City hosts world-wide visit

Scores of charity supporters from across the world have flocked to a Staffordshire city to take part in a weekend of fellowship and fun.

Lichfield Round Table 250 is now hosting Table members from around Europe and South Africa for an International Meeting of Clubs.

Guests from far and wide – including Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, South Africa and the UK – landed in the city yesterday and are being home hosted by fellow Round Table members.

The event has taken two years to plan and is giving local members the chance to meet up with like-minded Tablers for fellowship – and a bit of fun.

An action-packed events programme has been laid on for the guests, which started yesterday and runs until Sunday – and it was all planned to coincide with the Lichfield Festival.

Tablers are taking part in water skiing and paint balling activities during the day, and will be attending tomorrow's Lichfield Medieval Fayre and Market.

Gerry McLaughlin, press and publicity officer for Lichfield Round Table, said the idea was that all guests should go home knowing what a great place Lichfield is in which to work and live.

"The International Meeting of Tablers will take place tomorrow morning at The King's Head, an old coaching tavern in the centre of the city," said Mr McLaughlin.

"The purpose of the meeting is an annual gathering of all the clubs that have '50' in their title, in Europe and Africa.

"At the meeting, Tablers will report on what each country has done, how their Table is running, and will vote for where the meeting in 2009 will be held.

"The next meeting in 2008 is already scheduled for Munich."

Mr McLaughlin added that a barn dance with live music is taking place tonight, and a Black Tie Gala Dinner with a James Bond theme will be held at the Guildhall tomorrow night as the date is 07/07/07.

"Throughout the year Lichfield Round Table undertakes numerous exciting fundraising activities, from golf days and other sporting events, to adventurous adrenaline-pumping challenges, charity nights and auctions," he added.