Based at the Swan Reach Recreation Reserve, Twin Rivers Lions Club members and volunteers have completed a bumper year of impactful community service projects.
Patronage at the club’s Community Book Exchange continues to surge, with locals borrowing more than 3,500 novels over the past 12 months. Driven by rising public donations, the club has expanded its hours to include the third Sunday of each month alongside its regular Tuesday schedule. Looking forward, the exchange plans to launch mobile book deliveries to local caravan parks, lifestyle villages, and health centres.
The site also drives the vital 123Read2Me pre-loved children’s book service. Partnering with local charities and SchoolWorks Bairnsdale, volunteers meticulously sanitise and pack donated volumes. The club has nearly completed its annual rollout, distributing 7,500 children’s books to 55 primary schools, preschools, and daycares across East Gippsland.
Simultaneously, a dedicated group of local women has produced a record-breaking 800-plus Boomerang Bags and craft items. Made entirely from donated fabrics to divert waste from landfill, the finished items are sold at the Swan Reach Community Shed and will feature at the upcoming Christmas Art and Craft Market at Johnsonville Hall on November 29.
Twin Rivers Lions Club president Peter Payne praised the collective effort of the volunteers and corporate partners.
“These projects are a remarkable achievement for such a small rural Lions Club,” Mr Payne said. “We look forward to another successful year.”
