Lions celebrate 35th anniversary

The event, on February 13, was attended by Lions and special guests.

Mayor of Knaresborough, Christine Willoughby, speaking at the Lions Charter Dinner, said: “We are very lucky to have such an active, helpful group in the town.

“It does much to support the sense of community and is a primary source of help for individuals in need.

“If Knaresborough Town Council is planning an initiative, such as the upcoming Platinum Jubilee, we know we can always get help and advice from the Lions.”

Knaresborough Lions Club was founded in 1987, as a daughter club of Harrogate Lions, and part of Lions Clubs International.

The local group is famous for putting on the Great Knaresborough Bed Race each year, after taking over the organisation from the Round Table in the mid 1990s.

“These days, 90 teams take part – six runners and a passenger,” said Lions spokesman Nigel Perry.

“Added to this are a couple of thousand more people who parade with the teams and 30,000 or so who come to watch. It is the biggest annual event in Knaresborough and famous around the world.

“The Lions also support the Knaresborough festival – feva – with an annual beer festival and funding, plus Christmas markets and spring fayres in the town. Lions sell mulled wine, tour the town with Santa and his sleigh in December, and marshal events whenever they can.”

The club plays an important role in charity events and in supporting charitable efforts such as Knaresborough Connectors.

Nigel added: “From its fundraising efforts, the Lions donate to good causes.

“A minimum of 80 per cent of everything raised stays in the locality.”

Mike Pyle, Knaresborough Lions president, spoke of the strains of the past two ‘pandemic years’ at the Charter Dinner.

“The club has managed to keep going and in fact, more than that, we now have more members than we had at the start of 2020.

“We have not missed a meeting, even though many in 20 and 21 had to be held on-line,” he said.

“Both as a club and as individuals, Lions have helped where we can with support for vulnerable folk and by assisting at the hospital and at vaccination centres. “We also try to ensure we have a lot of fun, too, with social events, dinners, quizzes.

“We have an evening out planned at Lime Tree Observatory in March.

“Our doors are always open to new members and we have both a Lions website and a Bed Race website if people want to contact us.”

Knaresborough Lions meet on the second and fourth Wednesdays of the month at 8pm at the Working Men’s Club on Kirkgate.