Lions Recycle for Sight Australia
Lions Recycle for Sight Australia is part of the Lions Clubs International Worldwide Eyeglass Recycling Program, headquartered in Queensland and operating throughout Australia and overseas.
We receive requests from humanitarian organisations either travelling to a developing country or supplying shipping container loads of suitable humanitarian aid from Australia to groups in the these countries.
Over the 26 years that the Australian program has operated, the program, has delivered over 7 million pair of refurbished quality spectacles to men, women and children in need in Africa, Europe, Middle East, Indian Sub- continent, East Asia, and the Far East, China, the countries of the Pacific Rim and Southern Asia and Oceania. In the past 10 years several members of our Marine Branch have been able to use their oceangoing yachts to reach and test villagers, in the remotest areas for eyesight and deliver spectacles to them.
If you have spectacles that you no longer need and wish to recyle them they can be deposited at:
Specsavers - Barossa Central 8/3 Murray Street Nuriootpa S.A.
Nuriootpa Optometrist 2/39 Murray Street Nuriootpa S.A.
Kapunda Optometrist 40 Main Street Kapunda S.A.
Please remove the glasses from any cases and put them in an envelope, padded bag or bubble wrap prior to depositing.
These eye glasses recycling containers were made and donated by Lions Club of Barossa Valley member Joseph Vikor
For further information please contact:
Tony Gerlach, Lions Club of Barossa Valley email: barossalions1@gmail.com
Chairman Lion Ken Leonard OAM JP(Q), 0418871396, ChairmanR4S@lions.org.au
or Secretary Nicolee Brown, 0401316935, SecretaryR4S@lions.org.au for any advice.
Our address is PO Box 3021 CLONTARF MDC 4019.
Lions Recycle for Sight Australia ABN 37 166 954 081
75th year of ‘Lionism’ in Australia Project
The Lions Club of the Barossa Valley is celebrating the 75th year of ‘Lionism’ in Australia in establishing an extension to the Remembrance Rose Garden at the Nuriootpa RSL sub-branch for their community Project.
On Friday the 18th of March 2022 Lions members and RSL volunteers established a 16 x 2m garden bed complete with edging.
At the second work day on Friday the 25th of March an existing rose garden was renovated and new edging was laid.
Further work days are being scheduled to plant Floribunda roses and to install a plaque acknowledging the efforts of Lions members and RSL volunteers in the Remembrance Garden.
An Aleppo Pine seedling, directly descended of the tree planted in Canberra to commemorate the fallen at Lone Pine Ridge, Gallipoli, will be planted near the memorial stone at the Nuriootpa RSL in due course.
The rose garden was completed during November and the roses are now in flower. Each rose represents a fallen service person identified by a plaque.
The Aleppo pine was planted on Thursday the 29th of September 2022, Lions members prepared a site on the grounds for the planting of the tree. This tree was propagated from a cone from the Aleppo tree that was planted at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra, giving it a direct lineage to Lone Pine Ridge at Gallipoli. Peter Herbert who provided the Aleppo Pine with the assistance lions club member Scotty Milne who is the Vice President of the Nuriootpa RSL planted the Pine. Present at the planting was Wes Klingner, RSL grounds manager, Elly Milne, Lions members Wayne Fleming, Trevor Irrgang, Gail Fleming Vice President, Tom Wauer Secretary and Moss Munchenberg.
This is a very significant club project that will be identified in the years to come with the plaque installed in the rose gardens.
Lions at work laying the new garden edging
The roses have now been planted in the new and renovated memorial rose gardens. They have new leaves and we will soon see them flowering late October or early in November
The roses now in bloom December 2022
Scotty Milne and Peter Herbert planting the Aleppo Pine
From left: Wayne Fleming, Trevor Irrgang, Wes Klingner, Peter Herbert, Scotty Milne, Gail Fleming, Elle Milne and Tom Wauer
Christmas Stocking & Lions Christmas Cake Sales
Each year our club prepares a giant christmas stocking with donated and purchased items to be raffled where tickets are sold with sales of Lions Christmas Cakes at the Nuriootpa Shopping Mall, Tanunda Foodland and Kapunda Foodland.
The sales at these venues are conducted by rostered members of our club from November to mid December. The Christmas Stocking Raffle is drawn at the clubs Christmas celebration meeting in December.
Sales of these items are very well supported by members of the Barossa Valley community and is an excellent fundraiser for our club.
Lions Tinkers shed.
The Barossa Valley Tinkers Shed - Nuriootpa S.A.
About our shed. The Lions Club of Barossa Valley developed a community Shed which is non-gender based, and we welcome all persons to become involved at the shed. This is by far the biggest project which was undertaken in 2006 by the Lions Club in terms of the building construction and workshop setup, the ongoing operating costs, and particularly the commitment by Lions members involved in workshop supervision and regular maintenance. After 3 years of careful pain-staking planning and the final building, the Tinkers Shed was opened in November 2009 by Mark Thomson the author of “Blokes in Sheds”. We are a member of the Australian Men’s Shed Association.
The Shed is a fairly large colour bond structure being 9 metres by 24 metres with a height of 5 metres and incorporates a fully functional kitchen, toilet and bathroom facilities. The building and equipment in our shed is due to grants and very generous donations from a large number of local businesses and individuals. The project is also supported by the Barossa Village Incorporated on whose land the Shed is built at 601 Research Road, Nuriootpa.
The Tinkers Shed’s focus is mainly on wood - working and we are well set up with all the equipment needed - saws, thicknesser, lathes, planers, sanders, clamps, compressor, polishing guns dust extractors and much more. The shed offers the people of the Barossa Valley a facility that can be used by anyone who needs space and access to machinery to undertake a personal project, either making or renovating an item including woodturning, upholstery, or people involved in some type of craft work such as pyrography or mosaics. We’re here for everyone to share their skills with others, learn new skills, swap ideas, solve problems or just discuss life in general over a cuppa. People can take a yearly membership and use the facilities weekly or just be a visitor for the day and attend whenever they have a need.
The inaugural Chairman and Shed Manager was Moss Munchenberg whose expertise in all things “wood” guided the shed for nine years from its infancy to a highly successful operation. Moss relinquished his duties and handed the reins to Guy Martin and the Shed Committee of five very keen shedders. We were fortunate in gaining Ian Curren, a retired technical studies teacher whose knowledge is valued as he willingly supervises and assists everyone, with a smile and good humour.
The Shed has been open for business for thirteen years and is continuing to grow in popularity. We average about sixteen attendees each session including five very competent and enthusiastic ladies. Opening hours are every Tuesday 9am to 3pm and on Wednesday mornings when it is used to provide occupational therapy to residents of the Barossa Village homes and people on home care packages. This is a wonderful form of therapy and we see some great items produced including tables, stools, planter boxes, chopping boards and trivets. Like all sheds, Covid -19 upset things quite a bit in the past two years.
There have been some significant projects undertaken – one huge, others small, but all special.
The first and very large one was the restoration of a nineteenth century wagon formally used around Angaston in the late 1800 and early 1900’s to transport materials and then used on a local farm. As it had been displayed in a local Barossa town park for decades, it had deteriorated significantly and therefore required an almost complete rebuild above the chassis mirroring the original design. The funding for this restoration was courtesy of the Barossa Council. The wagon owned by the Angaston and Penrice Historical Society is now proudly on public display in the heritage setting of “The Blacksmith’s Shop” in Angaston. Over 600 man hours were put into this project, transforming the old wagon back to its glory days and now painted in heritage red and yellow. Yep, we’re proud!
Another project was much smaller and it was the restoration of an old 1930’s two story dolls house. This was significant to the little girls who had received this as an heirloom from a family member. It involved stabilising the structure, the fixing onto a new base plate and stripping of all surfaces. New roofing, flooring, painting and lights completed the job. The day their mother brought them to the shed to collect it the smiles on the faces of the young girls when they saw it was absolutely priceless!
Many interesting and varied items are made at our shed. Graham Munday and Keith Pfeiffer make beautiful serving platters, boards and lazy- Susans from timber from our local wine barrels. These are hugely popular at local markets. Over the years Moss Munchenberg has produced gavels with sound blocks, 40 year calendars and pens. We are proud to say these have pride of place on many Lions club presidents, corporate and government desks as well as being presentation gifts at Lions meetings for guest speakers. Kathy Piscioneri’s work is also in high demand. Her furniture is made from rare timbers and is influenced in the modern Scandi style. She is a perfectionist and her works reflect this.
Under the supervision of Moss Munchenberg and using his vast experience there have been some musical instruments restored; two very old violins that had been handed down through families and a more modern electric guitar. All instruments are now in top condition and playability.
We have made many items for the local community, significantly for the Christmas festivities including a grand throne for Santa and cartoon cut-outs for photos of cheeky smiling children’s faces for their families to treasure over the years. Information booths were made using reclaimed pallets for the Barossa Vintage Festival, and this was a fun group project. Our latest activity was making storage cabinets for the Angaston and Penrice Historical Society to safely store their wares and archives.
The Tinkers Shed provides an invaluable vehicle for the promotion and awareness of health and emotional issues that tend to affect many people particularly after retirement. It is not uncommon for men to become disconnected, withdrawn and socially isolated after their working lives. Often they have moved from their family homes into a unit or retirement facility and have lost the much loved shed that they once had in their former backyards. Here lies our purpose!
At the Tinkers Shed we see friendships made, people helping each other, jocular comments and laughter. The usual cuppa and enjoying lunch together are all factors leading to great camaraderie.
We support and provide information relating to men’s health from many organizations. Brochures and books are always available at the shed for anyone attending. The Barossa Valley Tinkers Shed is equipped with a cardiac defibrillator. The Lions Club of Barossa Valley funded this equipment for our shed. Our members had an instruction session on the use of the defibrillator along with CPR. We hope that we never have to use it, but should it be necessary it may very well save a life.
With the exception of the last two years we hold an Open Day every November to showcase our facility and the items we produce. These days always include the mandatory sausage sizzle!
We network with other men’s sheds and we have had several of these groups visit us.
We encourage and welcome visitors during our opening times on Tuesdays.
Without the dedication of Guy and his band of helpers, plus our “Shedders” there would be no Tinkers Shed. Everyone involved plays an important role in the success of our shed.
Lions Lady Sharon Munchenberg
The shed address is 601 Research Road, Nuriootpa S A. Open Tuesdays 9.00 am – 3.00 pm
Barossa Mitre 10 BBQs.
The club reguarly is rostered at Barossa Mitre 10 Nuriootpa for funraising BBQs. This has been a good fundraiser for the club and members are rostered to work at the BBQs. Barossa Mitre 10 provide the facilities and ensure that the project is conducted in a safe manner. Food handling techniques are paramount.
Football gates.
The Football gates at Tanunda and Nuriootpa recreational parks are each manned on approximately 8 occassions every football season. Funds raised from the gates and from selling the footy bulletin are good fundraisers for the club. Club members are rostered on a voluntary basis.
Melbourne cup Luncheon.
Each Melbourne Cup day, the club hosts a Melbourne Cup Luncheon with tickets sold to the general public. The day ibcludes the following events:
- Lunch
- The Tinker Shed cup race.
- Sweeps and raffles.
- Pop sticks prizes.
- Best dressed filly.
- Best dressed stallion.
This activity has been an excellent fundraiser for the club.
THE LIONS CLUB OF BAROSSA VALLEY COULTHARD PRIZE
This prize is given in honour of the Nuriootpa pioneer, Mr William Coulthard, who gave much of the land our school is built on, to the Education Department. He was a strong advocate of government schools, and canvassed the parents of the district to send their children to a high school should one be built. This was an arduous task, as the attitude to secondary education seventy years ago was quite different from what it is today. He was part of a deputation to the State Government, which resulted in our school being built. Mr Coulthard unselfishly served the community by giving half the land for the Memorial Park, the land for the swimming pool, and both the land and building for the Nuriootpa Uniting Church.
The Coulthard Prize is awarded to the student who, in the opinion of the Principal, has given the greatest service to Nuriootpa High School and the students of this school, throughout his/her entire high school career.
The Lions Club of Barossa Valley has donated a perpetual trophy, with each Coulthard Prize.
The winner will be able to take home.
