About us

Who we are

Lions Club Erasmus is the only English-speaking club belonging to the Lions Luxembourg District 113. We are one of the few clubs that have a mixed membership, i.e., women and men. Although English is our working language, our members are of many different nationalities and backgrounds. It is this diversity and richness that make our club special.

History of the club

The club was founded in the year 2000 by Leo de Waal, a member of Lions Club Europe, who brought together a small group of people from diverse nationalities, backgrounds, and occupations. The same year, Lions Club Erasmus decided on its main project – to fundraise for children’s projects in Luxembourg and abroad.

Taking advantage of the changeover to the euro, it set up its Coins for Kids campaign, where collecting tins were placed with companies and individuals to collect all the old currency coins. These were then sorted manually by the club members and exchanged for euros. Until early 2023, this amounted to financial support of over 190,000 €.

Why Lions Club Erasmus?

The following two Erasmus quotes can stand as a mission statement for Lions Club Erasmus in Luxembourg.

“I am a citizen of the world, known to all, and to all a stranger.”
“That you are patriotic will be praised by many and easily forgiven by everyone; but in my opinion, it is wiser to treat men and things as though we held this world the common fatherland of all.”

They appeal to us :

• To transcend borders, both physical and in the mind, in other words, to value openness, tolerance, and to accept our common citizenship of the world.
• To be responsible for others, to serve those weaker and less privileged everywhere.
• To be mindful and protect our physical environment, since it does not belong to us individually, but to all humanity.

What we do

Introduction

The club’s regular meetings are held twice a month.

Fundraising

Our main fundraising activity for over 20 years has been the Coins for Kids campaign.

Support through actions

In addition to fundraising, the Lions Club Erasmus often participates in other charity events such as a charity quiz, supporting the Banque Alimentaire by organising food collections, or decorating shoeboxes to hold Christmas gifts for children in need.

… having fun

While supporting children in need remains our key activity, we also like to have fun. Sometimes, we get together with partners and children. Wrapping shoeboxes is another annual activity, in which we invest many hours to feel the joy of seeing the results – perfectly wrapped boxes that will later be used to provide Christmas gifts for children. Our Christmas dinners are an opportunity to sample the culinary richness of our many countries of origin. Bowling, cultural events, and other social activities to get together are always good team-building opportunities.