Littlehampton Lions elect new president

John Taylor, the man behind the resurrected Arundel Festival Charity Duck Race, will be the next president of Littlehampton District Lions Club

He takes office today and would like to take the opportunity to remind residents the club has a full programme of well-publicised fundraising events planned for this year, which he hopes many will support.

In 1994, when John joined Lions Clubs International, he was living in Shirley, Surrey. He helped to set up a new club in the neighbouring Warlingham and Sanderstead district.

He was with the club for seven years and transferred to Arundel Lions Club when he took early retirement and moved to Climping.

He was instrumental in resurrecting the Arundel Festival Charity Duck Race, which in previous years had been a much-enjoyed event. It became extremely profitable in terms of fundraising and in the following 14 years, more than £15,000 was raised in support of local charities.

John moved to Rustington in 2011 and four years later, joined Littlehampton Lions Club.

John is also a trustee of the Lions International Blood Research Appeal, which was established by clubs in the south east in 1976 to provide vital funding for the haematology department at King’s College Hospital, London. The funding ensures new treatments for a wide range of blood cancers and disorders can be created.