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 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 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.

In response, Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF) swiftly deployed a US$200,000 Major Catastrophe Grant to support relief and recovery. Channeled through local Lions Clubs in Nepal, the funding provides immediate emergency assistance — including food, clean water, shelter materials, healthcare and essential supplies — to families cut off by damaged roads and landslides. As the crisis stabilises, the grant will also support rehabilitation and long term recovery, helping rebuild homes, restore community infrastructure and strengthen resilience against future hazards in affected border regions.

Philippines Earthquake

Highworth Lions raise funds locally through events, collections, and community donations. These contributions are forwarded to the Lions Clubs International Foundation, the global humanitarian arm of Lions International. When a powerful earthquake struck Philippines, LCIF combined funds from Lions clubs worldwide - including Highworth’s support - to mount a fast, large-scale response. This pooled funding provided emergency food, clean water, medical aid, shelter, and essential supplies to affected families. Through this global network, local generosity from Highworth directly delivered life-saving help in the Cebu Province in the Philippines.

A 6.9-magnitude earthquake hit Cebu, Philippines, on 30 September 2025, causing displacement, damage, service cuts, and rising protection needs—especially in northern Cebu. Families moved to evacuation centres, stayed with hosts, or remained in damaged homes. Remote upland villages faced limited access to aid due to terrain, transport issues, and weather.

By February 2026, 592 families (2,276 people) were in 7 evacuation centres across Regions VII and VIII; 2,485 families (9,481 people) stayed with relatives. Aid gaps persist, particularly for those outside official centres.

2025 Flood relief funds to support India & Pakistan borders and Texas

When severe flooding hit during 2025, The Lions Club International Foundation pooled funds from Lions clubs worldwide - including Highworth’s share - to deliver fast, targeted support. This funding helped provide emergency supplies, clean water, shelter, and recovery aid to affected families. By giving locally, Highworth Lions directly strengthened the global response, turning community generosity into practical help for people in the following areas.

In August–September 2025, severe flooding hit Eastern Pakistan and Northern India. Triggered by heavy monsoons in Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, flash floods led authorities to open dams feeding rivers into both Punjabs. This flooded over 1,400 villages in Pakistan’s Punjab and another 1,400 in India’s Punjab, displacing 1.2 million people in Pakistan and 300,000 in India.

On July 4, 2025, destructive and deadly flooding took place in the Hill Country region of the U.S. state of Texas. During the flooding, water levels along the Guadalupe River rose rapidly. As a result, at least 139 people were killed, at least 117 of them in Kerr County. Since then, communities have stayed on the path to rebuilding homes and businesses impacted by the storm. It's been estimated that the floods caused between $18 to 22 billion in damage across the region.