a special container in the fridge. Despite the Lions promoting the scheme for many years, they find that it is still unknown to some people. Twenty bottles were distributed during the event to people who thought the scheme was a wonderful idea.

Lions Awards October 2017

Swaffham Lions honoured its long serving members at the club meeting with certificates and pins. Keith Mitchell, who joined the Lions in Oxfordshire, and Peter Young who is Swaffham Lions secretary, have both served for twenty five years, whilst Nicolas Ashford the Swaffham Lions treasure joined ten years ago. Lion President, Pam Tallon, thanked them for their hard work and involvement over the past and hoped it would continue for many years to come.

World Sight Day October 2017

Swaffham Lions Club held their fourth Sight First Day on Thursday 5^th October, in partnership with the Norfolk and Norwich Association for the Blind (NNAB).
The NNAB team, led by ex-Norwich City footballer, Jeremy Goss, was on hand with Lions to promote ideas and practical tips on eyesight care and what Lions do internationally, to prevent eyesight threatening diseases such as measles. Since 1990 for example, it's estimated that that Lions International have made eye care accessible to 30milion people, so, improving or restoring the sight of those most at risk.
Everyone agreed that the Sight First Day in Swaffham, was a good joint effort and very worthwhile.
On the2nd November, the Club will be holding their Diabetes Awareness and Drop-in the Assembly Rooms, from 9.30am

Carol's check handover January 2017

Swaffham Lions were overwhelmed by the response at their Coffee Morning, in memory of Carol Gilding, which was to raise funds for a chemo pump for the Macmillan unit. With hundreds of people coming through the door they had every chance to support the cause with cakes, books, raffle and an auction as well as a warming cup of tea or coffee on offer. With the rain lashing down outside the people of Swaffham wished to show their support for such a wonderful lady. One person said that if Carol could deliver our letters in the rain the least we could do is to brave the rain for such a great cause in her memory. The morning raised a magnificent total of £3600

Civic Reception January 2017

Swaffham Town Council hosted a Civic Reception for Swaffham Lions to celebrate the centenary of Lions International. The Lions were formed by a business man, Melvin Jones, in Chicago, USA in 1917, with the view of working in and supporting communities, today there are Lions clubs in 208 countries. The invitees who came from local government, Lions of East Anglia as well as local dignities, were greeted by the Mayor of Swaffham, Paul Darby, and Swaffham Lions President John Collins and given a welcoming drink.

The Assembly Rooms were full of displays showing the work that Lions International does in the community, especially funding areas where national disasters have occurred, as well as photos of the Swaffham Lions, who were formed in 1984, at work and play The Town Cryer was Master of Ceremonies and introduced the Mayor who spoke of the work that the Lions do in the community, John Collins replied with a thank you to the Council for hosting the reception. Nicola Claxton, President of Swaffham Lionesses, proposed a toast to Swaffham Lions, this was followed by a toast to Lions International by Lions District Governor Nigel Folkard

Santa year End January 2017

Swaffham Lions finished the year with the Lions Santa with his sleigh touring the married quarters of RAF Marham. The tour of the camp is one of the highlights of the year, what a joy it is to see the faces of the children as they see Santa, the proud mums and dads taking photos of the children for the album and maybe to send to Grandparents. Santa then spent six days at the local supermarkets bringing Christmas cheer to the shoppers, one shopper said it’s not Christmas until the Lions Santa arrives at the store. The Lions raised just under £2000 over the Christmas period, thanks to the generous people of Marham and Swaffham.

The Lions are holding a charity quiz on the 22^nd February, with the first prize of £100 to the winning team’s nominated charity.

The annual pancake race will be held on 28^th February in the Market Place, indoor if wet, great fun with teams dressing up in all sort of costumes.

Carols Check Hand over January 2017

Following a very successful coffee morning, in aid of a Chemotherapy pump for the QE Hospital, the Lions were able to hand over a cheque for £3600. Despite the terrible weather the Assembly Rooms were packed for the entire morning, attracting over 1000 people. This was a sign of how much local people thought of Carol, she always had a smile and a cheery hello for everyone as she went on her rounds in Swaffham Town centre. Lions from Swaffham, Dereham, King’s Lynn, Hunstanton, Wells and Downham Market are planning events to raise enough money to buy eight pumps for the Queen Elizabeth Hospital. The cheque presented to the Chemotherapy Room, by Swaffham Lions, is sufficient to buy a pump and a stand, an excellent start.

Air Ambulance Check December 2016

Following a very successful Trolley Dash held at the Tesco Store in Swaffham, Lions visited the East Anglian Air Ambulance base in Norwich. The group were given a tour of the base by Matthew Jones a director of EEEA. The two helicopters cost £11m a year to run, the money is raise by donations and the EEEA Lottery. The Lions handed over a cheque for £565 to the helicopter crew, which included a doctor, a paramedic and a pilot.

Tesco Childrens Party December 2016

Swaffham Lions Father Christmas answered the call when a children’s party, organised by Tesco, required a visit from Santa to hand out the presents. Over forty excited children received gifts at the party which was held the Conservative Club in Swaffham. The Lions Santa will be touring RAF Marham married quarters on 15^th December followed by visits to Waitrose and Tesco.

Tesco Food Bank November 2016

A team of Swaffham Lions spent three days helping with the FoodShare collection at the Tesco store in Swaffham. The collection focus is on long life items such as cans of beans, soups, dried pasta etc.

Every Tesco store in the UK will be collecting food for either FareShare or partner charity Trussell Trust as part of the ninth Neighborhood Food Collection. Tesco will top up your gifts with a 20% financial donation, meaning that your tin of tomatoes or packet of tea goes even further.

The scheme can help some of the 8.4 million people in the UK who are currently struggling to afford to eat. Winter can be a particularly tough time for people in vulnerable situations; many face the choice between eating or heating and for some, the possibility of sleeping on cold streets. A good meal, given together with support, can be life changing. The food donated goes to homeless hostels, refuges, older people’s lunch clubs, children’s breakfast clubs and other charities working with people in need. The food will be combined with the fresh surplus food, such as meat and vegetables that we receive from the food industry. Most of this surplus is fresh so we need those long-life items to make a nutritionally balanced meal for someone.

Blickling Hall Talk November 2016

Swaffham Lions Social Committee put on a wonderful and very amusing evening, a talk about the kitchen at Blickling Hall. Liz Scott, who works at the Hall as a volunteer, was dressed as a scullery maid and talked about life down below in humorous terms with reference to Norfolk life and language. Bob Scott, dressed as the Lord of the Hall, supported Liz with slides of images of the Hall over the years.

Children in Need November 2016

Swaffham Lions held their annual collection for Children in Need with Pudsey at the Assembly Rooms and Tesco. It’s a great time for the Lions when the children see Pudsey for the first time with their beaming smile, it has to be said that not all the dogs were impressed with this Bear roaming the streets of Swaffham.

Carols Coffe Morning November 2016

Dresses for Africa November 2016

Swaffham Lions and wives together with Lionesses embarked on an afternoon of making dresses for the charity Little Dresses for Africa. The charity which was founded by Rachel O’Neil in 2008, following a holiday in Kenya and Uganda, when they observed the poverty, especially the effect it had on young girls. One of the Lions, Kate Davies, worked with the charity whilst living the USA and she organised an afternoon of dress making at her home. The Lions of East Anglia are coordinating the making and dispatch of the dresses to Africa. So far Swaffham have produced over 50 which will be sent to the coordinator next week.

Poppy Collection November 2016

Swaffham Lions continue to support the Royal British Legion with their annual Poppy collection. This year they collected at the Tesco Store in Swaffham for two days. The customers were very generous with their donations, with £10 and £20 notes going into the collection tin. This was aided by the numerous different items now available with the Poppy emblem. The Lions will be laying a wreath at the War Memorial on 13^th November.

Diabetes Awarness November 2016

Swaffham Lions held their 3^rd annual Diabetes and Health check day in Swaffham Assembly Rooms. Norfolk has the highest rate of Diabetes in the country and has been a priority with Lions International for many years to educate people about life style changes that are required to prevent the problem. The main focus of the day was Diabetes, with sixty people who were identified as at risk of Type 2 Diabetes, these were given advice on how to make changes to their lifestyle, to help prevent going on to develop this in the future. Over the past three years, through the Swaffham Lions screening programme, more than eighty people have been found to be at serious risk and advised to go to their GP.

Whilst distributing leaflets, it was found that many people were reluctant to take the test, saying they were healthy and would know if they had or were at risk of Diabetes.

Whilst at the Health Check Day people could seek advice about easy breathing, have their blood pressure checked as well as information about Message in a Bottle and the Guide Dogs.

Trolley Dash Oct 2016

Swaffham Lions held their annual Trolley Dash at the Tesco store in Swaffham. This year the proceeds were for East Anglia Air Ambulance. The winning Trolley Dash ticket was purchased by Margaret Daniels, a pensioner from King’s Lynn, who has had two knee replacements. Margaret was over the moon and excited at the thought of doing the Dash. Following an inspection of the aisles, to see which goods she would like, she set off on her 90 second dash, aided by two Lions, and filled the trolley to the tune of £118. Tesco discounted the total and presented Margaret with a bouquet of flowers. The event raised £565 for the Air Ambulance.

Cheque for EACH October 2016

Following a highly successful evening with Jeffery Holland with his one man show, Swaffham Lions were able to hand over a cheque to EACH for £1039. Emma Taylor the Community Fundraiser (Norfolk) for EACH, said that they really appreciated the support that the Lions give to the charity, she went on to say they aim to raise more than £6 million from public donations to deliver their services this year. We really could not do it without the kindness and generosity of people and groups like the Lions.

World Sight Day Sept 2016

For the third year running Swaffham Lions held their Sight Awareness Day as part of the Lions International Sight Week and National Guide Dogs for the Blind Week. Setting up in Swaffham Market Place with information about issues that confront blind and partially sighted people, secondly to talk on preventable eye disease and what Lions Clubs locally and internationally do about it.

To highlight the problems of blind and partially sighted people have walking around town, the Mayor of Swaffham, Paul Darby, agreed to walk around the town centre with a special blindfold fitted. With the aid of a guide Paul walked around the town, followed by three guide dogs with their owners. Following the one hour tour of the town, the major problems highlighted by the Mayor were advertising A frames on the pavement and parked cars with a large overhang which encroached on the path. Street bollards and café furniture also caused problems. Now having an understanding of the issues Paul will see what council can do to ease these problems.

The guide dogs were a great success with the public who came across to talk and pet them. The day proved a great success with raising the issues of sight and the work that Lions do in this field.

Scott Tesco (Aug 2016)

After two years of running the Swaffham Tesco store, manager Scott Garrod is moving to a different store in a similar role. To mark his departure Swaffham Lions presented him with a Certificate of Appreciation for all the joint work that has been carried out between the Lions and Tesco. These have included foodbank collections, diabetes and British Heart Foundation collections to name a few. The Lions are looking forward to supporting the new manager when he or she arrives in a few weeks’ time.

Jeffery Holland (Aug 2016)

A sell out audience at the Barn theatre were enthralled with the performance by Jeffery Holland as Stan Laurel in his one man show ‘This is My Friend Mr Laurel’. A member of Swaffham Lions went to school with Jeffery and have kept in contact ever since. When he said that he would bring the play to Swaffham for the Lions, the Lions decided to donate the proceeds to EACH as a member of the club lost his young grandson at a very early age. During his illness the family were supported by EACH. The play which has been performed across the country is about Stan Laurel talking to Hardy about their show business experience. Brilliantly acted with laughter and tears and amazing facial expressions, the audience lived the life of the famous comedy pair. The second half of the evening took the form of a question and answer session about Jeffery’s life, this turned out to be highly amusing and informative. The evening raised £1000 for EACH.

Swaffham Rugby Club (2016)

Swaffham Lions had the pleasure of handing over a cheque to Swaffham Rugby Club to support their minis group. In the recent past Swaffham Lions have supported local football and cricket youth teams by sponsoring kit for the youngsters. The £500 cheque was handed over, during their coaching week, which is run by Leicester Tigers the famous Premiership Rugby Club. Over fifty under elevens attended the course, which focused upon the four main skills, catch & pass, tackle, breakdown and game sense. Leicester’s community development team coach all over the world, some of the coaches have just returned from Japan, where the next World Cup is being held, coaching young Japanese children. The England internationals Ben and Tom Youngs, who play for the Tigers, come from this region. The Swaffham club have over ninety minis on their books, who enjoy the sport; some aspire to emulate the Youngs brothers. Mike Fields, the president of Swaffham Rugby Club, said that the donation will go a long way to help kit out some of the youngsters and make them feel part of a successful club.

Queens 90th Party June 2016

Swaffham Lions held their indoor street party celebration for the Queens 90^th birthday on the 10^th June. Over one hundred guests were treated to an evening of entertainment, including dance, song and comedy from local artists. The evening started with the national anthem and ended with Land of Hope and Glory.

The room was decorated in true street party fashion with bunting, flags, red, white & blue table covering and plates. The place mats took the form of the Queens Time line, with each year having four different events that happened in that year. The party food of cake, savouries and sandwiches was provided by a team of Lions and their wives.

Each guest was given a commemorative bone china mug to take home. During the evening the Mayor handed out commemorative medals on behalf of the council (who made a financial contribution to the evening) to five Swaffham residents whose 90th birthday is this year. A further eighteen Swaffham residents, who are 90 this year but were unable to attend, will be presented with a medal by the Mayor.

The evening was a huge success with many guests saying that the room looked fantastic, everyone upon entry was truly taken aback, it was so wonderful to just watch and listen to their comments.

Lions on holiday May 2016

Swaffham Lions took time out of their busy schedule to go on their annual holiday. Fifteen Lions and friends hired a manor house in Swanage for a week. Coupled with visits to local sights, the members started to plan events for next year, which is the centenary of the Lions. Lions Clubs International is an International secular, non-political service organization founded by Melvin Jones in 1917. As of April 2015, it had over 46,000 local clubs and more than 1.4 million members in over 200 countries around the world

Health Forum May 2016

Swaffham Lions attended the annual Health Road Show in Swaffham Assembly Rooms, run by Campingland Surgery Patient Group, where Lions were spreading the news of “Message in a bottle” throughout the day.

The event attracted thirty six organisations involved in many areas of healthcare within our community. Literature and about 60 bottles were handed out, whilst discussion also took place between many of these groups and Swaffham Lion members, who worked well at spreading the message amongst not only the visitors but also exhibitors.

Some of the exhibitors were, Family Action, LILY, Community Cancer Care, West Norfolk Carers, MIND, Red Cross. Merle Body Centre, Macmillan, Home-start, Food Ban

Peters Walk June 2016

Peter Harris, a local well known walker, asked Swaffham Lions to support his walk on the Cross Norfolk Trail. Peter who has been a supporter of the Lions, recognizing the work that they do in the community, kindly donated the five hundred pounds sponsorship money raised to the Lions.

Peter did the ninety six miles in stages over six days, with a team of Lions collecting him at the end of each day and returning him to Swaffham, then taking him back the following day to continue his walk.

With the opening of the 12 mile Wensum Way between Gressenhall and Lenwade in mid Norfolk, a new long distance trail has been created that provides a continuous east - west path across the Norfolk between King’s Lynn and Great Yarmouth.

The new route provides the central portion of a cross-county route that begins with the Nar Valley Way in King’s Lynn on the Wash, continues with the Wensum Way and Marriott’s Way to Norwich where it picks up the Wensum River Parkway through the city and from here follows the Wherryman’s Way to Great Yarmouth on the North Sea coast.

The entire route is 96 miles in length and follows some of Norfolk’s principal rivers – the Nar, Wensum and Yare – for much of the way.

Pancreatic Cancer May 2016

Following a highly successful St Georges quiz, Swaffham Lions presented a cheque for £700 to Kay Wells to go to the Pancreatic Cancer Research Fund.

Kay lost her mother to pancreatic cancer and has become a successful fund raiser for the charity, which is the Cinderella of the cancer charities as seen below. The charity was started by Maggie Banks in 2004 following the death of her husband from the disease.

1. Pancreatic cancer has the lowest survival rate of all UK cancers – only 3% of those diagnosed survive beyond 5 years. This rate has barely changed in 40 years.

2. It is the fifth most common cause of cancer death in the UK.

3. Nearly 9,000 people each year are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in the UK. It affects men and women in roughly equal proportions

4. There is no early detection test for pancreatic cancer and treatment is limited. Because symptoms are initially vague and generally don’t appear until the disease is well advanced, average survival time from diagnosis to death is six months

5. Research into pancreatic cancer is under funded compared with many other types of cancer. Pancreatic cancer causes 5% of cancer deaths but receives only 1% of national research funding for cancer.

Food Bank April 2016

Swaffham Lions has a team of drivers who continue their fortnightly delivery of the Food Bank collections from Swaffham to the Mid Norfolk distribution centre in Dereham. The catchment area of the Food Bank is Swaffham, Dereham, Fakenham and the surrounding villages. On each trip the Lions transport 60kg of food, which is stored in bread trays, to the centre at Dereham. The warehouse is manned by up to twenty five volunteers. The food is then sorted into categories and expiry dates, before being made up into food parcels for families and individuals. The food is donated by church members in Swaffham and delivered to the Baptist Church where it is weighed and put into the baskets ready for delivery; this is done by the coordinator, Helen Neal.

St Georges Quiz April 2016

Swaffham Lions held a very successful quiz in the Swaffham Assembly Rooms in aid of Pancreatic Cancer. Over sixty people took part and the final score was very close, with only four points separating the top six teams. The winners come from Narborough, led by Lion President Colin Mowles. A magnificent total of £700 was raised for a very deserving cause.

Fencing April 2016

Following the tragic death of their mother, two young children were left homeless and are now being looked after by a relative. Their new home had no safe outside place to play. As part of their work in the community, Swaffham Lions decided to help out. With a small team of five Lions they enclose the front garden with a wooden fence, this will enable to youngster to play outside safely, especially as summer is coming.

Race Night April 2016

Swaffham Lions held their own Horse Race on Grand National day but the Lions did it in the comfort of Swaffham Assembly Rooms. With nine filmed races on the card, the excited audience made as much noise as those at Aintree during the Grand National. With the tote doing a brisk trade and the winning owners each receiving a bottle of Champagne, the evening only slowed when the fish & chip supper arrived. Lion President, Colin Mowles, thanked the local business for their sponsorship and all those who bought a horse. The evening raised £1911 for Lions Charities.

British Red Cross Collection 2016

Swaffham Lions answered the call from the British Red Cross to help with their collection at Tesco. The British Red Cross are well known for their work, supporting disasters throughout the world. The Lions are keen to support their efforts as they do similar work through Lions International. The local British Red Cross also have an office in Swaffham Community Centre, where you can, for a donation, borrow various mobility aids

10 Pin Bowling March 2016

Following a busy time working in the community it was time to relax for Swaffham Lions. They held their annual ten pin bowling tournament at the Fakenham Bowling Centre. The evening started with a meal and time to chat before eleven Lions and their ladies took part in the competition which was fierce but good humoured. The winner was the Lions Social Chairman Tony Lakey and the ladies winner for the third year running was Pam Tallon.

Easter Eggs March 2016

Swaffham Lions held their annual Easter Egg draw, with nineteen eggs in clubs and pubs around Swaffham and the surrounding villages. The winning number was the bonus ball on the National Lottery drawn a week before Easter. With the increase in the lotto numbers, from forty nine to fifty nine, this enabled the Lions to collect over one thousand pounds, before expenses, all the proceeds will go to Lions good causes.

Marie Curie March 2016

Swaffham Lions answered the call from Marie Curie to hold a collection at Tesco in Swaffham. The Marie Curie collections are done each year by Swaffham Lioness and the Rotary Club but this year the Lions received a request from Marie Curie to do an extra day. The Lions were only too willing to give up a Saturday for such a good cause; they collected a total of£219. Each £20 collected provides an hour of Marie Curie Nursing care and the service is totally free to patients and their families.

Lowland Rescue March 2016

Swaffham Lions were given a talk by Paul Webber from the Norfolk Lowland Rescue at the clubs monthly meeting held in the Swaffham Assembly Rooms. Paul explained that the service costs one thousand pound per month to run and does not receive funding from the Government, but relies on donations. With forty volunteer members spread across the county, they are often called out to search for missing persons who are suffering from dementia. Half of the volunteers are trained in water rescue and to that end they have just been given a grant to purchase a new inflatable craft and trailer which will be housed in Wroxham. Based in Hethersett, the volunteers are trained in first aid, crime scene control and work closely with the police and 1^st Responder. The Lion President thanked Paul for his interesting talk and gave a donation of one hundred pounds to the group.

Pancake Race Feb 2016

Swaffham Lions held a very successful Pancake Race in the Market Place with over thirty people taking part. Pupils from the Sacred Heart School joined teams from Tesco, Home Hospice Support, Strattons Hotel, Lionesses and the Lions. Some of the teams were in fancy dress, there was a Lion, a zebra, Pudsey Bear and Santa amongst the runners. Teams of two raced against each other in a knockout competition. The winners were a team from the Sacred Heart School, whose youth and speed proved too much for the other competitors.

Oscar 2016

When the call came from Scott Garrod, the store manager at Tesco, to help with a collection for Oscars Walk, Swaffham Lions were only too willing to help such a worthy cause. Along with twenty four other Tesco stores in East Anglia, all collecting for Oscar, the Lions sent in a team over the weekend to help. Oscar, who lives in Newmarket, suffers from spastic diplegia, which means he is unable to walk properly and needs SDR surgery to correct the condition. The operation, which costs sixty five thousand pounds, will be carried out in St Louis USA as there is limited availability for surgery in this country. The Lions wish Oscar and his family their best wishes for the future.

Lions Quiz 2016

Swaffham Lions held a very successful World Quiz in aid of the Escape Project at the Assembly Rooms. Eighty people attended and attempted to answer the questions on world subjects. The questions were set by Quiz Master Simon Fowler, which proved to be more difficult for some of the teams than others. A team from the Merle Boddy finished last but had a great time. By a narrow margin the team from Swaffham Rotary won the World Trophy. The teams enjoyed a cold buffet at half time with food from different parts of the world. The evening raised £675 for the Escape Project whose funding is under threat.

Escape Project December 2015

ESCAPE Project and Friends of Swaffham Orchard are led by Family Action, and run in partnership with Swaffham Town Council, The Garden Science Trust, Swaffham Community and Leisure Gardeners Association, The Iceni Partnership and the Master Gardener Programme. In January this year, Family Action began to deliver its Heritage Lottery Funded project, Friends of Swaffham Orchard, which aims to promote the learning of gardening, food growing and traditional skills. The project has brought the community orchard on Orford Road Playing Field, planted in February 2011, back under management, training local volunteers to care for the space once the funding has come to an end.

Santa at RAF Marham Dec 2015

Santa took time out of his busy schedule to help out Swaffham Lions on their annual tour of the married quarters at RAF Marham. The pre notified route had mums, dads and children waiting in the street for the arrival of Santa in his sleigh pulled by his elves. The excited children had many questions to ask Santa but most of all they wanted to know what presents Santa was going to bring. Parents were just as excited as they took the opportunity to take photos of their loved ones with Santa. The tour of Marham is one of the most heart-warming days in the Lions calendar; it’s good to give support to our forces who keep us safe.

New venue Dec 2015

Swaffham Lions continue to grow to such an extent that we have had to move to a new venue to hold our meetings. Following a very enjoyable period at the Station Pub, we have moved to Swaffham Assembly Rooms, with the increase in members, now up to twenty nine, with a further six looking to join. Asked why they wished to join the Lions, Eileen Fleetwood said that she wished to be involved in supporting the community and felt she could do this as a member of the Lions.

OAP Party 2015

Swaffham Lions held their 29^th Annual OAP’s Christmas party at Hamonds Academy on Sunday 6^th December. Lion President, Colin Mowles, told the 120 guests that in the early days the food was cooked in the Lions homes and delivered to the venue. Things have changed with the food prepared and cooked by the kitchen staff of the Academy, which was appreciated by all of the guests.

The guests, some of whom were collected by a fleet of buses, were welcomed by the Mayor Cllr Anne Thorpe and Deputy Mayor Cllr Paul Darby, before sitting down to a traditional Christmas meal. Baroness Shephard, together with Lions, Lions wives and Lionesses, helped serve the meal which included a glass of wine.

The entertainment was provided by the Strollers who song songs from the 60’s and Amber Batten accompanied by Anne Greeves on the piano who sang a series of well-known songs. Games of bingo were followed by all the helpers singing carols which rounded off the celebrations. Baroness Shephard thanked the Lions for all their hard work on putting on such a memorable event and wished everyone had a happy Christmas and a safe journey home.

Children in Need 2015

A team from Swaffham Lions, together with Pudsey Bear, collected over £500 for Children in Need. It is one of the best days in the Lions calendar, when you see the faces of young and old, who want either a hug or a photo with Pudsey

1st Reponders

Following a very successful Trolley Dash at the Tesco store in Swaffham, Swaffham Lions were able to hand over a cheque for four hundred and fifty nine pounds to the 1^st Responders. Training Officer Steve Hammond in receiving the cheque said that it would go a long way to purchasing new equipment.

Diabetes Awarness

Swaffham Lions held a successful diabetes awareness and health check day on Saturday at the Assembly Rooms. This is the third year that the club has organised the event, to help raise peoples’ awareness of the risks of diabetes and other health issues.

About 100 people took the opportunity to have diabetic screening and heart-related advice, including town mayor Anne Thorp (pictured).

From the number who attended the day, two were confirmed cases of diabetes, (who were unaware before) and six people were confirmed as requiring further tests. Julie Widdowson, Diabetes Lead Practitioner West Norfolk said, “There are more people out there we need to reach who are at risk. Today, the majority of clients were below the at risk level which was good.”

Also making a visit to the Day were PCSOs Paul Bailey and Alison Young, both based in Swaffham. Paul, in fact, was happy to have diabetes check (pictured), and was given the OK.

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Litcham School

Swaffham Lions had a request from four young people, who attend Litcham School, to help sponsor them to get to America to take part in a literature quiz. On further investigation, the four young people had just come first in the UK Kids’ Lit Quiz, A major achievement considering they were up against seventeen different regions.

The Kids' Lit Quiz is an annual literature quiz for students aged 10 - 13 years.

Quizzes are held in Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa, United Kingdom and USA. The winning team from each heat competes in a National Final. National champions compete in the World Final

The quiz was founded by New Zealand quizmaster Wayne Mills, who reads enough books to write several thousand questions each year. Teams of four students are asked to answer 100 questions on children's literature divided into ten categories.

Three of the four youngsters gave a presentation to their sponsors on their return about their experiences in America. They met numerous authors who gave them tips on writing. The presentation was very professional and interjected with humor. One of the spin offs of the trip is the increase in books being read in the school library. The young people were a credit to the school and the Lions were proud to support them.

Swaffham & District Lions

For nearly 100 years, Lions International have worked on projects designed to prevent blindness, restore eyesight and improve eye health and eye care for hundreds of millions of people worldwide.

Swaffham Lions held their annual Sight Awareness day on Friday 9th October in the Market Place, with the support of Guide Dogs and My Guide. Kerry Bradshaw, a My Guide Ambassador, guided the Mayor of Swaffham, Cllr Anne Thorp who was blind folded, around Swaffham Market Place to experience the difficulties that people with limited vision have in negotiating obstacles such as street furniture and bollards. During the fifteen minute walk Anne became very aware of the A- Frames and bollards that impeded her walk. Kerry explained that My Guide can offer experts in the layout of street furniture to advise local authorities.

The Lions were also joined by Cynthia Easeman from Hunstanton, who is partially sighted and her eight year old Guide Dog, Olivia. Cynthia told the Lions that Olivia was born at the Guide Dog Kennels in Leamington Spa, all the litter had names begin with O. The Guide Dog organisation pays for all the food and Vets bills which can cost up to £50,000 during the life of the dog. The owner has to go through an assessment programme to ensure they can cope with a dog, 4% of dog owners have no sight with the rest having limited vision.

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Treasure Hunt

Swaffham Lions held a very enjoyable walking treasure hunt around Swaffham, in aid of the British Heart Foundation. Teams from the Lions, Lionesses and friends, set off from the Community Centre on a 2.6 mile course, picking up the nineteen clues along the way. The afternoon finished with tea and cakes, together with stories of missed clues. The event was won by a team from Swaffham Lionesses, Karen Nye and Bridget Dumbrell who only missed on clue. The winning trophy was presented by Lion President Colin Mowles.

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Open evening

Swaffham & District Lions are holding an open evening on 9^th September in Swaffham Assembly Rooms starting at 7pm. Swaffham Lions are part of Lions International, which has more Volunteers Doing More Community Work in More Places than Any Service Club Organization. When it comes to meeting challenges, the response is simple: We serve, in over 200 countries, with a membership of 1.4 million, working in hospitals and senior centres, in regions battered by natural disaster, in schools and eyeglass recycling centres, Lions are doing community volunteer work, helping, leading, planning and supporting. Because we're local, we can serve the unique needs of the communities we live in. And because we're global, we can address challenges that go beyond borders.

In Swaffham the club with twenty five members, can be seen working and helping in the community, with a full programme of events, such as holding a Christmas Party for 120 senior citizens, taking a coach load of families to the circus in Yarmouth and Santa with his sleight touring the married quarters at RAF Marham to name just a few. The club is also involved in health projects, Diabetes Awareness, Message in a Bottle and sight awareness programmes. With recycle spectacle bins at the Doctors Surgeries, Swaffham Lions have collected over five thousand pairs which have been sized and send to countries in need.

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Blicking Hall

Following a hectic period for Swaffham Lions, being involved in the Necton and Wayland shows, it was time to relax. Fourteen members and friends took a shared picnic supper to Blickling Hall for the Last Night of the Proms concert, which turned out to be a very enjoyable evening.

With batteries recharged, planning is well advanced for a very busy September. On Sunday 6^th a coach load of children and parents will be taken to the circus in Yarmouth, quickly followed on the 9^th by an evening where the Lions showcase the work they have done in the community over the last twelve months (this is an open evening and all are welcome to come), and on the 13th we have a walking treasure hunt, in and around Swaffham, again all are welcome. If you need more information contact Dennis on 01760 721550

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800 market celebrations

Following a very successful quiz earlier in the year, which raised £600 for Swaffham’s 800 Market Celebrations, Swaffham Lions, with the support of Swaffham Lionesses, manned the Guardian Angel Wrist Bands post at the Medieval Black Nights weekend. With thousands of visitors to the event the Lions were kept busy for the two days. Many parents commented on how good the wrist bands are and what good work the Lions do in the community.

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Nepal

Former Swaffham Lions President, Steve Hudson, approached the Lions following the Nepal earthquake to see if he could help raise funds for the Lions International appeal fund. Steve runs the Spiritual Flow events throughout East Anglia and collected monies at each event for the appeal. He raised over £740 which he presented to Swaffham Lions. Being a past member of the Lions he knew that the funds would go direct to the disaster relief without the cost of overheads.

Food Bank

A team from Swaffham Lions were on hand all day to help with the Tesco Food Bank. Last year, with the help of the Lions and other community groups, over 4,000 meals were donated from the Swaffham store. Lion President stated this was part of our mission, helping people in need.

Scott Garrod, Tesco store manager at Swaffham said: “It’s fantastic to see local people coming together to build a stronger community. When we ran the Neighborhood Food Collection in November we were overwhelmed by the generosity of both our customers and our colleagues.”

Health forum

Swaffham Lions were invited to attend the Health Road Show hosted by Campingland Surgery Patient Group, in Swaffham Assembly Rooms. This event attracted exhibitors from many charities and organisation whose aim it was, to raise awareness of the health provisions and where to find local providers.

Lions were represented throughout the day, making both visitors and stall holders aware of "Message in a Bottle." This was well received with leaflets and bottles being widely distributed.

Requests were also made to the Welfare team to give talks to several local groups.

Lions in America

As members of Swaffham Lions we took time out on our trip to America to visit two Lions Clubs, Concord and Harrisburg both in North Caroline. Both clubs have one major funding project as well as smaller ones. At Concord, Swaffham Lions helped put out four hundred flags in the front people’s houses, this happens eleven times a year on special days such as July 4^th. Each resident pays $30 per year to have the flags put out and collected.

At Harrisburg the Lions hold a monthly Fish Fry Supper, you can also have chicken or prawns. Harrisburg has eight active members, so they call upon other Lions clubs to help. Four members from Concord and two from Swaffham answered the call. They got involved serving, washing pans and clearing up. Over two hundred meals were served, the cost per meal was $11 for adults and $9 for seniors. Harrisburg Lions hold the supper in their club house, which they own, it has a fully equipped kitchen and can seat up to two hundred people.

Art Exhibition

Swaffham Lions held their annual Art & Craft exhibition in Swaffham Assembly Rooms over the weekend of 9^th May. The Preview evening was attended by over fifty people; they were welcomed by Lion President Simon Fowler who said that the standard of exhibits by local artists was superb. The star of the show was again, the Nicolas Hamond Academy with their display of crafts and pictures. With over 150 exhibits together with craft stalls, it gave a unique setting for artists from Swaffham and local villages to display their work. The proceeds from the event will go to Lions good causes.

800 Cheque hand over

Following a highly successful St Georges Day quiz, Swaffham Lions were able to hand over a £620 cheque to David Wickerson, chair of the Town Group, who are leading the Swaffham 800year market celebrations.

In thanking the Lions David wrote the following. We thank Swaffham Lions for raising over £600 at a recent Quiz Night but by also offering their services to provide a “Lost Child” facility over the weekend of July 18th/19th when Black Knight Historical will be providing an exciting Mediaeval enactment on the Town’s Campingland and in the Market Place including appearances by knights in armour and King John himself!!

St Georges Quiz

Swaffham Lions held a St Georges day quiz in aid of Swaffham’s 800 year market celebrations in the Assembly Rooms. A packed audience pitted their wits to the questions set by Lion President, Simon Fowler. The winners, in a tightly fought contest, were the Rusty Nails, who were presented with wine as their prize. The true winners were the team who came last, the Market Cross, deemed to be the strongest, as they were holding up the rest, they were presentenced with a sword, to kill the dragon, in true ST George fashion. The evening raised over £600 for the celebrations

Lions Den

Swaffham Lions held their bi annual Lion’s Den in support of the youth in the area. A packed audience at the Community Centre watched as ten groups made their presentations on how they would spend the money, if granted. A diverse range of requests were made, from football shirts for a team, to first aid training. Youth clubs from Swaffham, Nar Valley and Great Dunham, as well as Scouts, Guides, Rainbows, Football and Cricket Clubs, Children All Together and Kuk Sool Wong all received money for their cause. A total of £2,120 was distributed during the evening. Lion President Simon Fowler said that he was proud the way the young people stood up and gave their presentations and added that the Lions would continue to support the youth of the area.