Durbanville Lions Club welcomed Elizabeth Barnard as its newly inducted club president during a special ceremony at the Durbanville Rose Garden on Saturday 13 June.

Barnard has been a member of Lions for three years and has made a significant impact through her commitment to serving others.

In recognition of her contribution, she was awarded the prestigious Lion of the Year Award in 2025.

Passionate about supporting senior citizens, Barnard dedicates much of her time to volunteering at local old-age homes and serving through her church.

She has also played an active role in numerous community projects undertaken by the Durbanville Lions Club, demonstrating her unwavering commitment to making a difference. Her motto for the year is “Together, where there is a need, let us be the reason there is hope.”

Serves the community

The Lions Clubs International (LCI) is a global service organisation with a primary purpose of serving the community and improving the well-being of people worldwide.

The organisation, founded in 1917 by Melvin Jones, focuses on a range of humanitarian efforts. The Durbanville Lions Club specifically focuses on hunger relief projects, vision care, disaster relief, environmental protection and any other humanitarian needs that might be identified in the community.

Valedictory address

In her valedictory address, outgoing president Danielle Cronje thanked the club for their support in the last two years.

“While our club may only have 11 members, what we have achieved together over the past 12 months is nothing short of remarkable. As a team, we have served 7 317 people, contributed 1 156 volunteer service hours, and facilitated over R48 000 in donations. These numbers are a testament to the commitment, generosity and hard work of every member of our club,” she said.

Some of the projects included assisting with donations to storm victims, supported soup kitchens and other hunger related projects, a care pack drive for seniors homes, support to the Cup Cakes of Hope project, volunteering at the Blisters for Bread Walk, knitting for the Bless a Baby Project, as well as tree planting and environmental clean-ups.

Club awards

The club also acknowledged the Lions who have served with excellence in the last year. The award for Most Dedicated Lion was awarded to Judy Young, the award for Dedicated to Service to Vanessa Velati and Lion of the Year to Anne Friedenthal.

Danielle Cronje was also awarded the Louis Volks Humanitarian Award by the Durbanville Lions Club. This award is the highest recognition of Lions Multiple District 410, which recognises outstanding community involvement, honouring individuals who have excelled in community service.

The club will be hosting a horse racing fundraiser on Friday 3 July at Fairmont High School at 18:30.

. Anyone interested in volunteering or joining the club, must contact Durbanville Lions at info.durbanvillelionsclub@gmail.com.

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