Lion hearted club celebrates special anniversary

2017 marks the 40th anniversary of the Burnley branch of the Lions organisation and the 100th birthday of the group worldwide.

To mark the 40th birthday members of Burnley Lions were thrilled to unveil a plaque.

Burnley Council gave the group permission to erect the plaque in Todmorden Road, Burnley, at the entrance to Towneley Hall.

It was a proud moment for the club which staged an exhibition in the hall showcasing the work it does in the summer.

It was formed in 1977, from the Pendle Lions Club, after a group of people wanted to launch it in Burnley.

The Lions organisation was created in 1917 in Chicago by a business leader called Melvin Jones who told fellow entrepeneurs they should be reaching out to wider communities to offer help where they could.

The first club opened in 1920 in the States but it wasn't until the 60s that membership came to Europe.

The Burnley branch is now one of 46,000 clubs in 200 countries with 1.4m members and it is the biggest service organisation in the world.

This year alone, Burnley Lions have helped so many people in various different ways, from events to raise funds for a raft of different charities, to supporting young people taking part in the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme to befriending elderly people who may not have family or friends nearby.

Every year the Lions plant 105 trees for the Woodland Trust and they also offer financial support to the Trees for Burnley group to encourage people to explore the wonderful countryside surrounding Burnley.

The next fundraiser is a race night on Friday, October 13th at Belvedere Rugby and Football Club and onSaturday, November 18th, an exhibition of equipment/gadgets/help for the blind or partiallysighted will take place during the day at Towneley Hall.

Anyone who would like more information about the club is asked to contact Frank Seed on 01282 702348.