Lion Frank rubs shoulders with royalty at special VIP Palace reception

Burnley Lion Frank Seed outside Buckingham Palace where he attended a reception to honour the organisations centenary year.

Frank was chosen to represent his club at the event held to honour the 100th anniversary of the organisation.

Hosted by the Countess of Wessex, who is patron of the worldwide organisation, Frank said he was honoured to be chosen to represent Burnley although he did admit that it was probably a rare occasion when London was colder than his hometown as there was heavy snow!

While at the reception Frank got the opportunity to congratulate the Countess in person on the 450 mile bike ride she completed last year from Holyrood House in Ediburgh to Buckingham Palace to raise money for the Duke of Edinburgh award scheme.

He said: "The Countess said the training had been more difficult than the actual ride."

Frank also got the chance to meet other Lions from the 300 other clubs represented at the reception.

He added: "Accrington, Hyndburn Centenniel, Clitheroe, Littleborough and Heywood were other clubs represented in our vicinity.

"We were free to mingle with other Lions for the first part of the reception and then past International director, Phil Nathan, introduced the Countess who praised the efforts of Lions throughout the UK to the servicing of humanitarian needs at home and abroad."

The work of the Lions' organisation was praised by Phil Nathan who is the chairman of the centenary celebrations.

He told the guests: "During our first century of service, Lions clubs have touched millions of lives of people that needed us.

"The length of service to the community is a remarkable achievement, made possible by the selfless actions of many thousands of individual men and women, each of whom has sought to make ‘their’ community a better place.

"As we enter our second century the cry for help from those in need will most certainly become louder and we as volunteers are ready to show as Lions we care."

Lions Clubs International focuses through its Lions and Leos members upon major projects that address diabetes, youth, the environment, hunger relief,

childhood cancer and sight issues affecting communities throughout the world.