Where The Money Goes
Over the years our Lions club has developed a range of fundraising events and activities, and a flexible policy to decide where the money goes
Every year we get many requests for consideration from the largest of national charities to the smallest of local causes
At present we select 3 charities to nominate to benefit together from our Festive Walk, Easter Egg raffles and Knowle Fun Run. These may be national charities who have identified ways in which the monies raised can be used to make a difference locally or local charities, even occasionally international. We try to address a variety of needs. We consider all approaches in December and shortlist and interview before making our decisions
This year we are fundraising for Alzheimers Society, Crossroads (Birmingham & Solihull) and Dorridge & Knowle Scout Groups. A list of some of the charities we have nominated over the years can be found at the foot of this page
In addition we organise our Summer Stroll this year for Troop Aid and a Bikeathon in aid of Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research
With an increasing number of local requests we have now increased the proportion which we retain for local causes to upto 30% of the funds raised. The first calls on the ‘local causes’ monies are for our own annual initiatives:
Support for the Elderly:
- Tea parties
- Coach trips
- Christmas parcels and cards
Support for Youth:
- Youth Travel Bursaries
- Grants to individuals
Our Community Services committee then considers other requests on merit, within the limits of the funds available.
Some recent local beneficiaries have included:
- Friends of Knowle Park
- Dorridge Village Hall refurbishment
- National Trust – Baddesley Clinton & Packwood Houses
- Troop Aid
- This Way Up – Arden School
- Knowle Sea Scouts
- Kixley Lane School
- Chernobyl Children
- Oak Tree Farm
- Save the Children
- Darwin Explorer Group
- Saturday Time Out
- Family Care Trust
- Brain Tumor Association
- Birmingham Christmas Shelter
- Moving On
- Knowle British Legion
- Solihull County Scout Jamboree
- Myasthenia Gravis Association
- Ifakara Bakery project
- Enzo’s Friends
- Headway West Midlands
- Muscular Dystrophy
- Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation
- FastAid
- Solihull Downs Syndrome group
- Knowle Festival
- Help for Heroes
- Winston’s Wish
- Kids Like Us
- Link-Upp
- Mesothelioma Research
- Manisha UK
- Little Hearts Matter
- Edwards Trust
- Ladysmith School project, South Africa
- Heronfield Animal Sanctuary
- St John Ambulance – cycles
- Solihull Mind
- Birmingham Young Carers – Action for Children
- Away from it all – holidays for disadvantaged families
- 2030 ATC Squadron
- West Midlands Care Team
Community Services Chairman Barry presents new cycles to St John Ambulance
In addition, we support national and international Lions initiatives, including
- Lions Sight Savers - Eye Camp
- UNICEF projects
- North Sea Lions projects
- Lions Clubs International Foundation
- Special Olympics
- Gift for Living
- Special Needs
- Hilary Lister Trust
- SANDS
- National Memorial Arboretum project
- Music and the Deaf
- St Dunstan’s
- Water Aid
If you know of a local cause or individual you feel worthy of our support please email us with details of who, how, why, where and when.
Here is a list of the charities we have nominated as major beneficiaries over the years:
- Acorns
- Arthritis Care
- Autistic Childrens unit at Birmingham Childrens Hospital
- Barnardo’s
- Berrow homes
- Birmingham Childrens Hospital
- Childline
- Childrens Liver Disease Foundation
- Children’s Society
- Crossroads
- DebRA
- Diabetes UK
- Diabetic Retinopathy at Heartlands Hospital
- Dorridge Scout Group
- Dreams Come True
- fly2help
- Jennifer Trust
- Knowle Scout Group
- Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research
- Lions Campaign SightFirst 2
- Macmillan Cancer Support
- Marie Curie Cancer Care
- Meningitis Trust
- Mind
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Muscular Dystrophy
- National Asthma Campaign
- NCH
- NSPCC
- Parkinson’s UK
- Plan UK
- Prostate Cancer Society
- SENSE
- SoliCARE
- Solihull Association for the Blind
- Solihull Samaritans
- St Andrews Family Centre
- St Basils
- Stroke Association
- Sunny Mount
- Teenage Cancer Trust
- Warwickshire & Northants Air Ambulance
- West Midlands Air Ambulance
- Whizz Kidz
If you work for a charity or know of one which you feel we should consider supporting, please email us with details of who and how our money may make a difference locally
