A RICKMANSWORTH club formed 20 years ago by confident members who believed it would go from "strength to strength" has folded this week due to a lack of people prepared to volunteer their time to worthwhile causes.

The Rickmansworth Lions Club, formed on May 25,1982, raised essential funds for community projects and charities in the Three Rivers District. Former club secretary Mr Brian Smith said the club closed down on Sunday, June 30, because the Lions Club had been reduced to five members, all in their seventies, and some with failing health.

Mr Smith said he was deeply saddened by the closure but it was time to accept people were no longer interested voluntary work for his club.

He said: "Over the 20 years we have raised thousands of pounds for the local community but we just can not go on. We are down to three active members, who are all elderly and can not continue without support from the wider community. This year we were forced to cancel our stall at the Croxley Green Revels, which is our biggest fund raising event, because our members were to few and too old to pitch up the tent."

Mr Smith explained the club had tried everything to attract new members including the distribution of leaflets to 6,000 homes in the Three Rivers District. He said the members had contacted the Lions Club International Headquarters and followed their tips in attracting people but it had failed to work.

He said: "Closing the Rickmansworth Lions Club means we will no longer be able to give community groups and charities the funds to get their projects up and running. We will not be able to distribute food packages to poor during Christmas or hold our Champagne Raffles, which in the festive seasons could raise up to £1,000. I think this is a real loss to the community."

July 2, 2002 17:00