CHARITABLE organisations have once again benefited from the proceeds of an annual fundraiser that has raised over £750,000 in its 24-year history.

The sell-out Frocester Beer Festival is the largest fundraiser on the Dursley Lions Club calendar and this year eight groups shared the £14,200 raised from the popular August event.

Among the groups to benefit were the Severn Area Rescue Association and Macmillian nurses.

A donation of £3,500 was awarded to SARA, £1,500 to St Bartholomew's Church towards the cost of refurbishing the war memorial in lower Cam, £2,000 to the Willow Trust, Alzheimer Society and Cotswold Vale Scouts, £1,200 was given to the Lions' Eye Camps, and £1,000 to Macmillan nurses and the Dursley-based 649 Squadron Air Training Corps.

The donation to SARA will be immortalised in the naming of a new boat that will purchased with the donation.

Coxswain Graham Tudor, receiving the donation, invited the Lions to name the new special flood rescue boat - SARA 6 - a rigid hull vessel that will be hauled on a trailer to flooding incidents and for use as a safety boat.

Dursley Scouts will use their donation to help in the £12,000 refurbishment of their town headquarters.

The Rev Ian Robb told the Lions the Lower Cam cheque would be used towards the cost of providing bronze name plaques on the war memorial, which will be refurbished and moved to a new site in the centre of the village.

The awards were made during a special ceremony in the Dursley Lions' Den when donations were also made to Glebe House in Cam, Everside Youth Football Club, Cam House School and towards the cost of an expedition to China by a pupil from Katharine Lady Berkeley's School.

The Lions have also promised £8,000 towards the cost of computers on board the community outreach bus scheme planned by GL11 Community Project in Cam.

This year's beer festival between Friday, august 27 and Saturday, August 28, will mark the event's quarter of a century.

Mr Baldwin said: "This year's beer festival will be the 25th and cause for special celebration."

Club president Dai Davies added: "We would like to congratulated Lions Dennis Haddrell and Frank Dennis on their foresight in launching the festival 25 years ago."