Five local charities have received a £1,000 funding boost from the Melksham Lions Club following successful fundraising events to mark their 50th anniversary last year.
The charities were presented with cheques at a recent meeting of the Lions Club. The recipients were Eric Woods and Ann Hopper, who accepted on behalf of the Wiltshire and Bath Air Ambulance Trust; Wiltshire Mind; Nigel and Phil from Freewheelers; Claudia Hazelton from Julia’s House; and Susannah Thorpe from the Wiltshire Bobby Van Trust.
The Melksham Lions Club held a series of events last year to celebrate 50 years of serving the community. The events included a picnic in the park and a special Lions Charter Dinner. They also ran a Spot the Golden Lion competition, produced a 50th anniversary programme and the town hall was illuminated with the Lions’ emblem and colours.
Paul Carter, director of the Melksham Lions Club, said, “Our target of £5,000 was achieved, and we were delighted to present £1,000 to each of our five charitable recipients, along with our best wishes.”
To round off the year, the Lions also held their annual Santa Float, where Father Christmas and his helpers travelled around the town in the lead-up to Christmas, raising funds for local causes. As a result, the Lions raised over £6,000 for charities including Melksham Food Bank, Brain Tumour Research, Wiltshire Mind, Melksham Christmas Lights and Julia’s House.
