On 21 March our 2nd Vice District Governor visited our club and presented Lion Ron Porter with a 40 year service chevron plus an accompanying letter from International HQ

On 23 March the club ran a quiz night at Bulphan Village Hall and an enjoyable evening was held which resulted in us raising just over £400. These funds will be distributed to worthy causes within London Borough of Havering

A plea for help from our District Secretary to assist with raising funds to support the EFDS and the Disabled Athletes. We were pleased to help and donated £250

Recently we became aware of a district project to help a disabled young lady with a specialised mobility scooter and the club agreed to donate £250 towards the overall cost. We have subsequently learnt that sufficient funds have now been raised and so this young lady will shortly be receiving her scooter

Romford has a very special church St Edward The Confessor, situated in Market Square Romford and has been standing for hundreds of years. Sadly wear and tear has caught up with it and the church roof requires some urgent repairs. it is hoped to fund the cost from grants etc but in view of its significant importance to the town, Romford Lions has pledged £2000 towards the building costs

On 15th February Romford Lions ran a Cheese & Wine evening and a very successful event with over £300 raised that will be distributed to local causes

With many natural disaster occurring around the world Romford Lions donated £500 to our International division to distribute where they feel most appropriate. The club also donated £500 to our District HQ to help with victims of the severe flooding that affected the UK

Romford Lions have donated a further £1000 to Harold Hill Foodbank from monies donated in memory of our late treasurer Lion Irene

What we achieved in 2023

Our Christmas 2023 collections through the generosity of residents of Romford/Hornchurch raised over £2325. We are especially grateful to all the helpers and to Allen Ford for loaning us a tow vehicle. From the monies raised we have sent our International Division £500 towards relief appeals in Gaza & Japan. A further sum of £500 was sent to help UK flood victims

In support of the First Step Christmas raffle, Romford Lions purchased £100’s worth of tickets. Amazingly we won three prizes; two fantastic hampers and a “Gonk”. It was decided that the prizes would be donated back to First Step as gifts for needy families.

Recently we were privileged to meet the founder of the Liam Taylor Legacy who gave us an emotive talk about the charity and the work she does promoting it. A few months ago we purchased 5 bleed kits and the club decided that this charity deserved additional support and so we have donated sufficient funds to purchase another 5 bleed kits

Whilst so many natural disasters have occurred this year we must be mindful of other work Lions International undertake. For over 40 years Lions have provided support to Sightsavers and we have donated another £100 to this worthy cause

We are delighted to continue our support to Barrow farm, Riding for the Disabled, and in particular the sponsorship of our pony Penny. We have donated £520 towards her hay and other feed for the forthcoming year

There have been several disasters around the world in recent months, all of which have had a catastrophic impact of many lives , destruction of buildings, displacement of individuals. Romford Lions have therefore donated £500 to our International Disaster Fund and with other donations they have received worldwide our International team will distribute monies accordingly

We are continuing to support the London Fire Brigade Fire Cadets and have donated the sum of £1460 to complete the purchase of ceremonial caps

Following the untimely loss of our treasurer, Lion Irene, Romford Lions have donated an initial sum of £1000 to the Harold Hill Foodbank, in her memory from donations received

Romford Lions in partnership with The Liam Taylor Legacy, helping to keep the community safe, have purchased a number of Daniel Baird bleed control kits that are being placed at strategic venues in Romford. Julie Taylor from the Legacy has presented two kits, one to Adriana at Yates Romford and the second to Louise at the The Golden Lion Romford

To support our ongoing relationship with Handicapped Children’s Action Group, the club have donated £500 towards specialist equipment for 2 children in Dagenham & Rainham who have additional needs

Following the devasting Tornado that hit south east USA, particularly around the Mississippi area, the club has donated £100 to the disaster emergency fund

To continue our relationship with the Fire Cadets we are pleased to provide our support to them by having medals created for the ceremonial team, as well as an award for the ceremonial cadet of the year. This would consist of a glass trophy and a gift card. We have agreed to support this for an initial 3 year period

Romford Lions are pleased to have provided support to King George & Queen Elizabeth Charity by donating £1000. The funds will be used to help renovate rooms that staff use to ease patients by providing an enhanced environment to make the area more friendlier from the moment a patient arrives at the entrance door

Although there was adverse weather during December with heavy snow then ice, a reduced Romford Lions Christmas collection still managed to raise through the generosity of the residents of Romford/Hornchurch over £1600. Without the help of Allen Ford who loaned us a vehicle to tow our sleigh these collections would not have been possible. From the donations we have bought 3 portable nebulisers @ £190 each for use in the home. This request for help came from Asthma Relief in Romford via Saint Francis Hospice where a need was identified in the Havering area

In addition we have supported Barrow Farm, Riding For the Disabled in previous years and it is pleasing that we can continue this support and the Club has sponsored a pony called Penny.

What we achieved in 2022

As Christmas approached we were once again pleased to support First Step’s Christmas Party and donated £500 towards their costs so that the children can have a wonderful time seeing Santa

On the home front the club has donated £280 to Magic Breakfast, a charity that provides breakfasts to needy children. Our donation is equivalent of providing 1000 breakfasts

To support Lions International the Club has donated to the Lions Disaster International Fund who will arrange for all monies collected to be distributed between Pakistan and Puerto Rico following flooding in Pakistan and the effects of Hurricane Fiona in Puerto Rico

Apart from the cheese and wine a raffle was held and the event raised £176 which is being donated in full to Hearing Help Essex

With unprecedented events unfolding in Ukraine many refugees are fleeing their country. Lions International have set up a “Refugee and Displacement Persons” fund for donations. Monies will be used for food, water, hygiene items and clothing. We have agreed to support to the extent of £500 whilst Lions evaluate what further needs can be provided

We have in the past supported Barrow Farm, Riding for the Disabled in Chelmsford and we have continued that support with another £250 donation. This will specifically be used to assist towards rides for 20 children from the Romford area who regularly attend

Two weeks after Madagascar was struck by Cyclone Ana, Cyclone Batsirai slammed into the southeastern coastline of the island, bringing devastation to the island. In association with Lions International we have sent £100 to Lions Disaster International Fund

Following the success of our Christmas collections, we raised just under £2300, we arranged donations of £500 to First Step Opportunity Playgroup, £500 to Kids Cancer Charity. Also to support our association with Lions International we sent £100 to our Disaster International Fund, who will collate donations and ensure that they will be sent on to support the people of Tonga, following the disastrous volcano eruption

What we have achieved so far in 2021

Our recent quiz evening was on 20th November 2021. An excellent raffle was also held. A great night raising £726 for charity and we thank our Quizmaster David Hales and his team. A donation was made to David’s choice of charity, Starlight. We received from them a certificate in gratitude

Last year The Lions Club of Romford assisted towards the appeal for “Christmas” pyjamas for children who will unfortunately have to stay in hospital at Queens, Romford over the Christmas period. A very worthy charity and we are pleased to provide support again and have donated the sum of £250

The Lions Club of Romford have donated £500 to Home-Start. This charity is a local community network of trained volunteers and expert support helping families with young children through their challenging times. In 2020 Home-Start supported 56000 children in 27000 families, in communities across the UK and many of these were with the London borough of Havering

For many years The Lions Club of Romford have supported Little Havens Hospice which specialises in providing support for babies, children and young people from Havering and surrounding areas. Whilst unable to organise any fund raising events in 2020 and this year to support them Romford Lions have donated the sum of £200

Following the unprecented 7.2 magnitude earthquake on 14 August in Hati the country has suffered incredible damage. Reports of more than 77000 collapsed buildings, including hospitals, schools and churches, and 52000 destoyed homes. Sadly a considerable number of people lost their lives and around 12200 sustaining injuries. Working with our International office Romford Lions have sent a donation of £200 to the disaster fund

The Lions Club of Romford have assisted towards the wonderful and necessary work of FOELH (Friends of Essex and London Homeless). FOELH are a small team of volunteers driven by a single goal: to do their part in making the world a better place for all. Volunteering in Havering and London they gather various items, like clothing, sleeping bags, food etc to donate to the homeless. Our donation of £200 will assist them being able to carry on with this wonderful work.

The Lions Club of Romford have been privileged to be able to make further donations recently to various good causes. These have included donations to Diabetes UK, the Croatian Earthquake Appeal, First Step Opportunity Playgroup, in Havering, and The Handicapped Action Group, to assist towards provision of a speciality wheelchair, for a young lad in Havering. Further donations have been made towards the invaluable work carried out by “Stand by Me”, towards their Myanmar Food Appeal, and to a Chilean organisation, “Foundacion Honda” which helps women and their families suffering domestic violence. All these donations clearly demonstrate the International nature of Lions Clubs International, who continue “To Serve”

Southend RNLI

Recently the Lions Club of Romford has been delighted to be of assistance to the Southend on Sea RNLI, with funding, together with other local Lions Clubs, for the purchase of 2 Thermal Camera's, for night time use. Southend is a popular resort, attracting visitors from a large area. However, their Hovercraft, was not equipped with this particular equipment, to enable night time searches of the mud banks, in particular. This has now been remedied, and the necessary equipment now made available. Another proud involvement, particularly during lockdown, for The Lions Club of Romford, who "continue to serve"

Peace Poster Competition 2020/2021

For over 30 years, Lions clubs around the globe have been sponsoring a very special art contest in schools and youth groups. Creating peace posters gives children everywhere the chance to express their visions of peace and inspire the world through art and creativity.
We are very pleased to say that local boy Josh Fiford won the district competition. His entry has now been forwarded to the Multiple District for the next stage of the global competition

Also in 2020

The Lions Club of Romford were delighted to be involved, with other Lions Clubs in the area, to provide the finance for an excellent, and well marked, bridle path for Barrow Farm, Riding for the Disabled, near Chelmsford. This was completed a year or so ago now, and has provided a safe and enjoyable environment for young people to thrive despite their disabilities. A most worthy project, with which we were proud to be associated.

The Lions Club of Romford, through their "Youth Outreach" projects, were privileged to become involved with the incredible work of the London Fire Brigade cadets. Having attended their various functions, including practice evenings and subsequent "Passing Out" parades, we have been amazed, over the years, at both the talent and dedication of these young "cadets", who are an example to us all. We are proudly able to fund the uniforms for their "Ceremonial Team", which has officiated at many prestigious events across the Capital. Despite the restrictions of COVID, we aim to continue our long association with these young Cadets, and The London Fire Brigade.

Despite COVID restrictions Romford Lions have been able to support the community. Recently we agreed to donate £500 each to 2 food banks, in the London Borough of Havering. Both food banks have been undertaking most vital work particularly during the current restrictions, and they are supporting many people who have been struggling during the pandemic crisis. The total donation of £1000 was shared between the Harold Hill and Romford/Collier Row food banks.

We also made a donation of £1500 to the Havering Volunteer Centre, generously assisted by a grant of £500 from our Multiple District Office.

One of our members was recently contacted by a local organisation who provides "Christmas" pyjamas for children, who had, unfortunately, to remain in hospital over the Christmas period. Queens Hospital Romford were delighted to receive our donation of £200.

We have also assisted the local community during this uncertain time with our members joining with local Boroughs to help distribute food parcels to needy residents

Christmas Collections

In the 2019 run up to Christmas, Santa was out and about with the Lions. This was an opportunity to delight young children and raise money for charitable causes. The amount raised was £4000 for which a big thank you. Sadly due to COVID restrictions it was with heavy hearts that we had to cancel all sleigh outings in 2020. We realise the disappointment this will cause many, especially the children and we are very sorry for this. We hope you all managed to celebrate Christmas as best you could. However we are back this 2021 serving the community. Please visit our special Xmas page

Murder Mystery Evening

On Saturday 10th March 2018 we held a wonderful evening at Bulphan Village Hall, Church Road, Bulphan, RM14 3RU. This was in conjunction with Bulphan WI who acted out the performance and provided the clues. The theme was: Calling Dr. Death. The audience dressed up appropriately (doctors, nurses, patients, horrendously scarred crash victims...)
There were prizes for the team which successfully solved the mystery and for the best costume.
The profit including the raffle was £569 which will go to support many local charities.

The Catherine Lima Quartet - Saturday 23rd April 2016

An evening of jazz, American songbook and show songs by Catherine Lima and her Quartet

50th Charter Anniversary 17th October 2015

Saturday 17th October The Lions Club of Romford celebrated being 50 years since it was formed (received its charter). The Charter Dinner and Dance this year was an extra special event held in the Goldings Suite at the Derougemont Manor, Great Warley. The Ball was attended by the Mayor of Havering, Brian Eagling. and the MP for Romford, Andrew Rosindell. There was a DJ and a singer and a great time was had by all.

Female Member

The first female member of the Lions Club of Romford. Pilar Reading, was inaugurated on 9th October 2014.

Subsequently we have now increased our female membership to 4 with Jayne King (transferred from Thurrock), Tricia Gregory and Irene Wellman joining us in 2020

Lions Club International Photography Competition

The following two pictures were taken by Romford Lion member Ron Porter. "Birds on the River Orwell" won the regional prize in the wildlife section. "A Quiet Place" won the Multiple District prize in the environmental section.

Some of the other things we do

• Dispense about £1000 per month, on average, to needy individuals and organisations. almost all of whom are in Romford or Havering. This includes purchasing an air hockey table for the SNAP (Special Needs and Parents) charity

• Run stalls at various fetes and carnivals

• Wine tastings through cheese and wine evenings

• Brewery visits

At two year intervals we have alternating visits with our twin club in Biedenkopf

• Organise cabaret evenings which have raised thousands of pounds for First Step opportunity group for children with special needs

• Assist with the annual fishing week organised by the Chigwell branch of Vitalise

• Jazz Nights, the latest was with resident Sunday lunchtime performers at the Queens Theatre Hornchurch, Pete Corrigan and the Band of Hope

• Magic Evenings with shows by local members of the Magic Circle

• Trips to theatres at places such as Southwold and Chichester

• Summer barbecue

• Boat trips