MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE

The first service project for the revived Belfast Lions Club has been the Message in a Bottle scheme. Bottles are FREE and are being paid for by our Club, with the help of the Antrim Club. In the last two months a total of 1800 bottles have been distributed through local pharmacies and groups working with the elderly and vulnerable.

At a community safety exhibition at Belfast City Hall, the Club got an opportunity to distribute 140 bottles. Some people remembered a similar project run by the City Council a few years ago. Others had come across the scheme in areas such as Ballymena where the local Lions Club had organised it.The Lions Message In a Bottle scheme is a simple idea designed to encourage people to keep their personal and medical details on a standard form and in a common location - the Fridge. Whilst it is focused on the more vulnerable people in our community, anyone can have an accident at home, so this scheme can benefit anyone, including you. Anyone could find that Emergency Services, Doctors etc. are called to their house. By completing the information on the form, it will save the Emergency Services valuable time in identifying the individual and whether they have special medication or allergies or not. It is not only a potential lifesaver, but also it provides peace of mind to the users, their friends and families in knowing that prompt medical treatment is provided and that the next of kin and emergency contacts are notified.

Among the groups who have agreed to distribute 200 bottles each are Good Morning Colin, Good Morning West Belfast and Good Morning Ballysillan (North Belfast). Contact has also been made with Recall (Bridge community), a similar group which covers East and South Belfast and with the Short Strand community centre. The Club has so far distributed 2000 bottles which have been paid for through our charity account.

Agnes McGinley, Short Strand community centre and Lion Evelyn Fisher.