Dartford Lions Club, which has been running for several decades, are known within Lionism and also the local community as being a key fundraiser for various charities throughout the year.
The club’s biggest and most popular fundraiser is its Bonfire Night which has been running in Dartford Central Park for over 40 years.
This year the clubs past President, Lion Barbara Whitehead and other Lions came together to bring The Community Fayre to Dartford High Street on Sunday 1st September 2019. Lion Barbara along with her team of enthusiastic Lions began contacting various groups and organisations locally who were in one way or another connected to Lionism.
These groups included We Are Beams, Arrow Riding, Wellbeing Link, The Crime Prevention Team, SRRV (Blood Runners), Fleet Estate Knit and Natter Group, Northfleet and Ebbsfleet Lions, Richard Slater; and all of this with the help and financial support of Asda and their community champion Bridget.
Each of these organisations had a stall at which they could sell or promote their products to shoppers along the high street. In addition to this the club was supported by the Bailey family who brought a Ferris wheel into the high street which proved to be a very popular attraction alongside the clubs own ‘Vintage Carousel’.
Along with the hot food stall and performances from local dance and theatre groups the event provided to be very popular with the community of Dartford. To round off the clubs popular fundraiser for Ellenor Hospice, an auction took place of the artwork which had previously been displayed long the hoarding along Lowfield Street Dartford. These magnificent pieces of art were auctioned by the town popular DJ Travis who is always guaranteed to encourage people to part with their money for charity.
Club Press Officer Rags Sandhu said “One of the great strengths of our club is the passion with which the ideas for fundraising events are implemented. With a growing membership, fresh ideas are always available at club meetings, this combined with the varied experience simply means – GREAT fundraising events. This event, the first of its kind in Dartford, although requiring a great deal of energy was clearly a great success, credit goes to the team and residents who supported us.”