Boorowa Lions Club has marked a busy year of service, with members supporting major local events, donating to community organisations and expanding their involvement in a children’s eye health program.

The club recently held its 2026 Changeover Luncheon, welcoming Member for Cootamundra Steph Cooke and Federal Member for Riverina Michael McCormack, who assisted with formal Lions traditions and helped present donations to local organisations.

The annual changeover is one of the most important events in the Lions calendar, marking the beginning of a new year for the club while recognising the work carried out by members over the past 12 months.

Boorowa Lions Club publicity officer Colin Hardwick said the club had been involved in many of the major events held in Boorowa throughout the year.

The club catered for and supported community events including the Boorowa Picnic Races, Christmas Concert in the Park, Australia Day Breakfast, Boorowa Irish Woolfest, Driver Reviver and other local functions.

Local organisations and projects supported during the year included Burrowa House, Boorowa Country Education Foundation, the town mural project and Driver Reviver, along with broader Lions projects.

Mr Hardwick said the club’s work was guided by the Lions motto, “We serve”.

“Anything we can do that involves service, we are happy to do it,” he said.

“We aim to support resilience in the community as the spirit it generates in the community is well worth it.”

One of the club’s significant areas of service is its involvement in the Lions Eye Health Program, which helps identify possible eyesight problems in school-aged children.

The program sees trained Lions members visit local schools to carry out simple eyesight checks, with parents receiving a letter outlining the results. Where further follow-up is needed, families can then consult an optometrist.

Mr Hardwick said the program could have a major impact for children who may not realise they have an eyesight problem.

“You want to get to them early,” he said.

“Some kids are sitting in a classroom and they can’t see the board, and they think that is normal. They don’t even know they’ve got a problem.

“It’s quite amazing when you identify something and the parents are able to do something about it," he said.

Mr Hardwick said local optometrists had been supportive of the program, with Boorowa Lions now trained to help deliver the screening themselves.

He said Young Lions Club had previously assisted with the program, while Boorowa Lions now has eight members trained to help deliver the screening.

Around 10 Lions members are generally needed to help the screening run smoothly.

The program has become one of the areas where Lions members can make a direct and practical difference to local families.

The changeover also saw Linda Bensley join the club executive for the first time as treasurer, alongside Barry Miller as president and Marilyn Miller as secretary.

Mr Hardwick said that, like most volunteer organisations, Boorowa Lions would always welcome new members.

He said the club was growing, helped in part by the community becoming more aware of the work Lions carried out locally.

As Boorowa Lions looks ahead to another year, the club’s focus remains on service, community resilience and supporting the events, projects and people that help keep Boorowa connected.