50 years young and still serving!

WESTBURY Lions Club marked a significant milestone by celebrating our 50th anniversary at the club’s charter night, held on Saturday 20th May 2023.

Our 50th Charter Celebration was held at the Laverton in Westbury, and was attended by Westbury mayor Mike Sutton, the Lions District Governor Dave Ebsworth, members of the Westbury Lions Club and other local Lions clubs.

Lion President Peter Esdaile expressed his sincere thanks to the members, past and present, for their dedication and hard work while mayor Mike Sutton paid tribute to the role the club has played in the local community for the past 50 years.

Reflecting on the club’s 50-year journey, Lion David Firth, – a long-standing member of 42 years – told local newspaper The White Horse News, “It’s fantastic to be celebrating 50 years of service to the local community.

“There have been so many highlights; the Donkey Derby is a big favourite in the town and has been a great fundraiser for us. More recently, the vintage car show has quickly established itself as a firm favourite. There is the Santa’s float which brings a lot of joy to a lot of families and we’re happy to have been able to re-start the popular senior citizens’ tea party this year after the pandemic.

“In the early years, we sold teas, coffees and bacon sandwiches to drivers every Friday night on the West Ashton Road and we also held a swimming marathon in the Westbury Pool.

“We’ve no idea how much we’ve raised over the years, but this year we hope to raise around £40,000 ,so it’s many hundreds of thousands of pounds since we started.

“We are immensely proud of the impact we have made and look forward to continuing our service for many years to come.”

Westbury Lions are a group of people from all walks of life, both male and female, with a common interest in helping our local community. We are part of Lions Clubs International, the world’s largest voluntary service organisation, with 1.3 million members in over 200 countries. In Britain alone there are over 920 Lions clubs, all focused on improving their local communities and supporting worldwide needs such as disaster relief and eradicating disease. Get in touch if you want to know more about the wonderful experience of being a Lion and what it can do for you!