april report

Since the last edition of the Forum, we have organised a Bingo evening in the Townsend Hall, restarted the Community Film Evening, and held a Book Sale. We appreciate all who attended these events as your support enables us to continue activities such as the Lion’s Den later this month, where we provide local groups across the Stour Valley with funding. Next month, we will list all the successful applicants and share their stories.

Upcoming fundraising events include:

Gold Cup Race Night: 8th March in the Townsend Hall. This event will raise funds for Stratford Riding for the Disabled group. Details on how to get tickets can be found in the advertisement in this issue. Tickets include a hot meal, and a bar will be available. Why not come as a family or with friends? Tables of 8 are available at a special rate.

Towards the end of March, we once again bring out our giant Easter eggs. You can win one of these via 100-square draws in several local pubs and we will also be raffling two eggs in the large Co-op in Shipston on Saturday 5th April. All funds raised will go to local causes.

Future events include the Duck Race, another Bingo evening, and the Shipston Food Festival on 14th September.

January saw the Senior Residents’ Film afternoon, with tickets kindly hosted by The Flower Shop. We assembled in the Townsend Hall to watch Hampstead (what a cast!) and have tea and cake. On a miserable winter afternoon, it was a truly convivial place to be.

Another January event is a new venture for us: 18th January will see the inaugural Stour Valley Lions Bingo evening. More details in the next issue.

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Immediate Past President Duncan receiving the Lions Club Excellence Award on behalf of Stour Valley Lions for his year 2023/24. One of only three Lions Clubs in our District to be honoured for Service, Membership Growth and Fundraising projects

Days are distinctly shorter and most of the landscape maintenance has been completed with the addition of a new bench at Stour Court and the final tidy-up of the revamped Gyratory memorial gardens. We were delighted that Shipston Home Nursing chose this site for the white Letters to Heaven post box and also that the Royal British Legion held an emotional re-opening ceremony of the gardens as a memorial to all who have served in war – rather appropriately - on Armistice Day at 11am, just after the Bugler played the ‘Last Post’.
The book fair on 2nd November was another great success, with hundreds of visitors, all of whom seemed to find something to interest them: it is the money raised at events like this that go towards funding local groups and causes. Did you notice the Lions logo on the Pickleball posters? We have been able to bring this to Shipston by helping to fund the hire of the Townsend Hall. We also provided funds to kit out the Shipston Excelsior Pan Disability Football team.
We are always on the lookout to provide funds to support local good causes and people most in need and once again, we have launched our ‘Lions’ Den’. This initiative is open for applications from local charities, groups and individuals. All we ask is that bids have a strong civic, youth or welfare element and meet the public benefit criteria. Those wishing to bid for our support, please complete and the application form which is available online or to download: click on the link at www.stourvalleylionsevents.club or the QR code on our advert in this issue. We will be in touch with you shortly after receiving your application to give you details of the process and your request will be considered by our Welfare Committee. If you need help completing the form, please contact us.

Days are distinctly shorter and most of the landscape maintenance has been completed with the addition of a new bench at Stour Court and the final tidy-up of the revamped Gyratory memorial gardens. We were delighted that Shipston Home Nursing chose this site for the white Letters to Heaven post box and also that the Royal British Legion held an emotional re-opening ceremony of the gardens as a memorial to all who have served in war – rather appropriately - on Armistice Day at 11am, just after the Bugler played the ‘Last Post’.
The book fair on 2nd November was another great success, with hundreds of visitors, all of whom seemed to find something to interest them: it is the money raised at events like this that go towards funding local groups and causes. Did you notice the Lions logo on the Pickleball posters? We have been able to bring this to Shipston by helping to fund the hire of the Townsend Hall. We also provided funds to kit out the Shipston Excelsior Pan Disability Football team.
We are always on the lookout to provide funds to support local good causes and people most in need and once again, we have launched our ‘Lions’ Den’. This initiative is open for applications from local charities, groups and individuals. All we ask is that bids have a strong civic, youth or welfare element and meet the public benefit criteria. Those wishing to bid for our support, please complete and the application form which is available online or to download: click on the link at www.stourvalleylionsevents.club or the QR code on our advert in this issue. We will be in touch with you shortly after receiving your application to give you details of the process and your request will be considered by our Welfare Committee. If you need help completing the form, please contact us.

As summer draws into autumn, Stour Valley Lions seem to have spent a lot of time in the garden, focusing on two main projects: the Gyratory gardens and the gardens at Stour Court.
You may well have read and seen our social media posts about the gyratory gardens, the upkeep of which was provided for by a legacy. The entire area has been redesigned, returfed and replanted, with new more accessible paths put in and the project should be completely finished by mid-November. We owe a debt of gratitude to Louise Hart of Hart Garden for her design and for giving her time and services completely free, and also to KA Perkin for the landscaping and paving. People like this make it possible for us to serve our community better.
We have been assisting with the upkeep of the garden at Stour Court for the past four years and as part of the ongoing improvements, our hardy volunteers have dismantled and disposed of a rickety pergola, cleared and restocked two large planters with fruit trees, herbs and bulbs and a new bench will follow soon. A new bench will also appear at Badger Crescent to replace the one dismantled recently.
Film nights continue to be a draw, especially on rainy Friday nights: the November film (Friday 8th) will be The Fall Guy with Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt (cert 12), but there will be no film in December as the Drama Group have their pantomime.
Following the success of the last two resurrected book sales, the next one will be on November 2nd in the Scout Hut – we have received a huge number of donations, so rest assured that there will be something new to suit every taste.