TEAMS of students from Ringwood and Burgate Schools competed for a lion’s share of £1,600 to go to charitable cause in the local community.

In a Dragon’s Den style competition the students pitched their ideas to Ringwood and Fordingbridge Lions Club.

Eight teams made presentations to a packed conference centre at Ringwood School and had to impress the panel of judges, the Mayor of Fordingbridge Cllr Malcolm Connelly, the Mayor of Ringwood Cllr Barbara Woodifield, Mark Ware, business manager at Barclays Bank Ringwood, and Geoff Kay, president of Ringwood and Fordingbridge Lions Club. Lauren Stevens, Charlotte Boyd, and Luke Burton from Burgate School, who made an impassioned plea for funding on behalf of Dorset Youth Cancer Trust, were awarded £700 after making an impassioned plea for the charity.

Presentations were also made for Autism Wessex, The Sarah Kinsley Fund, Brain Tumour Research, New Forest Sailability, and Diabetes Children of Dorset East. Lion President Geoff Kay said: “It was truly humbling to hear how each cause had affected the students personally and inspiring to recognise how much effort they had gone to in order to find out what needs exist in their local community".

The winning team has been invited to present at the forthcoming annual Lions District Convention taking place in Bournemouth later this year in March.

Anyone interested in finding out more about this competition or Ringwood and Fordingbridge Lions Club can contact them on 0845 833 5819 or visit randflions.org.uk.