Lions Community Store pays tribute to its founder.

The Lions Community is supported by the Lions Clubs in north east Hampshire and surrounding area to recycle redundant household goods, appliances, clothing etc to needy people. They also provide valuable work experience and skills development for many volunteer helpers. 

Sadly the founder of the Store, Beverley Allardice MBE, passed away in 2020. The local Lions Clubs of Aldershot, Farnborough, Farnham, Fleet, Hart, Hook and Odiham and Yateley decided to purchase a lovely bench made of recycled materials in her memory. 

Beverley founded the Lions Community Store in 1995 after the closure of a similar operation in Fleet, of which she was a volunteer. The statistics in the last 25 years have been 160,000 items redistributed including 17,000 beds. 37,000 families have been helped. Her involvement stretches over 30 years resulting in her being awarded an MBE in 2002. 

ln 2008 the Lions recognised Beverley's dedication by awarding her the Lions Clubs lnternational highest award, named after its founder, the Melvin Jones Fellowship. 

After paying tribute to Beverley the Lions took the opportunity to launch their new campaign to raise funds to replace the two vans at the Store. These have served the local community well but need replacing. The plan is to purchase two electric vans which will be perfect for the local journeys in an environmentally sustainable way.  However they still got an awful long way to go to raise sufficient funds. Anyone who’d like to help please contact treasurer@fleetlions.org.uk The Lions are very keen to keep Bev’s project going from strength to strength.