Raise Funds for your Club or Favourite Charity

Tonbridge Lions will be holding their 33rd annual walk to help raise funds for local charities on Sunday 18th May. The Lions do all the organising and marshalling of the event ,and supporters of other charities get the sponsorship and do the walking. No fee is charged to participate. The charities keep all the money for themselves. Last year over £4,000 was raised by this event.

It will be a pleasant walk with two choices, one a short walk of approximately 5 miles, the other a similar walk but approximately 10 miles. Both walks will start (and finish) at Shipbourne Common and have drink stations at suitable points. Detailed point to point instructions and maps will be issued on the day.

At the finish, walkers will have their sponsor forms officially “stamped” to show that they had completed the walk and Keith Bourne, President of Tonbridge Lions will present each walker with a certificate.

To register your interest in this walk, please contact John Ruck on 01732 351711 or e-mail john.ruck@btinternet.com.

Light Up Your Home - Light Up Your Community

Tonbridge Lions Club is to again run a competition for Christmas lights outside domestic residences in the Tonbridge area. 

The club is offering three £200 prizes, to be given to the local charities nominated by the owners of the best Christmas lights displays. Three prizes will be awarded for the best installations in the Tonbridge, Hildenborough and Hadlow area. In addition the winners will each receive a Christmas gift for themselves.

Entries are limited to private domestic residences and photographs of the lights will be required (either by post or email) for the initial assessment. The judges will then visit the short-listed installations before picking the three winners. The judging panel will include the President of Tonbridge Lions, Keith Bourne and local sculptor, Guy Portelli KBA, ARBS.

An entry form can downloaded here http://www.tonbridgelions.co.uk/portfolio.html

Good Luck!!!!!!

Digital Piano for Hospice Choir

Tonbridge Lions’ President Keith Bourne and the Hospice Choir.

The Hospice in the Weald choir was formed to bring together families of patients, carers and friends of the Hospice, as part of their Music Therapy Programme. 

Singers of all abilities were invited to join in community singing, learning new songs in harmony, with the intention of entertaining patients and families, and fund raising for the Hospice. 

The choir has been so successful, it was considered that the Hospice`s own small keyboard was inadequate for accompanying them, so Tonbridge Lions Club have donated a new Yamaha digital piano to the Hospice.  

 Kylie Ferris, Music Therapist, said “The donation will be appreciated by both the patients and staff in providing a high quality accompaniment for the choir, and for music therapy sessions.”

Tonbridge Lions Annual Diabetic Day

The Tonbridge Lions Annual Diabetic Day took place in the Angel Car Park, Tonbridge last Saturday. Four qualified Medix Nurses undertook the examinations led by Senior Nurse Mrs Barbara Plumb.  A healthy blood sugar level that is acceptable is in the range 4 - 7.

254 people presented themselves for examination and seven were referred to their General Practitioner for further examination and advice.

His Worship the Mayor, Cllr Howard Rogers along with the Mayoress, Mrs Jane Rogers were accompanied by the Lion President Keith Bourne and Mrs Valerie Bourne at the screening and were tested by the nurses.

The Tonbridge Lions Diabetic Screening has been taking place since the year 2000 and 3558 people have been examined of which between 6 and 7 per cent have been referred for further examination to their GP.

The Chairman of the Tonbridge Lions Health Group, Lion Russell Dorling whose Committee organised the Screening, said  “I am delighted with the response we have had today and cannot emphasise how important it is to have blood sugar levels examined in adulthood when early detection of high sugar levels can prevent serious consequences of diabetes in later life.  My thanks go out to all those people that made the day such a success.”

Photo – TMBC Mayor Cllr Howard and Mrs Jane Rogers with Medix Nurses Amanda Weeks and Barbara Plumb with Tonbridge Lions’ President Keith and Mrs Valerie Bourne.

New President for Tonbridge Lions Club

Tonbridge Lions Club’s new President Keith Bourne with predecessor Mike Stout

On Sunday June 30 Keith Bourne was inaugurated as the sixty-fourth President of Tonbridge Lions Club.  Outgoing President, Mike Stout, presented Keith with the chain of office at a luncheon at Nizels Golf Club.

Keith has lived in the Tonbridge area for most of his life. With three children, two grandchildren and married to Valerie he still gets time to be involved with sports, music and of course the Tonbridge Lions Club which he is honoured to represent as President for the next 12 months.

Formerly a Logistics Manager and Engineer for B.T. followed by other interesting local jobs he is now retired, apart from occasionally acting a Dance Host on cruise liners with Valerie. They enjoy the company of their families and friends on visits to the theatre, local concerts and the Royal Opera House.

With a passion for racquet sports and a keen football fan, mainly following Gillingham FC, Keith is now revisiting his youth by playing table tennis.  Another of his pastimes is collecting old ‘Whitbread Inn signs’ which has resulted in much research!

His father was a founder member of the Tonbridge Lions Club in 1950 and Keith is now both privileged and proud to become President of this great club, and along with Valerie looks forward to the year ahead.