A NEW mascot will take pride of place with Bury Lions just in time for their biggest date of the year.

The club is organising this year’s Bury Carnival to take place on Saturday, June 11, and has taken delivery of a new Lions costume, courtesy of carnival sponsors ukcostumes4u.com.

The Yarwood Street company is run by Fiona Robinson.

She said: “We’re delighted to provide the club with a new lion costume.”

Clarence the Lion has been the mascot of the Bury Lions Club for many years and the new costume is the club’s third.

Club carnival and fundraising chairman, Mr Scott Richardson, said: “We are delighted with this donation. The costume is more child friendly and the lion is more of a cartoon figure. We might approach local schools to name the new lion or do something similar during the carnival.”

Preparations are in full flow for the carnival and organisers want volunteers to help out on the day. For further details, volunteers can meet Lions members at their registration day outside Jessop’s in the Mill Gate centre, Bury, between 10am and 4pm next Wednesday. People already taking part in the carnival are also asked to attend to collect any needed permits.