Lions Share
We are working with Wokingham Foodbank to help collecting food donations. The Foodbank already collect from the main supermarkets but we are increasing the coverage:
We are placing bins in convenience stores, cafes and residential addresses to encourage their customers, neigbours and passers-by to donate. We then collect the donations and deliver them to the Foodbank.
Message in a Bottle
Message in a Bottle is a scheme organised by Lions Clubs throughout the country, aimed mainly at people who may be housebound.
Small plastic containers are distributed for free through doctor’s surgeries and pharmacies. The user completes a form with their medical details and contact names and phone numbers, places the form in the container, then puts the container in their fridge. There is a sticker for the front door so if emergency services are called they know the information is in the fridge.
SpecTrek
Spectrek is a Lion’s project which collects unwanted spectacles and recycles them for re-distribution to people who would not otherwise have access to spectacles, Lions Clubs in the UK and from other European countries including France, Germany, Greece, Spain and Switzerland participate in this project.
ReTec
ReTec is a project we started in 2024 to collect unused laptop computers, restore them them give them to families in need. So far we have recycled over 100 laptops.
Can Can
The Can Can – Why it started?
The Wokingham Lions Christmas Food Collection, locally known as ‘The Can Can” started over 30 years ago, long before Foodbanks came into existence. The project’s original aim was to support the elderly folk in Wokingham who, for whatever reason were finding life a little tough. It was our way of letting those people know that someone was thinking of them over the festive period.
How the Can Can works?
With the amazing loyalty and support we receive from local supermarkets we set up a stall outside the stores and ask shoppers if they could buy an extra item of non-perishable food and then donate it to us as they leave.
On average over 3000 food items are donated each Christmas by the very generous people of Wokingham. All the items are sorted and made up into individual parcels ready for distribution.
30 years on…..
In more recent years we have been working with Wokingham based charities First Days, The Grub Club, Homestart and The Foodbank. This has enabled us to cast our net wider, so in addition to the elderly we are also able to support local families. Last Christmas we distributed over 300 parcels to the needy of Wokingham.
