Our History
​Founded in 1917, Lions Clubs International has grown from a single club in Chicago into a global network of over a million members serving in nearly every country around the world. Since its earliest days, Lions have focused on practical community service, international cooperation, and responding to changing social needs. Over more than a century, Lions have become particularly recognised for their work supporting sight, health, youth, and disaster relief, while remaining rooted in local community action.
Our Full Story
Lions was founded in 1917 when Melvin Jones encouraged members of a business club in Chicago to shift their focus from networking to service. His belief was simple yet powerful: individuals working together could achieve far more for their communities than they ever could alone.
The organisation quickly grew beyond the United States, becoming fully international by 1920. In 1925, at the Lions International Convention, Helen Keller urged members to become “knights of the blind,” cementing sight care as a defining cause. Over the next century, Lions expanded its humanitarian reach to include youth support, environmental action, disaster relief, hunger initiatives, and global health programmes.
The creation of the Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF) further strengthened this impact, enabling large-scale disaster response and international development funding. Today, Lions operates in nearly every region of the world, yet its strength remains local. Within District 105SW — covering Cornwall, Devon, Somerset, Dorset, Wiltshire, Gloucestershire and the Bristol area — that same founding spirit of practical, ethical service continues to guide our clubs.
More than a century later, Lions remains built on the same principle it began with: when communities face challenges, Lions step forward to serve.