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Lions' Den
Wednesday 9th September 2020
There was nothing to fear and everything to gain in The Devizes Lions’ Den!
The 2020 Devizes Lions’ Den was held in the Town Hall Assembly Rooms on Wednesday 9th September by courtesy of the Devizes Town Council. This, the third Den run by Devizes Lions, had been postponed from its original Spring date due to the lock down restrictions then in place.
Seating was carefully arranged by Town Hall staff to allow all the participants to follow the appropriate COVID-19 social distancing guidelines. For the first time at a Den event, one presenter gave their pitch using Zoom.
The six judges had a hard time deciding between the merits of the four Den finalists before agreeing that the £2,000 on offer would make the most difference to the Little Bears Pre-school project.
Den Judging panel – left to right; Lions Peter Blockley; Debbie Wilson; Jerry King; independent judges Nigel Grist and Richard Fry; Lion Jo Sheppard.
The top award to Little Bears pre-school project in Brickley Lane, Devizes, provides half of what they need to complete the regeneration project for their well used dedicated play area.
From the left: Elizabeth March-Henry; Ginette Peach from Little Bears, Lion President Jerry king
Ginette Peach of Little Bears Pre-School said:
“This will enable us to achieve our goal benefitting children in the early years’ foundation stage for years to come. The equipment provides a rich learning environment covering all the curriculum areas, for example; The Chalkboard: mark making outdoors, creative expressive, fine and gross motor skills. The sand pit: can be used to promote many areas for example maths, understanding the world, creative arts and design, physical development. Planters: understanding the world ,digging and planting, developing fine motor skill and sensory experience. The Shelter and Seating: to encourage children who would not normally choose to be outdoors to get involved. The Stage: dance, imaginative play, creative and expressive, building self esteem.”
Elizabeth March-Henry and Ginette Peach from Little Bears make their presentation
The three runners up also received a donation from the Lions in recognition of their success in making the final four.
Rachael Demery of Carer Support Wiltshire, who attended the evening via Zoom, said
“I wanted to thank members of Devizes Lions Club for their support and generous donation to Carer Support Wiltshire, which will go towards our Time for Carers Appeal and will give unpaid carers in Devizes vital breaks to reconnect with friends and family, pursue their hobbies and interests, grow in confidence, develop skills and keep themselves well and able to carry on caring.
“Breaks are vital for carers to be able to deal with the physical and emotional strain of providing care, and to be able to continue in their caring role.
“Financial strain is one of the key reasons why carers can’t take a break. The Time for Carers Appeal removes this barrier and provides equal opportunities for carers from all economic backgrounds to get the breaks they need; whether that’s going swimming, taking the kids to a football match or going to an art class with friends.
“This donation will give carers the gift of time – so they feel happier, healthier and more in control of their lives. Most importantly, they will feel part of a wider community that recognises, values and appreciates the incredible work that they do, and their enormous contribution to society.”
Rachael Demery of Carer Support Wiltshire on screen with judges Jerry King. Nigel Grist and Richard Fry
The Zoom presentation by Rachael Demery
Albert Wooldridge, Chairman of Devizes Men’s Shed added-
Albert Wooldridge of Devizes Men’s Shed giving his presentation
“Due to the coronavirus the shed must remain closed because it is within the grounds of a care home. We still meet in a park or open space just to have a chat and to discuss how we can go forward. The committee are still waiting for information regarding the new workshop, but this has also been held up by coronavirus. The committee would like to thank the Lions Den for the award as this will help us to pay the bills even when we are closed.”
Albert Wooldridge of Devizes Men’s Shed receiving the cheque from Lion President Jerry King
Kath Saunders, Deputy Co-ordinator of the Devizes Child Contact Centre said:
“This donation makes such a difference to our future confidence. DCCC offers a safe, neutral, confidential space where a child or children can spend positive time with their non-resident parent, twice monthly, for up to two hours. Our venue is warm, welcoming, well-equipped with toys, games and activities for all ages and cheap - the one-off fee is £30. Each Session is overseen by trained, friendly Volunteers or our paid Co-ordinator. Any parent wishing to apply to use this service should contact her on 07522 730 833 or email: devizeschildcontactcentre@yahoo.com. We hope to resume Sessions in January. In the meantime we are recruiting Volunteers to join the Team running the Saturday Sessions, we would also welcome new members onto the Management Committee. DBS checks will be organised and Training and Skill Polishing provided! ”
Kath Saunders of the Devizes Child Contact Centre making her presentation
Kath Saunders of the Devizes Child Contact Centre receiving a cheque from Lion President Jerry King
All the brave winners with their cheques
WELL DONE
To see what happened on previous Lions' Dens, visit our Club Projects page.
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