£31,000 Presentation Night at Knowle and Dorridge

Knowle and Dorridge Lions celebrated another year of record achievements on Thursday 24th September, when the club held its annual presentation evening for sponsors at the Greswolde Hotel in Knowle.

‘We have been really lucky with the weather this year’ says President Peter Smith. ‘We were delighted with the record support for all our events with more walkers, runners & cyclists than ever taking part in our Lions Festive Walk, Knowle Fun Run and Solihull Bikeathon helping us raise almost £57,000 for charity’

Peter thanked all the sponsors saying, ‘It’s great for our club of 25 volunteers to celebrate such success again, but without help from sponsors like yourselves in such difficult trading times our events would never realise so much for charity. We sincerely hope that the recession will not affect the generosity of our sponsors for next year.’

On the evening the Lions presented cheques totalling over £31,000 to their three nominated charities – Macmillan Cancer Support, Whizz-Kidz & Lions Campaign SightFirst II. Special guests invited to receive the cheque for £9,812 for Lions Campaign SightFirst II included PDG Suresh Gohil and DG Femi Onabolu who were District Governor and SightFirst II officer when Knowle and Dorridge Lions pledged to raise at least £7,000 for CSII; and PID Howard Lee, who gratefully accepted the cheque explaining to the sponsors, charity fundraisers and others about the Lions partnership with Moorfields Eye Hospital, and the Lions of Ghana, to build and equip a brand new Lions Eye Hospital in Korle Bu, Ghana.

Whizz-Kidz community fundraiser Kay Aslett introduced one of her charities ambassadors Pippa Massingberd-Mundy who spoke of the benefits and demonstrated the flexiblility of her new electric wheelchair

Lion Wilf Davey explained that the Club retained a proportion of the funds raised for local causes explaining this had again been spent on coach outings and tea parties for older people and to benefit local children and disabled people. Money had also been used locally to support the refurbishment of Dorridge Village Hall and to provide recreational equipment for 8 to 13 year-olds in Knowle Park.

Finally, Community Service Chairman Lion Bob Thurtle introduced Jenny Hawkin, one of 3 winners of the Knowle and Dorridge Lions’ Youth Travel Bursary this year, who has recently returned from teaching at an orphanage in Nepal. Jenny gave an interesting illustrated insight on life in Nepal and thanked the Lions for their generous Bursary.