Young people, leading through service.
Leo is the youth programme of Lions Clubs International. Since 1957, it has given young people around the world a place to serve their communities and grow into leaders doing it.
- Est. 1957
- Youth programme of Lions Clubs International
- In Sri Lanka since 1969
LEO stands for Leadership, Experience and Opportunity: three things a young person gains by giving their time to others.
Leadership
Leos plan and run their own projects, with the budgets, teams, and deadlines that come with them. Leadership is something you practise here, not something you're taught.
Experience
Eye camps, cleanups, school drives, fundraisers. Every project is real work with real people, and the skills come from doing it alongside friends.
Opportunity
District conferences, national and international forums, and a clear path into Lions. Being a Leo opens doors that stay open.
From one high school to every corner of the world.
Nearly seventy years of the Leo programme, and more than fifty of them in Sri Lanka.
1917
Lions Clubs International is founded
Melvin Jones starts Lions in Chicago, on the idea that clubs should serve their communities rather than only themselves.
1957
The first Leo club
Students at Abington High School in Pennsylvania form the first Leo club, sponsored by the Glenside Lions Club.
1967
Leo becomes an official programme
Lions Clubs International adopts Leo worldwide, and clubs spread far beyond the United States.
1969
Leo arrives in Sri Lanka
The country's first Leo club is inaugurated in Wattala, the beginning of what is now Leo Multiple District 306.
2024
Our clubLeo Club of Colombo Centennial
Our club is chartered, and in its first year is named the district's Best New Leo Club.
2025
Twelve districts
Leo Multiple District 306 is redrawn into twelve districts, D1 to D12, across Sri Lanka and the Maldives.
One of the largest youth networks in the country.
Leo Multiple District 306 brings every Leo club in Sri Lanka and the Maldives together.
- 1969
- First Leo club in Sri Lanka
- 12
- Leo districts
- 210+
- Active Leo clubs
- 8,000+
- Leos serving
Alpha and Omega.
The service is the same. What changes with age is the scale of the work and the responsibility that comes with it.
Ages 12 – 18
Alpha
Clubs for school students. The focus is personal and social growth: working in a team, speaking up, and taking charge of a project for the first time.
Ages 18 – 30
Omega
Clubs for young adults at university or starting their careers. The focus is personal and professional growth, and running larger projects with more at stake.
Five causes, shared with every Lion.
Every Leo club chooses its own projects. Across the world, the work keeps coming back to these.
- 01
Vision
Eye screenings, eye camps, and spectacles for people who couldn't otherwise get them.
- 02
Hunger
Meals, dry-ration drives, and steady support for families going without.
- 03
Environment
Beach and city cleanups, tree planting, and care for the spaces we share.
- 04
Childhood cancer
Support for children in treatment, and for the families standing beside them.
- 05
Diabetes
Awareness, screening, and healthier habits across the community.
Serve alongside us.
Our club is one of many in Leo District 306 D6. Find out about the district, or join us and start your own Leo story.