Twin Rivers Lions Club recently celebrated its fifth anniversary at a dinner at the Grand Terminus Hotel.
As part of the celebrations club president Peter Payne outlined the key achievements of the club during the last financial year.
With increased community awareness of the Twin Rivers Lions Community Shed location at the Swan Reach Recreation Reserve, there has been an increase in people attending on Tuesdays over the past 12 months, books being taken and books coming into the shed.
The book exchange now has more than 2500 books in the exchange library and just as many again in reserve boxes.
The 123 READ 2 ME project collects pre-loved children’s books from collection boxes located in Coles Bairnsdale and Schoolworks, plus children’s books from Friends of the Library Bairnsdale, Bruthen Op Shop and other sources.
Club members and volunteers sort, clean and pack books ready for distribution.
Over the past three months the club has distributed more than 6500 books to primary schools, pre schools, kindergartens and day care centres across East Gippsland.
Prior to the Lions Shed being wired for power in February, boomerang bag making was limited to sewing at home by Lions Club members and volunteer sewers. Since February the club has been able to use a generator to power sewing machines and overlockers at the community shed in addition to sewing at home.
The club has catered for the Variety
Club (Vic) Mini Bash, which was a success, and the Australia Day Brunch at the Nicholson Primary School. Next year the venue will be the Swan Reach Recreational Reserve.
The club also assisted with catering at the Swan Reach Primary School fete.
The Biggest Morning Tea (Cancer Council) fundraiser was the club’s initial catering event at the Swan Reach Reserve Club Rooms, raising $1000 for cancer research.
The club’s inaugural Book and Craft Fair, held last November at the Johnsonville Hall, enabled it to internally wire tour community shed for power.
This year the event will be held on Sunday, November 17, at the Swan Reach Recreational Reserve Club Rooms, and the Lions Club will be providing catering.
President Peter concluded by thanking all members and volunteers for their valued input and support over the past year.
