SINCE it was formed in 1968, Weston Lions Club has donated thousands of pounds to good causes in and around the town.

The organisation has teamed up with the Mercury as part of the Go! Kids Go! initiative which will see hundreds of pounds worth of grant money handed out at its annual three-day Real Ale Festival showpiece.

At the event, on July 29, three grants of £1,000 from Peter Coleman of Howards Motors, Michelle Michael of the Grand Pier and Alistair Mead of Puxton Park will be given to organisations working with youngsters, while further grants starting at £100 will be presented to other groups.

If you run a community group that encourages sport and wellbeing for young people, are based within the postcode areas BS22, BS23, BS24 and BS25 and are a registered club, charity or not-for-profit organisation you can apply for a grant.

The Lions Club International was founded in Chicago in 1917 by businessman Melvin Jones, and now has 1.3 million members in 209 countries across the globe.

The Weston club has a current membership of 38 people and raises about £40,000 each year which goes back to good causes within the community.

Since its foundation, the club has helped residents of Uphill and Sand Bay after the severe flooding of 1981, supported organisations such as Weston Youth trust and the Children’s Hospice South West and in 2002 launched the Message in a Bottle scheme alongside North Somerset Neighbourhood Watch and the other Lions clubs in the district.

The group’s ale festival is now in its fifth year on Beach Lawns, with the first event in 2008 having 40 barrels of beer sponsored by local people and businesses and making a profit for local charities of about £3,500.

Since then the event has grown in size, with last year’s event raising more than £14,500 and seeing about 10,000 pints pulled over its three days.

The Lions’ John Holland said: “Over the last few years we have taken something like £40,000 at the real ale festivals.

“This year we are having an Olympic theme at the festival, so we will have beers such as Bullseye and Golden Strike, and I think we should probably have 88 barrels at the event.”

For more information on the event visit www.westonlionsrealalefestival.org.uk

To apply for a grant as part of Go! Kids Go! simply download an application form from www.thewestonmercury.co.uk or pick one up from the Mercury office.

When you have completed the form, send it to Go! Kids Go!, The Weston, Worle and Somerset Mercury, 32 Waterloo Street, Weston-super-Mare, BS23 1LW or hand it in at our office.

The deadline for applications is June 15 and the winners will be announced in the Mercury on July 26.