Welcome to our website
"WE SERVE"
Motto of Lions Clubs International.
ORDINARY PEOPLE AMAZING THINGS
Gainsborough Lions Club are looking to recruit new members. We welcome everyone, male and female, all ages.
If you feel that you want to put something into the community, all we ask of you is your time.
We do a lot of FUNdraising, putting the FUN into FUNdraisng at the same time.
We meet on the second and fourth Monday of the month at Gainsborough Conservative Club, Heaton Street, Gainsborough.
(No political affliiation required).
Although we are called "Gainsborough" Lions, we do cover quite a few surrounding villages and would welcome people from outside the town to come and join us.
Please feel free to contact us via this web site or by telephone on 07505 623995.
We need your help.
We welcome to the Gainsborough Lions Club Jevan Powell, a new member, who joined us on Monday 12th January 2009.
DUCK RACE 2009
A big thank you to all who helped us launch 1034 ducks into the trent on Saturday June 6th
GAINSBOROUGH LIONS SAVE LARK IN THE PARK
JUNGLE FEVER
Due to the change over of Richmond Park from the control of West Lindsey District Council to Gainsborough Town Council, the annual Lark In The Park has been cancelled.
It will be on again in 2010, but we at Gainsborough Lions thought that as the event has been so popular, we would step in and take over Richmond Park and run the event - similar format, different name - JUNGLE FEVER was put forward by Friends Of Richmond Park..
So on Sunday 19th July 2009 come along to Richmond Park and join in the fun afternoon.
We are planning on having performers doing singing and dancing and one or two other things if possible.....I'll update as soon as I know.
We are also planning a Safari Hunt with a difference, it will be run along the lines of geocacheing, or hunting via satelite navigation within the environs of Richmond Park. All will be made clear on the day.
We also want to run a Fancy Dress Parade for the youngsters, specifically on a Jungle theme, with prizes for the best dressed.
Hopefully we will have face painting and th chance to participate in art in the shelter on the blackboards.
There has even been a suggestion of Gainsborough's own Tarzan competition for fathers - makes a change from the old nobbly knees contest of days gone by.
Refreshments will be provided by GAPA, tea, coffee, cold drinks, bacon/sausage rolls etc - as in pevious years.
Hopefully we will have a variety of stalls for all ages, Lincolnshire County Council's Historic Environment team will be on hand showing the historical and archaeological information on Gainsborough and the rest of Lincolnshire - a bit of interest there for followers of "Time Team".
For those interested in Croquet, the Richmond Park team will be on hand to let you have a go with their bats (mallets?).
Gainsborough Old Hall will be represented, with Medieval Beasts, costumes and if you are lucky, some music as well.
I am in the process of contacting those organisations and groups who have supported Lark In The Park in the past and will be sending out booking forms once I have all details.
If you are a local organisation and would like to come along and join us, please contact us via this web site.
EASTER EGG RAFFLE 2009
Gainsborough Lions would like to thank all of the pubs who participated in our 2009 Easter Egg Raffle helping us to raise approximately £1000 for the charity fund.
Ghost Night At The old Nick Theatre
Ghost Night at the Old Nick Theatre in Spring Gardens, Gainsborough, on Saturday May 30th 2009.
As can be seen by the name, the premises are the former Victorian Police Station and Court House, complete with police cells which still bear the graffiti of ages. (I can't promise that Kilroy was there!)
We welcome the Ghostly Expertise of North Wales' own "The Orb Whisperers Paranormal Group" who will be conducting proceedings in court!
According to local talk, the premises are well worth a look at if you are interested in The Paranormal, as 'things do go bump in the night' .
Well, we survived the Old Nick, could be a good motto for a t shirt there....
Everyone "enjoyed" the experience, even we tea makers.... we left at 0530, tired, but in good spirits (sorry).
The Orb Whisperers are still sifting through all sorts of things and say that The Old Nick Theatre building certainly has got something.......
We would like to express our thanks to The Fish Lodge of Ropery Road, Gainsborough, who provided a great hot supper which was enjoyed by all concerned.
Lions Stefan's wife did complain the following day that his car smelled of fish, but she made no offishiall complaint.....sorry, couldn't help it.
Pictured above is Dave Tarbrook from The Orb Whisperers and a sinister apparition in the main auditorium of The Old Nick Theatre.........I seem to recall that visage from the 2008 Gainsborough Christmas Market.
Hopefully we'll have one or two interesting photographs and anecdotes on the web site shortly.
Visit the Welsh Paranormals at www.theorbwhisperers.com to see what they have been up to. They have recently booked the old Nottingham Courts of Justice for later in the year - that place has a long, long history, and I hear they have just booked Plas Newydd in Llangollen - a fine old house which has appeared on one of the paranormal programmes on TV - one i actually watched - where the "experts" actually ran out of the room..........so if you think you can stay the course, look at their web site.
SNAIL RACE NIGHT 8TH MAY 2009
Another succesful and hilarious Snail Race, enjoyed by all concerned
We held another Casino Night on Friday 28th November 2008
All proceeds from this night went towards "Treats For the troops At Christmas"
Gainsborough Lions are pleased to be able to assist Gainsborough Royal British Legion in providing parcels for our service men and women in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Well done all who attended and made it such a great night, we managed to raise £250 which has been passed on to Gainsborough Royal British Legion for the fund.
Many thanks from us all.
Past President Stefan Szafran presents Michael Wragg, MBE, with a cheque for £250
CHRISTMAS MARKET 2008
A very cold November 30th saw us at Gainsborough Christmas Market. This years theme was A Hippy Christmas, and several of us turned out appropriately dressed? Not too sure about the bearded one, needs a bit of attention to the old barnet methinks.
Pile O'Pennies
Members of Gainsborough Lions can be found in a local hostelry namely The Elm Cottage where on alternate Tuesday evenings they hold a quiz night.
Prizes are awarded to first and second placed teams. Whilst we have not actually come first, we have managed a couple of second places.........
The prize money is normally handed back over to the pubs "Charity Fund" which is then distributed around Christmas time.
Gainsborough Lions Club are pleased to say thet they have received monies from this fund.
A while back, the landlady Cam Krakow, generously allowed we Lions to place a wooden object on the bar.
Being of that nature, we left a few hints in the shape of 1p and 2p pieces on this wooden edifice in the hope that the locals would take the hint and add a bit more.
Along came Andy Turner, one of the regulars at the Elm Cottage, and he took the project under his wing.
The "Pile O'Pennies" as it became is now staggeringly full.
As it is in a pub, it was decided that by adding bits of silver on the top, it would take on the appearance of a pint of beer, and very good it looks too.
The pub is now running a competition for someone to guess how much is in the pile, first prize being a bottle of Scottish Water (alright, a bottle of scotch), second prize a bottle of wine and then lastly a box of chocolate.
There is still time for you to go along to the pub and add your estimate to the list, at only £1 per entry it's well worth the effort.
We will be organising an evening at the pub and I have asked our Mayor who has said that she will be delighted to perform the demolition on a date to be fixed . (I have declined the opportunity of sorting and counting the monies myself of course.)
All monies raised will go to charity.
So come along and enjoy the evening - date to be notified when I know it.....
Well, we managed to Bank just over £108 for our charity fund, so a big thank you from all at Gainsborough Lions.
The best pint in town with a decent head! In the picture are Landlady Cam Krakow and Andy Turner the builder of the Pile O' Pennies at The Elm Cottage Pub with Club President John Rodgers and Lion Jacki Jones.
Flo's Flying Feat (no, not her feet!)
On of our members recently attained her **th birthday and some jolly nice person gave her a GLIDER FLIGHT as a present.
Not to be daunted, she decided that she would take the flight, even if "going up in a plane without an engine isn't natural".
She donned her parachute, (moaned quite a bit about how heavy it was) and soared off into the wild blue yonder, or to be more specific, the skies over Kirton Lindsey.
Having eventually come back to earth, she described the experience as alright, and in the meantime had managed to cajole friends into parting with money to sponsor the event on behalf of Gainsborough Lions Club.
Well done Flo and thanks to all who sponsored her.
MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE
Lions Clubs have set up an Emergency help system which is especially helpful to people on permanent medication (ie diabetes) and elderly people living on their own.
These little plastic bottles come complete with 2 stickers and an information form.
One sticker is applied to your front door/window and the other sticker goes on your fridge door.
The idea being that everyone has a fridge and it's a good place to keep the bottle.
The information form can be used to store important information such as medical conditions and medication, doctors name and next of kin .
The emergency services are aware of the scheme, and in the case of an emergency, especially where medical/medication information is required urgently, it is all easily found in the 'MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE'
How much do these bottles cost?
ABSOLUTELY NOTHING, THEY ARE SUPPLIED FREE OF CHARGE BY YOUR LOCAL LIONS CLUB.
Where can I get one?
We have supplied Gainsborough GP Surgeries with a supply of bottles.
Ropery Road Post Office have kindly agreed to supply them on request.
If they have run out, contact us via this website and we will supply you as soon as we can.
These do cost the Lions Club money, but we cover the cost by raising monies at our fund raising activities.
NEW RECYCLING PROJECT
Don't throw your old inkjet cartridges in the bin, we can recycle them and earn money for our charity account to enable us to help even more local groups and people.
Contact us via e mail and we will arrange collection. We hope to be able to arrange a central collection point in Gainsborough town centre in the near future to make it easier for you good people to help us with this project.
Youngsters sponsoring ducks
River Trent Duck Race 2008
Many thanks to you all for helping us raise £1000 from the duck race - we even had people from Wales and Devon begging us to allow them to sponsor a duck (well perhaps not begging, but....).
Congratulations to:
Lynne Rose from Epworth who sponsored duck 427, crossing the line first to take the £80 first prize.
Hannah from Gainsborough collected £50 for second place.
Geoff Garner from Gainsborough collected £20 for third place.
Our thanks go to Regal Opticians and Gainsborough Old Hall for helping us with sponsorship forms for the race.
Lion President Stefan Szafran presented cheques for £500 each to Gainsborough Womens Aid and St Barnabus Hospice, Gainsborough during the course of the Riverside Festival.
This would not have been possible without all of the people who sponsored a duck and supported our previous fund raising events, not to mention the hard (but FUN) work put in by members of Gainsborough Lions Club, ably assisted by a couple of "Friends of the Lions, Belinda and Brian", many thanks to you both.
Our thanks also go to Misterton Sub Aqua Club for their Duck Catching abilities, Morton Village Art Club for our new FUNdraising Duck Board and Gainsborough Riverside Committee.
1000 ducks leap into the foaming waters at the start of this years race
Duck soup anyone?
Misterton Sub Aqua Club caught cheating, outboard motors are against the Rules Of Duck Racing
Saturday March 1st 2008, St Davids Day, saw us teaming up with the Riverside Committee to hold a Ghostly Sleepover at Gainsborough Old Hall.
This fine Tudor edifice is reputedly haunted by at least one lonely spirit.
Tickets for this event were on sale at £45.
They sold out very quickly, interested parties coming from far and wide, including 4 ghosthunting ladies from Corwen, (near Llangollen in North Wales.)
A great night was had by all
A funny thing happened on the way to the Forum......
Spooky as it may sound, when all the visitors and "Paranormal Investigators" had arrived, had their briefings and split up into groups, they all went off to various locations within the Old Hall.
Intrepid Lions Club members went about their duties in the kitchen preparing the first of several delicious offerings when - THE FIRE ALARM WENT OFF.
The local Fire Brigade turned out. NO, it wasn't the Lions burning food (I thought we did rather a good job on the food and refreshments front).
A fire alarm sensor had been triggered - the sort where you have to smash the glass - in a location where nobody had been. The glass was intact.
Was someone trying to tell us something?
There were lots of different experiences, including one gentleman who saw a dog and photographed it. Digital camera, no dog!
Others "conversed" with people from hundreds of years ago including a young girl who died after an accident in the tower......
Many thanks to English Heritage, Friends Of The Old Hall and of course Gainsborough Riverside Committee for allowing this evening to go ahead.
Money raised at this event was split between Gainsborough Lions Club and Gainsborough Riverside Committee.
We may be running another Ghost Night in April 2009, yet to be decided, so watch this space......
July |
2009 |
Venue |
Time |
Sun 19th |
Lions In The Park |
Richmond Park; Gainsborough |
1 pm to 5 pm Gainsborough Lions replace the cancelled Lark In The Park |
The above dates may change without warning. | |||
The Millionaires Night held on Saturday 29th March 2008 was a great success.
Many thanks to Ping, Gainsborough, The Sands Venue, Boots the Chemist And Lincoln Co-Op for donations made for the raffle.
A great night was had by all, and we raised nearly £200 from the evening, so many thanks to all of you who turned up to support us.
2007 events
2007 RIVER TRENT DUCK RACE.
We raised the amazing total of £1302 .
New members would increase the assistance needed to raise the money, so don't be shy, come along and get involved.
Lions stall at Trent Bridge
Sorting and numbering 2000 plastic ducks for the Great Trent Duck Race (This was followed by a social night barbecue!)
1500 of Lincoln Lions famous home trained racing ducks leap into the foaming waters of the River Trent, circle for advantage and make a dash for the winning line.
Gainsborough Lions inaugural Charter Dinner was held at the Weston Rooms, Hickman Street, Gainsborough on Friday 29th June, 2007 at 7:15pm
Please return to our web site as we will be updating events on a regular basis
Lion Ralph Jones
Editor
All pictures are copyright of Gainsborough Lions, please contact us if you would like copies.
When I can work out how to do it, I will be adding a Photograph Album page, but don't hold your breath, these computer thingies take a bit of handling.
