Newport & Olney Lions Club
question that most of our A members have faced in the past is what are we? Popular misconceptions are that we are a rugby club, cricket team, a political party and one person thought we were
connected to Woburn Safari Park.
Thanks to our regular Phonebox column, and the support of Ron and the team at Orchard Press, we rarely hear these types of comments anymore. But the question remains, exactly who and what are we? Our parent body, Lions International, was founded in 1917 by American businessman Melvyn Jones , who felt that like-minded business people could make a difference by starting in their local communities. Giving something back was key to an ideal that has now, over the past century, grown into an organisation of more than 46,000 clubs with 1.35million members, operating in 208 countries worldwide. It truly lives up to the claim of being the 'world's largest service club organisation' and one of the most effective, with the motto 'we serve'. Whenever a Lions club gets together, problems get smaller and communities get better. That's because we help where help is needed - in our own communities and around the world - with unmatched integrity and energy. Have a look at our website www .npolneylions.btck .co.uk to see what we get up to in Newport Pagnell and Olney, and how we support those in need at home and overseas.
An Olney
Loughborough student is planning to travel to Mexico and work at an orphanage. To do so, she needs to raise almost £2000 and we were happy to encourage her public spirited action by giving a substantial sum towards her target.
The wife of our district governor has asked us to support her appeal to help combat Alzheimers, and , as a result , we have made a sizeable donation to the worthwhile cause.
A local lady will be taking the plunge and sky diving to raise funds for Canine Partners, a charity that trains dogs to support those living with a disability. Imagining a 75-year- old pensioner (yes, you did read it correctly, she's 75) jumping out of an aircraft at 10,000 feet just had to be supported with a sizeable donation. We wish her all the best for the big jump .
And finally, we've recently seen a number of different appeals, many of which we may go on to support and you can read about in the coming months.
Where does the money come from?
It comes from you! Throughout the next month, we will be involved in a number of activities that will swell our charity account or help raise funds for others.
The Mayday Gift Fair - at the United Reformed Church in Newport Pagnell - will take place on May 3rd. Why not drop by and see what is on offer? Entry is free and the welcome will be warm and cordial. It's a
Our group ,
backed
by our
friends
group ,
32 Phonebox Magazine
raises
annually to various causes , individuals and charity. We are always willing to listen to appeals for assistance from anyone in the community .
However, serving does not always mean raising funds. We've helped other local organisat ions by providing manpower to help them run their events, and have been known to roll our sleeves and do 'real' work if it helps to make someone's life a little better.
Our newest member, Richard Pearson from Newport Pagnell, has brought our numbers upto19menandwomen- afarcryfrom the 10 of eight years ago. Richard had been a member of our friends group for some time and, as we knew he was enjoying the camaraderie of the club and putting in a lot of effort at our events, we decided to invite him to become a fully fledged Lion. We were delighted when he accepted and we look forward to him becoming an integral part of our activities for many years to come.
What have
we done recently?
Spent a lot money is the simple answer, with almost £3000 being distributed to a variety of causes.
We purchased and installed a defibrillator at The Brooklands Centre in Newport Pagnell, which was part of a national roll out of life-saving equipment by the Ambulance Service (NHS encouraged with local charities funding).
girl and
University of
and distributes
more than
£10 ,000