The Bridgnorth Lions

Bridgnorth Lions Club is made up of a group of like-minded men and exists to help those in the community who are disadvantaged or in need of help. Since 1976 we have raised hundreds of thousands of pounds, all from around Bridgnorth and the surrounding area, and every penny has been used to help those less fortunate than ourselves.

We are part of Lions Clubs International (LCI), the world’s largest service organization, whose motto is “We Serve”.

Having 1.4 million members spread across the globe, LCI has the proud boast that no money donated by the public is used for administration costs.

Because we are local, we serve the unique needs of the community in which we live. But as we are global, we can also address international challenges such as help for earthquake victims or other natural disasters wherever they occur.

The vast majority of our work is centred on the Bridgnorth community. If you ask any of our members, they’d say that having fun while helping their local community is what it’s all about – from helping individuals with problems/needs to organizing the annual prostate cancer testing (PSA) event or the renowned Bridgnorth Walk. All the charitable work we undertake has to be paid for and Bridgnorth members raise money throughout the year. Bonding the club together is a very active social calendar, which is enjoyed by all members and partners.

If you’d like to make a difference in the community, now is the opportunity to get in touch with us.

The whole club meets once a month on the second Tuesday at The Down pub, near Bridgnorth. The meeting starts with a meal and is followed by the business session where various topics are discussed and voted upon, usually finishing around 10pm.

Each member is assigned to one of three committees (which also meet once a month).

The committees are:

Fundraising

Organises events/activities to raise money for our various “good causes”.

Welfare

This is the committee which decides how we spend our money. Specifically, it also organises events or outings for “special needs” or older members of the community.

Social

Having fun is important to Lions members – a wide range of events are arranged for the benefit of members, family and friends.

What it costs: all the money donated by the public is used for charitable purposes. The club’s administration expenses are met by the annual subscription, currently £90, payable in two instalments.

International: for information on our activities around the world click here.

Founded in Chicago Illinois U.S.A in 1917 by an Insurance agent Melvin Jones, Lions Clubs International offers people a way of sharing their personal success by helping those less fortunate than themselves. The association became International when the first Club in Canada was formed in 1920.

Through membership Lions not only help people in need, but have opportunities to develop personal friendships, and gain valuable leadership skills.

If any man out there feels that he, too, would like to make a difference in the community, now is the opportunity to get in touch with us.

For more information on Lions International, please go to the global website by clicking here

More than 1130 men from Bridgnorth and the surrounding area turned the latest prostate cancer screening event on October 25th into “probably the country’s largest single screening of its type”, according to Bridgnorth Lions President, Richard Stilwell.

As a result, more than 60 men have been found to have the disease which is the country’s largest cancer for men over the age of 50. Blood tests can reveal levels of prostate specific antigen (PSA) which may indicate the presence of prostate cancer.

Bridgnorth Lions started the screening in 2009 and since that time more than 7,000 tests have been carried out with more than 360 men being found to have the disease.

Mr Stilwell said: “This was an astonishingly successful community event, with the number of men attending more than 200 higher than last year. It was a fantastic effort by the community. The blood tests were carried out mainly by the phlebotomists from our own Bridgnorth Hospital while local companies* contributed towards our cost by sponsoring the event.”

Men attending the event received their blood test results within a few weeks. Those with “red” level results were advised to seek urgent medical advice from their GPs, while others with “amber” results were advised to monitor their PSA levels. Those with “green” results were advised that they should have “no concerns.”

*Local companies supporting the event:

• Arch Motor Services
• Bridgnorth Aluminium
• Bridgnorth Print Services
• Bridgnorth Tyre Centre
• Grainger & Worrall
• Hilton Industrial Services
• Hydrobolt
• Keith Alderson Butchers
• Stitches of Bridgnorth

The 2019 event will again take place in October…date to be confirmed.