Lions Club donation to help refurbishment of much-loved local shop
The Lions Club of Sidmouth has made a big donation to the Samaritans shop on the town’s High Street - just in time for a major refurbishment in the new year.
Quite appropriately, the big donation came in the form of a big cheque, which a pride of Lions handed over to Samaritans volunteers at a ceremony in Sidmouth.
The shop - a former bank - was opened as a fund-raising opportunity for the Exeter, Mid & East Devon branch of Samaritans 18 months ago. It’s been a huge success and its community activities have made it a natural hub for the community as well as a source of funds for the charity. It’s also served as a unique free gallery for local artists to display paintings, photographs, mosaics and more.
Now the shop is to undergo a facelift to create an activity room and a space for face-to-face meetings with Samaritans, in addition to keeping up the gallery and the busy shop area selling pre-loved clothes, books, decorations and household items.
Sidmouth Lions had recently arranged for a speaker from Samaritans to attend one of its meetings and felt it was a really worthwhile charity to help – just one of many charities that the Lions Club donates money to each year from the proceeds of its fundraising activities.
Lion President Graham Rossiter, accompanied by Lions Ian Skinner, Mike Sycamore and Chris Rignall, presented the big cheque for £700 to Shirley Reeves, a Sidmouth volunteer in the shop, and Mel Whittock, the director of the Samaritans Exeter, Mid & East Devon branch.
“The shop has been an extraordinary success story, because it’s become such an integral part of the community” explains Mel.
“Of course it’s helped raise funds - which are vital, because our entire operation relies on donations - but the shop has also become part of the fabric of Sidmouth. It’s not just another charity shop, but somewhere local people want to visit, where volunteers want to work, and where artists want to exhibit” she continues.
The Lions Club of Sidmouth, which has recently made donations to other good causes including Ukrainian Refugees, Gateway Homeless Action, Hospiscare, is hoping that its Great Duck Derby on October 16 will now raise significant funds for Children’s Hospice South West and Devon Freewheelers.
