Carols in November with Bristol Brunel Lions Carol Sleigh

Yes, the scary looking character about to hijack Father Christmas's Carol Sleigh is actually me.

To herald in December, The Bristol Brunel Lions Club launched the first night of their Carol Sleigh, complete with tirelessly waving Father Christmas, a new van, and lights.

We knocked on doors, collecting for Elmfield School for Deaf Children. Not only were we raising money for a very worth while local cause, but it was heart-warming, in the cold night, to see how much parents and children alike enjoyed the carols. As one mum said, " In 10 years, you've always come to visit us, you've never let us down." And more than one person said it was, for them, the beginning of Christmas. And so despite the chill, there were quite a few little people to be seen, running behind the carol bus in pyjamas.

The Bristol Brunel Lions Club has raised literally tens of thousands of pounds for local and international charities over the years. Their slogan is "Ordinary People. Amazing Things." Amazing, and often simple things, like a carol sleigh every year, make the world of difference.

If you'd like to find out more about donating, or joining the Lions, call 0845 833 5848

Lions hand-over a roaring evening. (cringe. sorry.)

That's an appalling pun - but I'm afraid it was a roaring evening. Bristol Brunel Lions ( with Bradley Stoke Lions) had their annual hand-over dinner. Lion John Taylor handed over his chairmanship to Lion Bill o'Neill, and I was inducted as a member - and as promised, it didn't hurt a bit.

It's hard to grasp the extent of the Lions Club international and the work it does. Amongst its achievements:

• Thousands being able to see better by way of our used spectacle collections.
• Many children having a holiday for the first time.
• Parents of terminally ill children receiving respite.
• Hundreds of children learning to read/write via "Schools in a Box" sponsored.
• Enabling local children to learn with specially adapted computers.
• Thousands feeling more secure due to their "Message in a Bottle" scheme.
• Many smiling faces, children and parents, due to our Carol Float.
• Great social events with shedloads of fun and fellowship.

Bristol Brunel Lions are in their 39th year. They've done huge amounts of work in that time- but you know what they say... life begins at 40. Roar-on.

St Georges Day Lions

There are hundreds of voluntary bodies in Bristol that do untold amounts of good work. Amongst them is the Bristol Brunel Lions Club and the Bradley Stoke Lions club. I would like to congratulate both on their superb work in together raising over £1000 to give children with special educational needs at Kingsweston Special School the chance to go on holiday. The cheque was presented to Richard Yandell, the deputy head of Kingsweston School at The Lions' special St.George's Day dinner, last Thursday.

I have visited Kingsweston Special school and seen first hand the extraordinary care and education they give to children who have special needs, and the ground breaking work they are doing with inclusion classes in six separate mainstream schools in the area. They are national leaders in giving children with SEN the chance to go to a mainstream school, with the support and backing of special school expertise and facilities where children need it. So congratulations to Kingsweston Special School and the Lions.

No political system can replicate the energy of the good-will I saw at the Lions' St.George's Day dinner. A political system can only help people like the members of the Lions Clubs to do their good work by removing bureaucratic obstacles from their path. As a city and as a country we should be proud of the army of voluntary workers who do so much, unpaid and unsung, to keep our country up and running.So what better way to celebrate our national day of Englishness than roast beef, treacle sponge, and the presentation of a fat cheque to a very, very good cause? Well done to the Lions and to all at Kingsweston School. A lot of your work might go unsung, but it's mostly people like you who've made our country great.