A MEMBER of Malvern Hills Lions has been selected to lead the club's national organisation during its centennial year of 2016/7.

Heather Jeavons, who lives in Newland just outside the town, has been elected chairman of the council of the Lions Club British Isles and Ireland.

Mrs Jeavons, aged 61, is at present the district governor of the Lions Clubs in the Midlands area, and she takes up the national appointment in July.

Even before then, she will be travelling to Japan in June to represent the UK and Ireland's 15,500 Lions at the club's international convention.

And then in October, she will be off to Sofia in Bulgaria, for the European convention. Her year in office will culminate in April next year, when she will preside over the national annual convention, being held in Blackpool.

She said: "It's a tremendous honour to be chosen as the chairman, and I'm very proud, but it's also a bit scary as well.

"I will now be representing every Lions Club from John O'Groats to Land's End and Cork to Great Yarmouth. It's quite a responsibility."

As well as her voluntary activities with Lions, Mrs Jeavons is well known and respected for her involvement with many other local organisations.

Lions Clubs are open to men and women from all walks of life who wish to contribute their time, talents and energy to serving their community, mainly locally, but also nationally and internationally.

They are proud to say that “Wherever in the world there is a need for help , there is a Lion to provide that help”. At present there are around 1.4 million members worldwide, making Lions Clubs International the largest service organisation of its kind.

Two of the main objectives of Lions Clubs are to provide humanitarian resources and sight conservation, and during the centennial Year, Lions Clubs across the British Isles and Ireland aim to provide 100,000 prostate screenings, support 100,000 diabetes screenings, and recycle over one million pairs of spectacles and 10,000 hearing aids.

Every penny raised or collected by Lions Clubs goes to help those in need. All the administration costs are paid for from members' subscriptions.