I WAS saddened by the tone of your Opinion last week suggesting that all services would have to be paid for.
Society cannot work that way for we do not have enough money to pay for all that we need. Only volunteers can run the local school's PTA or the Citizens' Advice Bureau or even be a much maligned parish councillor.
I have the privilege of being this year's president of the Severn Dean Lions Club. We are an organisation which raises money for, mainly local, charitable causes. These could be large such as funds for the Great Oaks Day Hospice or individual such as help with a disabled person's transport problems.
All our work is done by volunteers. We ensure that we have fun whilst making our arrangements as this sort of work does need to be mixed with pleasure. However, we make a real difference to people's lives.
There are many men nowadays who are semi-retired. They may have the ability to give some time to an organisation such as ours. May I use your columns to appeal to them in particular to consider joining us. A call to Dean 827722 in office hours will show them more.
Even if readers do not join us I would urge them to support some other organisation. Society has never functioned without the activities of people with a social conscience and it would be a folly to believe that it ever will. – Robert Purdie, President, Severn Lions Club