After 12 nights collecting in Southwell, Farnsfield and surrounding villages, as well as on Saturday mornings at Southwell Co-op and outside the Admiral Rodney pub, Santa Claus has returned home is putting his feet up with a well-earned rest.
Our thanks go to everyone who gave so generously when he came to visit with his little helpers. The funds raised all go to helping deserving good causes at home and further afield over the year ahead. We would also like to thank Gascoines for loaning us the tow truck and to Southwell Autocentre for loan of the battery.
Keep visiting our website and Facebook page for news throughout the year ahead about how we have put the funds you gave us to good use. Meanwhile, here are a few photos of Santa with his helpers in the run up to Christmas.
Santa is coming to town!
Santa and his helpers will be visiting houses in Southwell and the surrounding villages again this year and to bring a smile to many faces to lots of children and adults. If you are going to be out when we plan to call, maybe you can catch up with us en route on another evening. Inevitably Santa will be in demand, so please bear with us if we are not quite on schedule.
If any last minute changes are needed, we’ll post these on our Facebook page and here.
We’re out and about for 12 nights again from about 6.00 pm but will stop at 8.30 pm to ensure we don’t disturb too many young ones.
We’ll have contactless card readers as well as the normal buckets if you’d like to make a donation. There’s also a donate button on our website. https://www.southwell-lions.org/donate-to-lions-charities.html
Santa and the float will in the Coop car park on 14th December and outside the Rodney on 21st December from approximately 8.30 to 13.00.
Help us to raise funds for Reach at Carols for Everyone!
Carols for Everyone, our annual festive concert for all the family, takes place this year on 7th December at 7.30pm at Southwell Minster. Everyone is welcome!
Now an annual tradition in Southwell, Carols for Everyone features the Southwell Orchestral Society and Southwell Choral Society leading the singing, along with special appearances from Bleasby School choir and Nottinghamshire Pipes and Drums - a spectacular sound in the Minster. As usual, the concert is introduced by the incomparable Nick Harding.
Every year, we pick a deserving charity to be the beneficiary of Carols for Everyone and this, we have chosen Reach Learning Disability in its 25th anniversary year. So come along on 7th December for a fabulous evening of music, singing and jingly fun!
Exercise those little grey cells at the Lions Autumn Quiz!
Summer is over...welcome autumn and our Autumn Quiz!
Our annual Autumn Quiz takes place on Friday, 15th November, at 7.45pm (though it's best to get there around 7.00pm) at The Minster School. Tickets are still only £7.50 each, payable in advance, from Ian Gillings - [email protected] / 07795 176105. Teams of six, though you can bring as many as you like! Bring your own food, but there is a licensed bar.
Coffee morning raises over £1,400 for Macmillan
The rain held off and the sun even popped out a few times for the World's Biggest Coffee Morning on 21st September in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support. Everyone who came along enjoyed the delicious cakes, mostly home made by Lions and Rotary Club members and/or partners, and we sold more jigsaws than ever!
Special thanks go to Alastair Murray for organising the event, and to Lions and Rotary Club members who helped on the day. Thank you also to Rev Peter Hibberts and the Methodist Church for allowing us to use the hall and to the musicians who entertained us - Bill Lee on the accordion and Ruth, Jim and Louis on violin, guitar and double bass.
Comedy Night raises £1,500 for Beaumond House!
Southwell & District Lions held their second Comedy Night in September, this time in aid of Beaumond House Hospice Care, which provides supportive palliative care to patients and their families living in Newark and the surrounding areas. The event, held at Oak at the Saracen's Head hotel in Southwell, was attended by over 90 people who enjoyed an excellent three-course meal followed by comedy entertainment from compere Spikey Mike and comedians Marcus Birdman and Dominic Woodward, who combined comedy with some extraordinary mind games.
The evening was highly enjoyable and successful, raising just over £1,500 for Beaumond House from ticket sales, a raffle and the auction of a four ball at Southwell Golf Course.
Said organiser, Lion Ian Gillings: "Beaumond House is an amazing place that does wonderful work for many people and families in our community so it was an easy decision to support it through our latest Comedy Night. The great thing about a Comedy Night is that it appeals to many people from outside the Club so we can involve many more people in our fundraising effort. Our thanks go to all our guests who supported our Club and this very worthwhile cause."
A date for your diary - Macmillan Coffee Morning, 21st September
Would you like to raise funds for your charity at Carols for Everyone?
Our annual festive family celebration, Carols for Everyone, takes place in Southwell Minster on Saturday, 7th December, and we are looking for a local charity or organisation to support. Usually raising between £2,500 to £4,000, previous beneficiaries have included Maggies Centre in Nottingham, Newark Childrens Bereavement Centre, Beaumond House, Support Refugees in Southwell, Rainbows Hospice and the Himalayan Trust furniture for schools programme. To apply, please send details, including what your charity/organisation does, who it supports and how the funds will be used to [email protected].
Lions Comedy Night is back!
Southwell & District Lions are hosting a Comedy & Dinner Evening on Friday, 6th September 2024 at the Saracens Head Hotel. Proceeds raised at the event are going to Beaumont House Hospice Care. You can book a table of 11 or individual seats at a table. Book early to ensure a seat or table.
Spring Quiz raises £1,800 for good causes!
Our Spring Quiz in May attracted around 25 teams to do battle on a variety of subjects ranging from current affairs, musicals and famous quotations to singers & their backing groups, towns & cities in New Zealand and the nicknames of football clubs. So it's a huge thank you to everyone who came along, enabling us to raise a magnificent £1,800, all of which we will be donating to a range of good causes.
Thanks also go to quizmaster Ian Gillings, who has found a new role for when he steps down as President at the end of June, and to the bar staff of the two Nicks - Turner and Parr.
The winners were the Wild We team from Farnsfield with an excellent 105 points. Several other teams were hot on their heels with over 100 points. As well as the usual raffle and 'True or False', we featured an auction for a giant Easter Egg, which raised a brilliant £80 - thanks to the generosity of the first successful bidder who donated it back for a second auction.
We hope to see everyone back at our next Quiz in November!
Collecting for Marie Curie
We returned to Morrisons in Newark in late February and early March for our regular collection on behalf of Marie Curie, the cancer care charity. This year, we decided to move our collection days from the weekend to Thursday and Friday, and Marie Curie benefitted as a result. More than a dozen Lions were on collection duty over four days and eight shifts. Thank you to Lion Steven Scall for organising, Morrisons staff for making us welcome and to their customers for their generosity.
Burns Night is back!
After a gap of several years, Southwell Lions celebrated Burns Night on 26th January in the magnificent surroundings of the Great Hall at Southwell Minster. Around 70 people enjoying a three course meal - including cullen skink and, of course, haggis, neeps and tatties - and plenty of appropriate liquid refreshments, all cooked by a select band of skilled Lions chefs under the expert leadership of Rama Nanda from The Reindeer Inn on Westgate.
The haggis was led into the Great Hall in the traditional manner by Pipe Major Pat Larkin of Nottinghamshire Pipes & Drums and was addressed in faultless Rabbie Burns verse by Gordon Green. Lion Alastair Murray - in his traditional family tartan - kept his nerve and a steady hand as he carried the haggis along the length of the Great Hall to rest before the expectant guests.
Huge thanks go to Rama, who negotiated the logistics of cooking numerous haggises (including vegetarian) and ensuring the neeps and tatties were mashed to a perfection. Also, our thanks go to pipe major Pat Larkin, Gordon Green and the folk group - Jim Coggan, Ruth Dobson and Dave Lambert - who entertained us all afterwards. The evening was organised by Lions Ian Gillings and Roger Eastty, who were aided and abetted by several more Lions with cooking, serving and washing up.
Swimathon trophy presented to Southwell Swimming Club
On Saturday 20th January, the Bob Eastty Swimathon Trophy was awarded to Southwell Swimming Club for winning the event which was held at Southwell Leisure Centre last October.
The event is run by Southwell and District Lions Club where sponsored clubs and other groups are asked to complete a swimming trial, with the team raising the most money for their organisation being declared the winner.
The handing over ceremony was conducted at the Leisure Centre with members of the Swimming club and Lions being present.
The Lions would like to give a big thank you to everyone who participated in 2023. It was great to see you all at the poolside. Given the present situation facing the Leisure Centre, this year's event is unlikely to take place. However, we will keep all advised.