Lion Clubs combine to encourage recycling

In  Northern Ireland all  Councils are encouraged to reduce waste ,recycle and reuse. A small item that can be recycled and reused to help people in need are spectacles. On Monday  Lion  Club members from Newry,  Downpatrick and  Newcastle with apologises from  Ballynahinch Lions met at  Newry recycling  centre Chapel Road to promote the recycling of spectacles at all  Newry Mourne & Down District  Council recycling centres. Permission has now been given by the  Council for the Lions to place their distinctive spectacle recycling signs on a blue bin at each of the ten  recycling centres and for the Lions to then collect donations of  spectacles on a regular basis . Other Councils in  Northern Ireland who are encouraging the recycling of  spectacles, include Armagh ,Banbridge & Craigavon , Belfast  City  Council and  Antrim  & Newtownabbey. On a regular basis each of the four  Lions  Clubs despatch spectacles to Lions Medico France, the spectacles are then cleaned and calibrated before being distributed all over the world helping people in need. 

In other news, Lion  Club members who took part in the  Environmental  Zoom meeting on  Monday, received a report on the progress of the great work  Cork Lions have been doing where, approx. 80 schools through out the island of  Ireland ,including  County  Down, involving 6-8,000 transition students who will take part in an on line Environment Education Event on 29th April .Lions in  Cork have secured a Lab for the event. They will have five speakers presenting on climate change, biodiversity, sustainability etc in a designated classroom at lifetime lab to an audience of transition year students and also broadcasting online to the 80 schools throughout the island of Ireland. The beauty of this project is that the schools do not have to travel to take part in this event but follow it online in their own classroom. 

Photograph: Lions  Brian  Cowan ( Newry Lions), Anthony Mc Parland  NM&DDC,

Seamus  Mc Mullan ( Downpatrick Lions) and  Dan O'Reilly ( Newcastle Lions )

MYMY (Mind Your Mate and Yourself) financial support

Newcastle Lions have recently presented Deborah Boden of MYMY with a cheque for £600 which were the proceeds of a pub quiz held by the Lions for MYMY.

MYMY is a registered charity committed to the promotion of positive mental health and well-being. They offer free confidential counselling sessions for individuals aged 16+ experiencing difficulties with a range of issues as well as providing health and well-being programmes.

They can be contacted on 02843727549.

The Lions have also been able to send 800 pairs of spectacles to Lions Medico France for refurbishment and onward shipping to Africa. This is as a result of the recent recycling collection held by the Lions at the old AIB premises in Newcastle.

Many thanks to all who contributed to either event. Photo shows Deborah Boden of MYMY and Newcastle Lions President Liz Murphy

Newcastle Lions make donation to NI Children Hospice

When the news headlines told of the financial difficulties being experienced by the Northern Ireland Childrens Hospice John McDonagh of Newcastle Lions suggested to the group that this was a worthy cause to which they could donate some of the money raised by the group during their December collections. This was agreed at the February monthly meeting and on Thursday 29th February 2024 at their monthly coffee morning the Lions presented a cheque for £1,000 to Sarah Jewell from NI Hospice at the Burrendale Hotel. Representatives of the hotel were also at the presentation as the hotel kindly hosts the Lions meeting on the 2nd Tuesday evening of each month. The NI Childrens Hospice  supports babies, children and their families  with specialist nursing at home, supported breaks in the in patient unit, end of life care and family and bereavement support.

Photo taken by paper photographer on 29th February.