Budleigh Lions Club Gala Week is due to begin soon - on Saturday, May 25.

Gala Week is a great opportunity for the local community and visitors to Budleigh Salterton to have lots of fun and raise lots of money for local charities. 

Richard Allen, Immediate Past President of Budleigh Salterton Lions Club, said: "We are all very excited about the return of Gala Week and we hope you are too!  One of my favourite events during Gala Week has to be the Pebble Building competition. There is always such a lovely atmosphere and it's great to see so many visitors to Budleigh taking part as well as local families." 

The competition is held on the beach on Monday, May 27, starting at 10am. The entry fee is £1 per person and there are 1st, 2nd and 3rd prizes for the tallest freestanding castle and the best design. 

There are lots of other exciting and fun events and competitions throughout the week including the Budleigh Runners Pebble Dash fun run on the seafront on Sunday May 26, the Children's Pavement Artist Competition, the Big Bumper Breakfast in aid of Cancer Research UK, afternoon teas in aid of Love Budleigh and Force Cancer, coffee mornings in aid of Hospiscare and the RNLI, a horse racing evening being hosted by the Budleigh Salterton Carnival, the dog show, the Big Budleigh Barn Dance and the South Devon Big Band night, finishing with the Lions quiz night on Sunday, June 2 at the Feathers Hotel in the High Street.  

Budleigh Lions has a first for Gala Week; free diabetes testing is being offered on Sunday, June 2 from 10am until 4pm. The tests are carried out in just five minutes by a medical team from EMATS, the Event Medical, Ambulance and Training Services Group, who will also be able to give advice. Children can also be tested, if accompanied by a parent or guardian, following consultation with a medic.

Screenings need to be booked, and this can be done by scanning the QR code on the posters around the town advertising the event, or by visiting www.ticketsource.co.uk/budleigh-salterton-lions-club

The Gala Week programme is on sale for £1 in lots of local shops in the town and at the village shops in East Budleigh and Otterton.  The programme contains all the times and details of the various events and has the entry form for the famous and legendary Gala Week 'Spot the Stranger' competition.

Lion Richard added: "As usual a tremendous amount of work has gone into organising Gala Week and we would like to thank in particular Lions Geoff Paver and our Service Activities Chair Lion Gavin March. We would also like to thank all the members of Budleigh Lions Club who will be helping out at many of the events over the course of the week.  We must also thank Nia James, who in her own time, has very kindly designed our new look Gala Week programme.  

"We would like to take this opportunity, on behalf of all the members of Budleigh Salterton Lions Club, to say thank you to everyone who donates to our appeals, buys our raffle tickets and attends our events and to all the local businesses who support us. If we didn't have the support of our local community we wouldn't be able to do what we do, your continued support is greatly appreciated."

The Budleigh Salterton Lions Club Gala Week started in 1982, although originally it was only a Gala Weekend. Over time as more charities wanted to be involved it developed and became the Gala Week we know now. It actually lasts nine days so that the Lions can accommodate everybody who wants to take part.

Any charity or other organisation that wishes to take part in Gala Week 2025 is asked to get in touch via the website  www.budleighlions.com