MELKSHAM Lions Club has celebrated its 40th anniversary.
The club, formed in 1974, has played a keen role in the Melksham community organising and supporting a range of local events and raising money for a wide variety of charities and local groups. And now, they are urging local people to join the group and support them as they head towards their half century.
“Melksham Lions are very proud to be celebrating 40 years of service to the local community,” said Simon White, activities chairman. “We are part of Lions Clubs International, the largest community service organisation in the world with more than 1.35 million members in 200 countries.
“Melksham has a wonderful community spirit and many successful community and charity groups who very often pull together. It also has a thriving and vibrant business community and many successful shops, pubs and clubs. To all of you we say a big thank you for your fantastic support which you all have given us in the form of sponsorship, raffle prizes and help in so many ways over the past 40 years.
“To all the townsfolk and villagers around who have always turned out at all the events we have put on over the years, we cannot say thank you enough because without your support the club would not have achieved what it has done over the years.”
Amongst the club’s claims to fame are organising Santa’s float tours around the streets of Melksham every year; organising annual concerts bringing the acclaimed Maesteg Male Voice Choir to the town; and supporting Melksham Hospital Fete, Melksham Food Festival and Melksham Carnival.
The club also organised the first Wiltshire Disability Sports Games at Bowerhill which is now a major annual event in Swindon.
“We are a club of 15 members and try to do as much as we can to help make Melksham a great place to live,” continued Simon.
“But we couldn’t do it without the support of local people. At Christmas, Santa’s float tours the streets with Manus and Davina the reindeer and you all turn out in the wet and cold weather and fill our buckets, emptying jam jars and piggy banks that you have saved especially for us over the year.
“And at all the fetes, fun days, sponsored walks/ rides, concerts and other events, you have always been there ready and willing to support us and give generously. We say a big thank you for all those years of support.
“Over the years, our treasurer has calculated that since we formed we have raised, with your help, £215,000 – now how about that!! But you don’t have to be a brilliant mathematician to work out that some of us are getting close to our ‘sell by date’.
“We are always on the look out for new members to swell our numbers so we are able to continue as a club and improve on what we do. But we cannot do this without some younger blood with new ideas, so why not come along to one of our meetings and see whether we are to your taste! We meet the first Tuesday of every month at Spencer’s Social Club. Without new members Santa will not be able to tour the streets in the future and Manus and Davina may well end up in Potterne with the Wadworth’s retired dray horses!
“We wish and sincerely hope that the Lions Club of Melksham will be thriving for another 40 years with new members enjoying the benefits of our constantly growing community. Once again a big thank you from all of us to all of you for the last 40 years and here’s to the next 40 years. To get in touch, go to www.melkshamlions.co.uk or ring 0845 8337401 to speak to a member.”
