A stretch of Gardiners Creek south of Nettleton Park in Glen Iris was environmentally developed not by a local authority, but rather by members and friends of the Lions Club of Boroondara–Gardiners Creek. For one weekend a month, for more than ten years, members and supporters of the club gathered together to prepare and plant native shrubs and trees to create what today is one of the most attractive stretches of the Gardiners Creek Trail.
A special anniversary dinner is being held on 12 December to celebrate the club’s achievements over the twenty years since its foundation. Four members of the club have been there from the beginning: President Chris Hayward, Treasurer Howard Hamlyn, and Lions Jenny Peacock and Julie Deamer – and they would like to celebrate this milestone in the club’s journey with as many past members as possible.
The club, which centres its activities around the Ashburton area, has for most of the time worked with fewer than fifteen members and raised in excess of $100 000. Fundraising methods have ranged from trivia nights to sausage sizzles, and the sale of both Christmas trees and the famous Lions Christmas Cakes.
All of the money raised has been channelled into local and international projects, as well as local club projects such as the planting of trees along Gardiners Creek. Club members have devoted many hours to organising, attending and working at such endeavours. The club receives many requests for disaster relief and in its time has responded promptly to send funds for victims of floods, bushfire and earthquakes.
Today the club, one of only two in the Boroondara Municipality, continues to serve the local Ashburton community with nine highly motivated and dedicated members who have great pride in the way that they work together. If you are interested in finding out more about the Lions Club and what they do in your community, or even in joining them, please contact President, Chris Hayward on 0412 403 837 or Membership Officer, Nigel Hurd, on 0418 355 36