Tavistock Lions are marking their fiftieth year with a golden-themed carnival this summer.

The Lions will also be celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of the club’s formation by staging a special Charter Night Celebration Dinner and Dance in Tavistock Town Hall in March.

A club spokesman said: “To mark this fantastic anniversary achievement, the club has decided the carnival should reflect this anniversary, so have chosen ‘Golden Moments’ as the theme for this year’s procession, generating, it hopes, a glittering spectacle on Sunday, July 19.

The club had a successful Christmas period during which it raised around £17,000 for local charities and good causes. This included £10,000 sponsorship from the Trees of Light (on the town hall), with the remainder coming from the Dickensian Evening barcecue, its Christmas postal service, the sale of Christmas cards, collections in Bedford Square and Morrisons and the successful Christmas Grotto in the Bedford Hotel. The grotto was a new event and could be repeated after proving a sell-out success with 170 youngsters enjoying a craft workshop and meeting Santa.

Tavistock Lions also escorted Father Christmas and elves to primary and junior schools, delivering presents partly financed by Tavistock Athletic Club. Members and friends also decorated a tree for the Tavistock Christmas Tree Festival and distributed hampers to needy families.

Tavistock Lions president Matt Hibbert continued the charity giving, with a donation of £500 to Penny Logsdail, a volunteer coordinator for Hearts Together. This charity runs a hospital hotel close to Derriford Hospital, which allows friends and relatives to stay close to patients.

The hotel provides accommodation for families visiting their loved ones who are undergoing treatment. Penny thanked the club for its generous donation which she said would help finance several days’ stay for a family in need.