TROWBRIDGE LIONS CLUB
Community Service Activities
Lions was started to help people less fortunate than the members in their own communities. Very quickly this was changed to helping people anywhere who needed help and support.
The Trowbridge Community Service Committee do concentrate most of their efforts on helping people in our own community and especially the following groups:
For families and in particular the children, who may in one way or another, be disadvantaged.
* Coach trips each year to Paulton's Park and Wookey Hole, Longleat Safari and Adventure Park and Avon Valley Country Park.
* A visit to Trowbridge Pantomime for 130 children in January
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A Food Voucher given to 60 families at Christmas to help them enjoy the festivities.
For the Homeless of Trowbridge.
* Along with other organisations we take our turn on the Soup Run, twice a month, providing soup, sandwiches, and a hot drink.
* Fund and serve the Christmas Dinner for the homeless at their day centre.
* Have an annual collection of "tins" for distribution by the Salvation Army to provide hot meals and food parcels.
For the Elderly and Disabled
Each Lion looks after a few elderly people (our Grannies):
* Visiting occasionally and taking a card and gift at Christmas;
* Taking them on outings to the Trowbridge Operatic Shows
* Car drives followed by a Fish and Chip Supper
* For the Disabled a Trip on the Barbara McLellan barge on the canal.
* Organise, cook, serve and entertain at the Late Late Christmas Dinner in January.
* For the younger disabled we organise and cook a BBQ for the Gateway Club in July, last year catering for 135 people.
Donations
We make a monthly donation to the Dorothy House Home Carers Support Team covering a substantial percentage of their costs for Trowbridge.
We respond to a great number of very varied personal appeals and when we can't help we guide the appealers to other local sources of help.
Nationally and Internationally
While the vast majority of the money we raise in Trowbridge is used in Trowbridge, Lions do give our money to National and International projects, some of which are listed:
* Lions sponsor and operate Medic Alert 'alert tags' for people with allergies and dangerous/life threatening medical conditions.
* We run the 'Message in a Bottle' scheme for elderly people in their own homes.
* Lions introduced the White Stick to the world, sponsored the first Guide Dog School and aim to rid the world of unnecessary blindness. In the last two years Lions worldwide raised over $2,000.
* We donate to many major disasters through the world such as the Tsunami and the floods in Haiti when our money is used by the local Lions Clubs at the scene of the disasters.
* We support a variety of Third World Projects, when every pound used is worth ten pounds in this country.
