WHAT was once a pivotal part of the community is now set to disappear forever after failing to attract younger members.

Hove Lions Club has only eight members, several of them elderly and no longer active.

President Val Roberts said she expected some members to join the Brighton Lions Club, but the size of the group was restricting the work they were able to do.

She said: “When I took over as president in July they were down to eight members and a couple of those didn’t attend meetings anymore.

“We need younger members if we are to continue this work, but a lot of people tell us they don’t want to get involved with charity work until they retire.”

She added: “Some of our members have been with the club for a long time, and have put in incredible work.”

Since the club was founded in 1955, it has organised a variety of events, including the Santa’s grotto, the Hove carnival, boxing tournaments, charity auctions and more.

Colin Beard, 84, is one of the club's oldest members, having been part of Hove Lions since 1969.

He said: “It is a tremendous shame, but it is the same all over the country.

“A club is nothing without members, and we are just not able to carry on doing all of our work with only eight people.”

When Mr Beard joined there were 35 active members.

He said: “It was an honour to be invited to be in the Lions as the 35 members were very well known people in the town.

“We just seemed to do a lot and we enjoyed doing it.”

The club has hosted the annual Hove carnival since 1973, but because of their dwindling membership they had to hand this over to the Martlet’s Hospice in 2014.

Mrs Roberts has recently set up a Leo club, the junior version of the Lions, at PACA, which she said “is thriving”.

She said: “These are the Lions of the future and they will carry the flag now.”