Melton Lions Seniors Concert 2023
After a 3 year delay due to Covid, we were back to entertain our Senior Citizens. The theatre was full to see a variety show packed with local talent professionally compered by our very own Lion Mark Frisby and what a show it was. We had an array of youth from Trevonne Stage School and The Performing Stars Academy who wowed the audience with their amazing talent. The Melton Choral Society had the audience humming along to Simon & Garfunkle classics and popular local singer, David Newton getting the audience joining in. Finally the show was rounded off by QUO - The Quorn Ukulele Orchestra who had the audience tapping their toes along with the music.
For 33 years Melton Mowbray Lions have been entertaining the senior citizens of the borough with a free variety concert. The concert takes place in the spring at the local theatre, which the club takes over for the afternoon and incorporates a varied programme of professional and local talent to entertain the audience. At the interval all our guests are treated to a free choc ice.
A packed audience for 2023
Melton Mowbray Lions Club are committed to helping support and serve their community and organizing the Concert is one of the highlights of the year.
This year's show coincided with the Earthquake Disaster in Turkey & Syria and with our patrons kind generosity, the club raised £351 which will be sent to the Lions Disaster Appeal. All funds raised go directly to the appeal, which are then used by Lions on the ground to support where necessary. Thank you so much to everyone for supporting the Appeal.
QUO
(The Quorn Ukulele Orchestra)
David Newton
Asfordby Hill Primary School Sensory Garden
Melton Lions are pleased to be associated with the school's Sensory Garden Project which is a fitting memorial to ex pupil and long time Governor Sam Turner.
Over the Easter holidays, volunteers from the school, Santander, and Melton Lions Club worked together to bring to life the plans which the children have devised to create ‘Sam’s Friendship Garden’.
During the visit a discussion was held about who Helen Keller was and how she had challenged Lions Clubs International back in 1925 to become “knights of the blind in the crusade against darkness”. Helen had developed a fever at 18 months of age that left her blind and deaf, but as an adult she became a tireless advocate for people with disabilities.
Lions Clubs took up this challenge and ever since we’ve served and advocated for the blind and visually impaired through the recycling of spectacles thereby providing usable eyeglasses to children and adults throughout the world. Other Eye Health Programmes are also supported by Lions.
253 million people are blind or have moderate to severe distance vision impairment. 1.1 billion have near-vision impairment simply because they don’t have a pair of glasses. And more than 75% of all blindness and MSVI is avoidable. 89% of people with visual impairment live in developing countries.
4th Melton Brownies gave their reaction to having tried on some of the donated glasses by saying it made their vision blurry, and meant they might walk into the wall or couldn’t see themselves properly. This highlighted how important good eyesight was to everyday life and how lucky we are in the UK to have access to free eye testing and for young people to free glasses. How the lack of eyeglasses denies children and adults opportunities for education, employment and a better quality of life. The Brownies thought it would be sad if they couldn’t read their books.
The girls were asked what they might notice in everyday life that was aimed at helping people who were visually impaired. Suggestions were- the bumps in the pavement at road crossings, it was mentioned that some of the newer Puffin Crossings have special features aimed at visual impairment, and the new £10 notes have Braille marks also.
The Brownies were asked if anyone had seen a person walking with a White Cane and what it might be for. We explained the origins of the White Cane and how in 1930 one of the Lions clubs in America had introduced the idea of using the white cane with a red band as a means of assisting the blind in independent mobility, and how quickly the idea spread worldwide so today white cane laws are on the books of every state in the US and in a few other countries, providing persons who are blind a legal status in traffic.
It was explained that the Lions Eyeglass Recycling Centres operate voluntarily and that they help minimise landfill waste by supporting precious metal reclamation and scrap processing. Broken glasses are discarded , providing “scrap to cash” income that can aid local community projects.
The eyeglasses the Brownies collected were added to those donated through a collection point at Santander bank in Nottingham Street, so over 200 glasses will be sent to the Lions recycling thus week.
As a ‘Thank You’ the 4th Melton Brownies were presented with a certificate by Lion Vice President Geoff Tate.
So if anyone has any old spectacles hidden away in their cupboards they can be deposited at Santander bank, or on Saturday 29th June 2019 at the Diabetes Awareness Day Bus also located in Nottingham Street.
Lion President Geoff Tate looks on as the Britain in Bloom judges thank the people of Melton for all their hard work preparing flower beds and displays around the town, and the friendliness they had encountered on their tour. The Melton in Bloom committee will have to wait for the final judging decision due in August.
Melton Lions Chatter Club
Melton Mowbray Lions Club launched their new ‘ Chatter Club ‘ on Thursday 5th September and were really happy with its inauguration.
Meeting at Gloucester House every first Thursday of the month from 10am to 12 o’clock the club provides a meeting place to have light refreshments and the opportunity for a good natter.
Because the first event fell in September it was decided to link it in with a McMillan Coffee Morning and raise some money for a worthwhile Charity. We are pleased to say £80.06 was raised.
Lion members and friends kindly baked or faked a delicious selection of cakes and savouries to be eaten with the tea and coffee on offer.
Conversations soon followed with old friends catching up on news, or people new to the town making friendships and becoming aware of the other clubs and services available within the area.
Conversations about exercise classes, recipes, books and topically one lady mentioned that her daughter collects plastic bottle tops, such as the ones on milk containers or shampoo and washing up bottles which are used for recycling and funding dogs for the blind. And even though many of us use our recycling bins, if anyone wants to collect these tops and bring them along to our next Chatter Club meeting on Thursday 3rd October, we will pass them on.
Running alongside the coffee and chat, a selection of good quality used books were available for sale to help with the running costs of the Lions Club, as the Chatter Club will normally not charge for refreshments, (though donations will happily be accepted).
Reading books for younger children and a selection of toys and crayons were available. The Chatter Club is open to everyone of all ages, to allow an exchange of inter generational ideas, fun and friendships.
Melton Lions will also be promoting the "Message in a Bottle/Wallet" initiative and the popular "Plugsters". These items are free of charge. Along side this, the club will be collecting old spectables for the Lions international recycling scheme.
The Chatter club is held on the first Thursday every month10am - 12noon
Melton Lions Santa's Grotto 2022
Melton Lions held their annual Santa's Grotto at the Melton Mowbray Victorian Fayre. 400 children from far and wide visited Santa over the weekend, with each child receiving a Christmas gift from Santa.
Roger Womack Appeal
In the spirit of local service, Melton Lions came together with The Rotary Club of Melton Belvoir to give assistance to a local amputee.
Since the amputation of his right leg following several decades of pain, Roger Womack can at last enjoy the freedom that most of us take for granted. The ability to travel beyond the confines of his home has been limited to the distance that his battery powered wheelchair will travel, but thanks to the installation of a hoist to lift his wheelchair into, and out of the boot of his car, he is now able to go further afield.
Roger’s leg was damaged in a motorcycle accident at Mallory park in the 60’s and after many operations he regained some use of his leg, but over the years the pain and discomfort increased, and by last year it was clear that amputation was the only sensible option.
Having funded the purchase of various mobility aids himself, including a battery powered wheelchair, Roger found the cost of a car mounted hoist beyond his means, but thanks to a joint effort between the Rotary Club of Melton Mowbray Belvoir and the Melton Lions Club, he now has improved mobility.
Melton Lions to the Rescue
When a local resident found that her electric wheel chair had seen better days and the cost of repair was prohibitive, the situation looked bleak. Carol Warren's wheelchair was her lifeline into the community and without her chair that had served her well for many years, she was literally housebound. Melton Lions were pleased to come to her aid and were able to purchase a newer model for her.
