Newcastle Lions Christmas Fundraising

Newcastle Lions have begun their Christmas fundraising efforts and in the run up to Christmas these will continue each weekend.  Last Saturday during the day despite Storm Darragh the Lions were outside Eurospar, Castlewellan Road and would like to thank those who generously contributed and oered words of encouragement in the awful conditions.

Next Saturday they will be outside the Barbican on Dundrum Road and on Saturday 21st December they will be outside Tesco on the Castlewellan Road. On Saturday evening thanks to the Burrendale Hotel they were able to run a raffle during the hotel’s Christmas dinner dance with the prizes including a Christmas hamper and a bottle of wine for a winning table.

They will be back again next Friday and Saturday evening and on Friday 20th December. The Lions would like to thank Tesco and Lidl for their generous donations towards the hampers. Please note that the Lions now have a SumUp machine so you do not need cash to support their fundraising efforts.

Brendan Downey and Beth Cairnduff outside Eurospar

Chloe Brannigan and Marian McGreevy getting ready for the raffle in the Burrendale Hotel.

Lions Peace Poster Competition

For over three decades Lions clubs around the world have proudly sponsored an International Peace poster competition and Newcastle and Ballynahinch Lions clubs sponsor the competition in the South Down area.

This art contest for young people encourages them to express their visions of peace and the theme for 2024/5 Peace Poster contest is “Peace without Limits”.

Each poster is judged on originality, artistic merit and expression of the theme and this year was judged at a local level by Cecelia Halloran and Alison Herron.  Our area winner’s poster will now go forward to Ireland District level by mid November. The all Ireland winners poster will then be forwarded to the International competition and the overall winner will be announced in February.

Thanks to the superb creative talents of our young people the judges had a difficult task as the ideas displayed were superb. The winner will be announced in due course.

Well done to the young people and Art Departments staff in Assumption School Ballynahinch, The High School Ballynahinch, St  Colmans High School and  Sixth Form College, Ballynahinch, Shimna Integrated College Newcastle ,St  Malachy’s High School Castlewellan and  St  Louis School Kilkeel.

Photo: Cecelia Halloran , Marion McGreevy Vice District Grosvenor and Alison Herron 

Lions come to the aid of small animals

Lions helping small animals might sound a bit unusual , but on  Friday, Newcastle Lions  Club were pleased to confirm a donation of  £250.00 to help with the running costs that helps small animals and injured  birds. The Centre called  Newcastle Wildlife  Rescue is managed by  Majella  Rooney and she is helped by four volunteers, also working alongside the Doolittle, Wildlife  Rescue (Crumlin) and the Dooletter Wildlife  Rescue ( Enniskillen).

Majella explained how the group had purchased a retired ambulance and upgraded this to help treat  injured birds and animals that the public had left in their care. She said that on annual basis, she would care for  over 200 injured  birds and 80 hedgehogs . A lot of the animals were poisoned  or has suspicious deaths and these were reported to the PSNI who have a dedicated wild life crime team. Majella thanked  Newcastle Lions Club for the donation and interest shown. She said her biggest challenge was to source future funds to help with feeding costs and in the new year increase the number of volunteer helpers.

A rescued hedgehog.

Newcastle Lion Liz Murphy and Lion President  John McDonagh being shown the adapted ambulance by  NWR manger Majella  Rooney.