About the Lions International Organisation

The Lions Club of Havant is just one club amongst the many Lions Clubs Around the Globe which makes Lions Clubs International the worlds largest community service organisation. There are 1.3 million club members serving in more than 202 countries and areas. The association is both non-political and non-sectarian.

The International Association of Lions Clubs began as the dream of Chicago businessman Melvin Jones back in 1917. He believed that local business clubs should expand their horizons from purely professional concerns to the betterment of their communities and the world at large.

The Lions movement is know for its service to people who are blind and visually impaired. This service began when Helen Keller challenged Lions to become "knights of the blind in the crusade against darkness" during the 1925 Lions Clubs International Convention. Growing from that the Lions "Sight First" programme has restored sight to 7.3 million people worldwide.

Today, Lions club members are not only businessmen but men and women who strive to make a difference in their local community as well as in communities worldwide. Their volunteer efforts go beyond the support of vision care, to addressing unmet health and education needs worldwide, and local community support.

Click to find out more about Lions and Lionism

You can get an idea of the work that Lions do, and the contribution they make, from this short video.