As well as providing grants to deserving causes within GL14 and GL15 post code areas, District and Multiple District Lions Club, Forest of Dean Lions Club undertakes a number of community service projects. Examples of such projects/causes are:
Forest Champions Awards
The awards celebrated and recognise the efforts of individuals and groups within our area.
Berry Hill Community Orchard
The community orchard at Berry Hill was set up by a local group of enthusiastic community members, it is just over an acre clearing of forestry commission land that was just scrub, bracken and brambles and has been transformed into an exciting permaculture orchard. Forest of Dean Lions awarded a £5,000 grant to help buy trees for what the local volunteers have transformed into an award winning community asset.
Jaundice Scanner
Forest of Dean Lions donated £5,000 raised from entry fees of the Wild Boar Chase bike ride to equip local midwives with a Jaundice Scanner. The easily portable, non-invasive scanner will help the midwives check babies that they visit and will be especially useful in the Forest which is a largely rural area.
Lydney Community Centre Projector
Lydney Community Centre is a well used asset to Lydney. Forest of Dean Lions were asked to help provide new equipment and granted £1,300 for the purchase of a new projector.
Forest of Dean Lions Community Projects
Forest of Dean Lions launched an initiative that encouraged local groups of people to apply for grants to run Community Projects.
• Lydbrook School was awarded £500 to construct a wildlife pond in the school grounds.
• Dean Academy received a £200 grant to put on a Royal Wedding celebration meal for Senior Citizens in Bathurst Park, Lydney.
• Freedom Leisure received £1,050 to hold a range of activities for children organised by qualified coaching staff on the Angus Buchanan Recreation Ground in Coleford. This included free multi-sports activities for 2 weeks throughout the summer holidays.
Hope for Tomorrow
In our rural area patients usually have to travel to Gloucester or Cheltenham to receive treatment for cancer. Hope for Tomorrow provide a mobile treatment unit that comes to our area to provide treatment. Forest of Dean Lions have awarded £1,000 to fund a week of these visits. A further £1,000 has been awarded to alleviate the effects of Covid-19 on the Hope for Tomorrow funding stream.
Forest Drop In Dementia Centre
A grant of £150 was awarded to enable the users of the Dementia Centre to take a coach trip to London.
Scarr Bandstand Rising Stars Competition
Scarr Bandstand, set in a beautiful but remote location has been renovated and is run by an enthusiastic group of volunteers. Forest of Dean Lions awarded £600 to sponsor the Rising Stars event where young musicians are able to compete on the outdoor stage.
Guides Trailer
Forest of Dean Lions made a grant of £600 to enable local guides to buy a trailer to store and transport their equipment.
Other examples
• Fishing for kids awarded £100 for equipment,
• Sling Welcome Club £150 for meal for members
• Pillowell Silver Band £250 towards children’s instruments,
• Broadwell Memorial Hall £250 towards Poppy Mural,
• Riding for the Disabled £500,
• Forest of Dean Sensory Centre £500,
• Forest Upcycling £400 for equipment used to upcycle furniture,
Marie Curie Collections
Each Spring Forest of Dean Lions take part in the annual Marie Curie collection. £315 was collected in the 2020 collection and £655 in the 2019 collection. These donations form customers of Tesco, Lydney are passed directly to Marie Curie.
Spectacle Recycling
Since its formation nearly 100 years ago Lions Club International has focused on sight related projects. Over the years XYZ Lions Club have placed spectacle recycling boxes in opticians, doctors’ surgeries and other relevant locations within Tandridge. The boxes are emptied regularly and all spectacles are dispatched to Chichester Lions Club who recycle them for onward transmission to Medico France who grade them and send them on for use in developing countries.
Message in a Bottle
The purpose of Message in a Bottle is to place a plastic bottle in fridges of the infirm and elderly and particularly those living on their own so that emergency services can easily find the bottle which contains contact details plus information about the medication and requirements of the individual.
The Forest of Dean Lions Club has taken over the administration and organisation of the Message in a Bottle Service the GL14 and GL15 postcodes. and is currently delivering bulk supplies of the bottles to doctors’ surgeries, libraries, pharmacies, banks and other suitable venues.