Christmas grotto to help local good causes

Adur East Lions and Hove Lions run the grotto at Mayberry Garden Centre in Portslade to raise money for local good causes.

Members of staff at the garden centre have spent the past week decorating the annual charity grotto, ready for Santa’s arrival on Saturday.

Lions will provide the presents and operate the grotto.

Susan Saunders from Adur East Lions said: “Both clubs are very grateful to Jonathan Tate at Mayberry for supporting the Lions’ work in this way.

“Over the grotto period in 2013, the clubs made a profit of £1,990 and every penny of that profit goes back out to charitable causes, mainly local.”

Donations from Adur East Lions are decided by members at their monthly business meetings. Those made in the new year included £1,000 to The Rockinghorse Appeal, £250 to Age UK for a new cooker for the Fishersgate lunch club and £469 towards a special needs buggy for a three-year-old in Southwick.

Visit www.adureastlions.org.uk to see other donations during the year.

Entrance to the grotto is £3. For opening times, visit www.tatesgardencentres.co.uk

Ms Saunders said the Lions will be busy with many other fundraising activities leading up to Christmas, including selling Christmas cakes, collecting outside the Co-op in Shoreham and collecting around the streets of Southwick with Father Christmas and his sleigh. Further details to follow in future editions of the Herald.