Spotlight on Prestwich: The Prestwich Lions Club

Reporter: Marcus Chippindale
Date online: 27 October 2010

Lions are not something you would expect to see out on the streets of Prestwich. For most people they are something you watch on the Discovery Channel in the company of a dead zebra and David Attenborough’s calming tones. But twice a month a whole pack of them converge on the Prestwich Conservative Club.

These are of course not vicious man-eaters from the Serengeti, but the rather more sedate group of the Prestwich Lions Club, who are just one of the 45,000 groups that make-up Lions Clubs International.

Established in 1917 in the United States, The Lions are a worldwide organisation providing community and humanitarian services with the help of around 1.3 million volunteer members. Despite the groups impressive size relatively few people have ever heard of them.

Lions clubs are involved in countless initiatives around the world, such as providing food for 60,000 people in a township in South Africa, and are the body behind the invention of the white stick that blind people use.

Richard Alford is secretary of the Prestwich Lions Club and has been a member there for 10 years. He explained the broad appeal of the Club to Bury Focus.

“It’s being part of a group that’s focused on providing a service to the community. You couldn’t do something like this on your own, you need to be part of a group.”

The Lions raise money through a variety of schemes, such as through their car boot sales and collections at local shopping centres and supermarkets.

Mr Alford said: “We spend most of the money on grants to various charities. We regularly give to the Lions International campaigns which are to do with water wells and things like that. But the money generally goes to local charities like St John’s Ambulance.”

Aside from supporting various other charities, the Lions also put on a range of events for the community with the dual aim of providing a service for people and raising awareness for the cause.

“Once a year we hold a party to raise money for the local housing schemes and bus in people for the event,” explained Mr Alford. “We had a party for pensioners and we try to provide a Santa for the Christmas lights switch on.”

The Lions Club in Prestwich only has 13 members but being involved in such a wide range of events means working for the Lions can sometimes feel like a full-time job. Mr Alford made it clear that everyone is expected to be fully committed to the cause or risk the wrath of their fellow volunteers.

“The biggest challenge is making sure you get on with the other people, because if they don’t think you’re pulling you’re weight they will tell you.”

To find out about more community groups in Prestwich visit:

http://www.buryfocus.co.uk/community/groups/prestwich