Scunthorpe Lions roar in celebration after topping £500,000 in charity fundraising

The Scunthorpe Lions are roaring in celebration, having raised more than half-a-million pounds for local causes since the group formed in 1963.

The Lions are people who have decided to give something back to the community and have a worldwide membership of more than 1.5 million volunteers.

The Scunthorpe club will next year celebrate its 50th birthday, but is already celebrating the £625,000 it has raised since first being founded.

The group raises money and lends support to good causes, with 99 per cent of its proceeds being spent locally.

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Dave Briggs has been a member of Scunthorpe Lions for 18 years. He said: "We feel really proud to have raised so much money over the years, half a million of which has been spent locally. It puts the amount of work into context. It is all voluntary, but we absolutely love doing it.

"The satisfaction of putting smiles on people's faces is brilliant. A typical example would be the pantomime. This is our 25th year of buying out an entire pantomime show at the Plowright and giving the tickets free to those who ordinarily wouldn't be able to attend.

"We have free sweets, crisps and pop that is donated by local companies. For children and families that couldn't otherwise attend, it is such a big deal. Some of the parents come crying to us at the end in thanks.

"This year we have McDonald's providing all of the drinks and we are raising money to give each child a selection box. We would welcome any help from businesses looking to support the event."

This year, the Lions have been nominated for the community organisation group of the year award at the Community Champion Awards.

The North Lincolnshire Council scheme, run in partnership with the Scunthorpe Telegraph, seeks to reward people who give up their time for the community.

Fellow Lion, Malcolm Jackson, said: "We are over-the- moon to be nominated for this award because it helps let people know about us and is good publicity.

"In 1963, the Scunthorpe Lions were formed and we are one of more than 40,000 clubs around the world. I would like to think that we could get some more support because people will see that we are giving so much back to the local area."

Mr Briggs said: "Our group has around 30 members who all give up their time to help good causes.

"Our motto is 'we serve' and that is exactly what our volunteers do. We are ordinary people working to achieve amazing things. I have been involved for many years and there have been difficult times in the past. But we keep going by having fun and supporting our fellow club members.

"When I was president in 2001/02, I had a fantastic year. Being president meant that I was really stuck in and could make things happen. In the end the year went by in a flash, but I would love to be president again in the future.

"Next year is our 50th year and our longest serving member, Bob Hall, will be president for such a milestone year."

To celebrate the club's 50th year, the members want to put a floral display on the mound outside the Civic Centre, on Ashby Road, in the shape of the Lions logo. They are also looking to have a bench donated by the Lions to be put somewhere in Central Park.

Mr Briggs said: "We have a lot of events coming up for Christmas and this is a very busy time of year for the club.

"We do hampers for pensioners every year and take them out to residential homes. We also give out 40 cuddly toy lions every month to children in A&E and the Disney Ward. The hospital calls them bravery lions and we give them to kids who are having a tough time.

"Having the right support from the public is crucial, because we just can't do it without them. We need that support in order to give something back."