International

Support for Neurological Impaired children in India

Manjula “Manju” Patankar, friend of former Lions Jack and Gill Thornton, raised her family in the UK before returning to India. In 1998 she founded Roshni (“light” in Hindi) in Gwalior, supporting those with neurological and learning disabilities. Roshni offers early intervention, specialist schooling, therapy and vocational training; it also aids mainstream-school pupils and runs local awareness training.

That same year, Highworth & District Lions Club donated £500, followed by £1,125 in 1999.Volunteer physiotherapist Penny O’Sullivan worked at Roshni 2001–2004 via VSO, then set up Friends of Roshni UK. This volunteer-run charity has almost no overheads, so 95–100% of funds directly support Roshni and recruit therapists.Before Roshni, families travelled far for care; disabled children were often hidden at home with little education. Today, Gwalior understands disability better: families support their children’s growth, many attend mainstream schools, and adults work locally.

Demand grew, so a purpose-built centre opened in 2008 — funded largely by Friends of Roshni UK and Highworth Lions, including a Lions-named Sensory Room. From 24 initial children, thousands have been helped. Manju died in 2023, but her team continues her work.

Roshni continues to thrive, and Highworth and District Lions Club have made regular donations to Friends of Roshni UK over the years, helping the invaluable services Roshni provide to keep going.

Highworth and District Lions support SHAP in providing aid to Ukraine

The Swindon Humanitarian Aid Partnership (SHAP) is Swindon’s main charity supporting Ukraine. Highworth & District Lions Club is its key local fundraiser and supporter.

SHAP formed soon after Russia’s invasion. In 18 months, it collected, sorted, packed and delivered over 1,100 tonnes of aid, mostly to eastern Ukraine where fighting is heaviest.

Ongoing Work:

SHAP: Ships essentials, medical supplies and volunteer made “comfort candles” (heat/light sources). It also converts buses into field hospitals and “Children’s Story Buses”.

Lions Club: Funds bus conversions and helps source furniture for Ukrainian families settling locally.

Get Involved: Donate money via SHAP’s website. For volunteering, goods or queries, contact the Highworth Charity Shop.

Nepal and China Border Floods (August 2026)

On 26 August 2026, a massive ice rock avalanche in the high Himalayas near the Nepal–China border triggered catastrophic flash floods and landslides that surged down the Bhote Koshi and Trishuli river systems, devastating settlements across the Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Dhading, and Gorkha districts. Entire villages, roads, bridges, hydropower facilities, and border infrastructure were swept away; hundreds lost their lives, and thousands were displaced.

Highworth and District Lions responded promptly by providing £2,000.00, to be shared equally between the Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF) Disaster Fund and a locally led charity, The Book Project and Freedom Kit Bags, run by fellow Lion Ian Matheson and his wife Rosa. With volunteers already in place, urgent assistance is being delivered where it is needed most and meeting the basic survival needs of those who have been left with nothing.

Meanwhile, LCIF has swiftly deployed a US$200,000 Major Catastrophe Grant, funded by contributions from Lions clubs around the world. This grant enables critical relief work carried out through local Lions clubs across Nepal.

Venezuela Earthquake

Lions Clubs and the Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF) mounted a unified global response to the devastating earthquakes that struck north-central Venezuela on 24 June 2026, when two powerful quakes, registering magnitudes 7.2 and 7.5 struck in quick succession, leaving widespread destruction, thousands displaced, and communities in urgent need.

Recognising the scale of the crisis, LCIF swiftly deployed a US$200,000 Major Catastrophe (MCAT) Grant, specifically designed to enable rapid, large scale assistance in the wake of such major disasters. This substantial funding is being channelled directly to local Lions chapters on the ground, empowering them to deliver life sustaining emergency aid, including food, clean water, medical supplies, and shelter materials, alongside longer term recovery support.

By combining the Foundation’s global grant resources with the Lions network’s deep local roots, this coordinated effort ensures help reaches those most affected efficiently and effectively, turning international solidarity into tangible, immediate relief for families across Venezuela.