Support to those in need locally and word-wide

The Financial Times has ranked the Lions as "the best among non-government organisations (NGO's) worldwide with which to work.

Lions are proud of this recognition and are always ready to support causes and people in need in the local community - such as Wiltshire Air Ambulance - and those far away who may have been struck by hardship, natural disasters, wars or failed crops.

All money raised by Lions is donated to those in need with all administrative costs met by the Lions themselves.

We are proud that through Lions Club International Foundation (LCIF) - the Lions' organisation that provides links between Lions Clubs all over the world - we are able to respond quickly and effectively in most countries of the world - using locally based people already in the area to help communities and people in need.

However, we always put highest priority in supporting causes and people who need help in our own local communities.

The current year ahead

The Lions organisations' financial year runs from July to July. In this year - to July 2009 - our president, Lion Byron Hughes has announced that his main local targets for fundraising are:

0 Prostrate Cancer Research, sadly on the increase in the male population, surprisingly in the young

0 Wiltshire Air Ambulance recently reprieved and so vital in saving lives locally

0 A local charity to be disclosed once more information is available

The year just gone by

Read below about the people and worthy causes we have been pleased to help during the year to July 2008 - Lion Brian Hearns 12 months of being our President. Through your generous help and support of our many fundraising events we have helped over 50 individuals and charitable organisation with approaching £15,000.

Support for the local community

Lion Brians' chosen charity for his year in office was Chippenhams Transport for the Disabled and we were pleased to donate £3000 to this cause.
Working "behind the scenes" in the community we were pleased to help individuals brought to our attention by local care professionals.

This list below illustrates the types of donations we make, and good causes we support

- £400 to the Bobby Trust who help provide home security for the vulnerable
- an Electronic viewer for partially blind person
- A Donation of £1000 towards the costs of renovating First Chippenham Scouts Hut
-Christmas day lunches for elderly and lone pensioners
- A £500 Donation towards the set up costs of a room for bereavement counselling in Chippenham
- Art equipment for an autistic girl
- £750 for equipment for the ABC Nursery and after school club - Contribution to a Summer Holiday Club for disabled persons
- Contribution to the running costs of a Chippenham based Child Contact Centre for separated parents
- Transport costs to help people attend Corsham Arts Centre - Dancing through life for older persons
- Chippenhams' Relate - Relationship Counselling for children
- North Wiltshire disabled persons Carers Support (£500)
- Sponsorship of young people to undertake voluntary work in Tanzania and for a Girl Guide leader visit and to help others in Madagascar Africa
- Support for Alzheimer sufferers in Chippenham area (£400)

Donations to national charities
- £300 Donation to Cancer Research UK
- £300 Donation to Meningitis UK Trust
- £300 for Stem Cell Research
- A donation to the Royal National College for the Blind and a
contribution towards the costs of competitors attending the Disabled special Olympics

Support worldwide
This year we have been able to make donations to

- The Lions' LCIF Campaign SightFirst II - Lions drive to restore sight to those in the Third World with curable blindness. We have raised over £3,500 to help in this initiative. (See our separate web page to read more about this work and how Chippenham Lions Club has been designated a Lion's Model Club for our contribution to this work).

- A donation of £500 to the North East Orissa Project in the state of Orissa in India to help the work providing essential eye care service in this development part of the country

- Water Aid - providing clean water to communities in Africa and Asia, so necessary to promote health and fight disease.

- The victims of the Bangladesh Cyclone - £1600 was raised at our RACE NIGHT held at the Pheasant Inn in January. A special thanks is due to all who came along and our sponsors -Barclays Bank, Strakers Estate Agents and the Akash Tandori, Ashoka restaurant and Cafe India for their generous donations.

- Burmah Cyclone Appeal - £1000 to Disasters Emergency Committee appeal.

- China Earthquake - £250
Find out more about what LCIF has been doing to help in China through the link on page 1 of this site.