WORCESTER Lions Club awarded six community groups with a share of £1,500 during a presentation at the Guildhall.

Mayor Jabba Riaz and club chairman David Orr gave cheques to Worcester City Amateur Boxing Club, Nora Parsons Centre, Lyppard Hub, Linus, 7th Worcester Guide Company and Fort Royal Park on Tuesday.

During a short speech, Councillor Riaz said the organisations selected for grants were chosen because they “make such a difference” to people’s lives in the city.

“That gift of giving is reciprocated and it’s what makes the world go round and it’s what makes Worcester a beautiful place to live in,” he continued.

He went on to say, that the Lions Club represents the sort of values we must pass “down the generations” to help make the world “a much better place to live in”.

The grant scheme is funded by money collected during the club’s sleigh tours at Christmas, as well as by raffling Easter eggs and other events.

Mr Orr said the group doesn’t give “huge grants, but it makes a difference” to the recipients.

“We raise not a huge amount of money – I think it’s about £10,000 a year, but when we spread that out over 50 years, that’s quite a lot.

“The vast majority goes back into Worcester. You may have seen us going around in a Santa sleigh rattling our tins or at Gheluvelt Park, and our Easter eggs are all over the town for raffles. That’s how we raise money.

“This is one of the structured ways we can give money back into the community, we can give not huge grants, but it makes a difference,” he added.

Nine applications for money from this round of the scheme were received.

The six at the ceremony, as well as Worcestershire Parents and Carers Community, all received varying amounts, while an eighth is being further considered.

Lynne Adams, Worcestershire co-ordinator for Linus, said she was encouraged by her “right-hand woman” Carole Robinson, to apply after she saw an advert in the paper.

The self-funded group makes handmade quilts and knee blankets to give to sick and vulnerable children.

Mrs Adams, 65, said: “I’m ecstatic, really, because it’s the first time I’ve ever put in for an award.

“I was really surprised when they got in touch and said I’d got an award. I’m very proud because all my ladies are very proud that I put in for it and the money goes back into the fabrics to make more quilts.”

She said she has been co-ordinator for nine-and-a-half years and in that time has donated 10,500 quilts to organisations like Barnardo’s and Fort Royal School.

Mrs Adams said she and her volunteers rarely get to see the impact the quilts have on the individual children they are made for – except for Fort Royal leavers assembly. “The leavers assembly in July, we try and make a quilt of whatever the child wants – so if they want Thomas the Tank Engine we will attempt to make it for them. “We go to the assembly and call the child’s name out and we see them – only us can see that child’s face and it’s really nice.”