DURSLEY Lions Club is withdrawing its service of collecting donations of furniture from several towns and villages around the district.

The service will be withdrawn from Wickwar, Charfield, Stone and plus Stroud, Stonehouse, Quedgeley and Hardwicke.

The decision to reduce the Lions' collection territory was made at a meeting following a review of costs and manpower.

It is becoming increasingly difficult for the Lions to recruit volunteers for daytime and evening pickups.

Lions' spokesman Allan Guy said: "The problem is that a large proportion of our members are at work during the day and those who are not are not getting any younger.

"We will continue to collect from Nailsworth, the Dursley, Cam, Berkeley and Wotton-under-Edge areas and surrounding villages.

"We are collecting so much more from these areas now that long journeys out of the area are no longer economic."

Furniture sales form the backbone of the Lions' fund raising activities which are boosted every August by the Frocester Beer Festival.

"These activities enable us to give away more than £40,000 every year to causes local, national and international," added Mr Guy.

Among recent donations by the Lions is £900 towards a performance workshop at Dursley Youth Centre, £250 towards a sight project and £1,250 towards the cost of a stage at Berkeley Primary School.

They have also donated £300 towards a kitchen refurbishment at the Little Owls Playgroup and £500 towards the cost of a computer and printer for the Stroud based Gloucester Crossroads Caring for Carers project.

In addition, The Lions are giving £4,830 towards the cost of replacing cricket nets at Rednock School.

Three adults and a child have applied to join Medic Alert, the Lions-sponsored scheme whereby people suffering from allergies or particular medical problems receive a bracelet or necklace to alert medical staff in the case of unconsciousness.