Golden Jubillee Review
50 years of Lions serving the community



1960
The start of any project usually involves one visionary individual. So it was with Hereford Lions Club. Dennis Taylor, a manager with Royal Insurance, had helped form a Lions Club in Harrogate in 1955 and after being transferred to the Gloucester branch started a club there in 1959. He quickly persuaded his fellow branch manager, Ron Williams, that Hereford needed a Lions Club, too. Ron, in turn, recruited his old army pal, Howell Davies, a partner in city solicitors, T A Matthews who would become the new club’s first president. The rest, as they say, is history.

1961
Jimmy Cottle, whose younger brother, Peter would follow him in the role a few years later, took over as president. Accountant Howell Haines took over as secretary, and would be at the forefront of the Lions international movement for the next half century, including sterling service as national treasurer..

1962.
The club is invited to send two local blind people to a newly opened holiday home for the blind in Great Yarmouth, which two years later would spark the idea of the club having its own holiday home.

1963
The club hits a rocky patch. Only nine of the original 19 members remain. Crisis meeting held. Members rally round and eight new members recruited, amongst them Ralph Green and Peter Cottle who would devote a lifetime to the cause.

1964
Howell Haines is in the chair and the club buys its first holiday home, a chalet at Clarach Bay, Aberystwyth, providing free holidays for local people in need of a break by the seaside. It cost £1,200, mostly paid by a bank overdraft.

1965
This was the year the Lions community transport service was launched. The mini-bus cost £698, by contrast the latest model cost the club £48,000. It was also the year Lions introduced live match reports from Hereford United to local Hospitals which would run for many years.

Dancers

Bring on the dancing girls. (pictured) Lions staged a Polynesian Evening and adding a touch of glamour were members of the operatic society’s chorus line (l to r) Pam Pearson, Di Butler, Pennie Newton-Sealey and Sandra Harling. Club members on parade were Howell Haines, Joe Yeomans, Larry Farnham Harold Rumsey and Geoff Lewis.









1966
Lions created a traffic jam from Hereford to Madley. President Geoff Lewis, who would devote four decades to running the club’s transport service, set up a show on the old Madley airfield by the famous Canadian Hell Drivers, which proved highly popular

1967
Duncan Heins, who ran an auction room for household furnishing and goods, was president and helped furnish the holiday home with good quality items passing through his saleroom.

1968
The year of the terrible Aberfan Disaster, a South Wales coal tip collapsed on the local school killing dozens of youngsters. The day following the disaster club president, Peter Cottle delivered a van load of toys, donated by city shops, to Aberfan for the surviving children. The first voluntary organisation to reach the town.

1969
President Ralph Green launched the club’s first annual Donkey Derby,. For the next 21 years the donkey racing would be the top attraction of the summer. Like all such events it finally ran out of steam. But there will be thousands in the city with happy memories of a day at the races.
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1971
Ken Davies, whose family ran a photographic shop in the city, is elected president. Camping gear is bought for the Lads Club.

1973
Joe Wade, the ex-Arsenal footballer, who played for Hereford United, is now leading Lions Club and establishes a twinning with the Lions Club of Vianen in Holland from which many lifelong friendships were made.

1974
The club launches its biggest ever raffle prize – a £9,000 new bungalow at Fownhope. President at the time, Tony Cole recalls: “We had to sell 600 tickets at £25 a time. It was a hell of a risk, but in the end all tickets were sold making a £6000 profit.” The bungalow was won by Mick Gullis. It was also the year the annual dinner and boxing tournament started, still going strong. Also, the football trips to Holland for young lads, another Lions project continuing to this day.
Santa on sleigh




1975
Lions started their Santa Sleigh tour of Hereford in the weeks before Christmas, visiting virtually every street in the city and surrounding villages.. It’s a great city festive tradition..








1976
Remember the heatwave of 76. A lorry load of ice cream was ordered for the Donkey Derby, but by the time the crowds arrive it had all melted.

1977
Fownhope garage owner, Denzil Biggs, is in the chair when the club set up their biggest ever project and bought for £30,000 a sea front house at Burnham on Sea as its new Holiday Home. Its now worth £430,000 and remains open for free holiday for those in need in Hereford and district.

Triumph





Anthony Over of Ross wins a Triumph motoboke in the 1977 Lions raffle.one of the clubs first crazy prizes, later they would raffle some Hereford Bulls and a flock of sheep. Pictured from left to right : Graham Rivers, Denzil Biggs, Tom Barrow, Micky Bolt.








1980
Farmer Graham Powell led a project to help organise and fund a holiday in Holland for 35 handicapped adults from the Rockfield Road adult training centre. Our twin Dutch club in Vianen laid on trips for them. The club hosted the Lions District Convention at the Nell Gwynne Theatre, with delegates welcomed by a Hereford bull!

1982
City businessman, Graham Rivers decided it was time the club had a new min-bus for its community transport service and launch a three year £14,000 appeal fund to pay for it.

1983
Lions enhance their reputation for crazy fund raising ideas by raffling four bullocks which were later sold at the cattle market earning the prize winner £1000. President Keith Martin launched the popular Lions BBQ at Lucksall, Fownhope which would run successfully for 26 years. Another popular fundraiser, Racenight was launched and continues to this day. A new mini-bus costing £14,000 is purchased for the community transport service.

1984
To mark the club’s 25the anniversary, the president, city photographer Derek Foster, launched the concept of Silver Dining Clubs, an opportunity for the elderly to get out and enjoy a meal and company.

1985
Ralph Green was president – and entry to the Lions popular Donkey Derby was just 50p. Former Hereford United footballer, Roy Williams was broadcasting live commentary from the matches at Edgar Street to the local hospitals.

1986
Lions were touched by the plight of local youngster, Rebecca Field, born severely handicapped and relying on a ventilator to keep her alive. The club bought her a specially adapted electric wheelchair to give her some independence.
The club also arranged that year for Brian Colburn, who had lost both his arms and legs, to fly to Australia to visit his daughter. It was also the year Lions launched the Hereford Marathon in aid of St Michael’s Hospice.

1987
This was the year club president, John Goulding, made national headlines in The Sun. Blazed across Page 3 was the saucy headline ST. KNICKERLESS. John was playing Father Christmas and had been invited along with the Mayor to switch on the festive lights at the Maylord shopping centre.
Surrounded by hundreds of children and their mums and dads, John’s trousers suddenly fell to his ankles, causing hoots of laughter from the assembled crowd and leaving John redder than his Santa uniform.

1988
The club paid £20,000 for a vital new eye surgery camera for Hereford Eye Hospital, replacing the one they had bought 15 years earlier.

1989
This was the 21st anniversary of the Lions Donkey Derby.

mini bus



1990
President John Weatherall decides its time for a new mini-bus and the club quickly raises the £20,000 to buy one.
Pictured is President John Weatherall (left) with Geoff Lewis









1991.
Romania was in turmoil. The country’s president had been executed. The world suddenly became aware of the terrible plight of Romanian orphans. Hereford Lions did their bit to help, sending a lorry load of vital supplies to one of the orphanages with three members volunteering to do the driving.

orp 1orp 4



St Owens Centre



1992
John Burgoyne was president and for his project devoted £3,500 to equip a special sensory room at the St Owen Centre for adults with learning difficulties..








George and Cassie





1993.
George Thomas introduces the ‘Jim Will Fix It’ theme from the television show , and the club’s ‘Lions Will Fix It’ campaign offered a helping hand to local charities or individuals who were facing problems getting a project or a personal goal completed.

George and Cassie pictured back in 1993












1994
Stuart Sheehan, whose pork butchers shop in the Butter Market is a popular port of call for many, bought a new £4,500 electric run-about for the city’s new Shopmobility scheme.

1995
Lions Festive News is launched and becomes a great success..

1996
Des Brooke organises the purchase of new computers for Hunderton School,.

1997
An £8,000 special heart disease testing machine is bought for the city hospital.

1998
Brendon Feeley, then just 14, was paralysed when he dived into the River Lugg and hit his head on a rock. Lions bought him a specially adapted electric wheelchair to give him some independence.

canoeing

Three men in a boat. For many years the Lions Clubs' annual canoe rally down the River Wye from Hereford to Ross was a popular event, with hundreds of intrepid canoeists battling the elements to help raise cash for local charity projects. Lions Keith Martin, Roy Williams, and Alan Press look none to safe as the push off from the river bank. The canoe rally started in 1988 when Reg Hughes was President,






1999
David Hartland runs a refrigeration firm, but proves he has a warm heart leading the club’s community service work.


The Lion Cover












2000
Tony Sandford, (pictured) on one of his Santa festive visits to the children’s ward at the city hospital discovered the ward did not have its own life saving equipment, putting the children at risk. Lions quickly remedied the problem with a £12,000 resuscitation trolley.

















2001
Retired headmaster David Mathias ensured that a group of handicapped youngsters from Bishops School got to compete in the annual Kielder Challenge.

2002
A car draw raises £34,000 for the new Acorns Children’s Hospice.

2003
Another car draw enables Colin Smith ( pictured) to hand over £10,000 to the County Air Ambulance.
air ambulance


2004
And yet another car draw, organised by president Mike Hughes, makes £22,000 for Macmillian Cancer Relief.

2005
Martin Exell made sure Lions came to the rescue of the city’s MS Therapy Centre in Mostyn Street when it did not have the £2000 demanded by a Government department to inspect the centre to check it met the standards laid down by new legislation.

2006
The club bought a horse for £5000 for Riding for the Disabled.

2007
With John von Anrep as club chief, Lions boost the Macmillian/Renton appeal to build a new cancer unit at Hereford Hospital with a cheque for £20,000, raised by yet another car raffle, and also bought a new £48,000 mini-bus.

2008
Martin Forder arranged for two deserving city charities, Headway, which cares for people with head injuries, and l Ledbury Road, a facility for youngsters with learning difficulties to share £8000 for new equipment..

2009
The club comes up with £15,000 for the local Alzheimer’s Society to open a new information and advice centre in the city centre. Plus £2,500 for new recliner chairs at St Michael’s Hospice.

2010

Hereford’s St Michaels Hospice, which recently announced a £10 million appeal to double the size of the hospice, has received a £20,000 donation from Hereford Lion’s Club to pay for several urgent projects.
Lions Hospice Dec 2010
The club, this year celebrating half a century of community service, will be funding the refurbishment of the clinical room, where drugs and medicines are prepared, replacing a heated trolley used to deliver meals to the patients and buying two specialised mattresses each costing £2,000.

Said club president, Neil Jenkins, “Of all the local charity projects we could have chosen to support in our Golden Jubilee year none can be more deserving than St Michaels Hospice.”






Nicky West, chief executive at St Michaels Hospice (right) and Ruth Dennison, funding raising manager, explain the hospice development plans to Lion president Neil Jenkins


Neil Teddies 2010



The Lions have also presented the children’s ward at the County Hospital with a large supply of cuddly lion soft toys to be given to youngsters being treated in the ward.

The club has a close link with the children’s ward, ensuring every Christmas morning that Santa arrives with presents for those having to stay in hospital over Christmas.






County Hospital Ray


The club has given a £1000 thank you gift to the eye unit at the county hospital for saving the sight of one of its members, Ray Rose. The donation goes towards the cost of buying new diagnostic camera equipment.
Lion Ray Rose (right) pictured with a camera Lions Club bought for the eye hospital 22 years ago, with the consultant Alaric Smith, Sister Yvette Pitchford and Heather Powell when he presented the cheque