December 23
As I reported last month 10 of my Lion friends and family went on a coach holiday to Scotland where we enjoyed the most wonderful weather with hardly any rain compared with what everyone in Norfolk were experiencing. The Autumnal colours were at their best and we wondered why anyone would go to abroad when such beauty exists in our United Kingdom. Here’s a photograph I took of one wonderful view.
December is upon us and our Lion members have dusted off their red suits to help collect donations for our President’s chosen charities this year. These are Norwich Foodbank and Meningitis Research Trust. We plan to be at Roy’s Bowthorpe on various dates along with Co-op Norwich Road on Friday 1st, Saturday 16th and Friday 22nd. We have dates for B&M at Mile Cross on 1st, 2nd, 3rd plus 22nd and 23rd December, Neatmarket or Riverside on 9th and 10th, plus 16th and 17th. Finally, we will be at Barron’s Chip Shop on Norwich Road at various dates too. As you can see it’s a very busy time for us but thank goodness we can have a rest (really?) on the 25th and concentrate on the real reason for Christmas. Please see attached picture of one of our collections from last year, which saw us ultimately donate £3800 from the December collections alone to Food Bank and Stroke Association.
Within this last month we have also been busy with two charitable Race Nights. These take the form of placing bets on what number between 1 and 8 will win, then the video of a horse race is randomly selected by an audience member and the film is played. The successful ticket holders collect their winnings and we start all over again completing 8 races in total. The event is planned and organised by the Fund Raiser, providing a supper for all included in the entrance ticket, then usually a tombola or raffle is added for extra fund raising. West Norwich Lions bring all the necessary equipment, sound system and staff for the event and a fun evening is usually achieved for all. On both evenings we were happy to then make a donation of £500 to both MS Therapy and Door to Door. By the time you read this we will also have been at Waters Edge, Woods End whose Race Night is in aid of Miracle Magnets for Hearts. We hope to make them very proud with a successful and fun evening.
Patricia MooreSecretary West Norwich Lions
Febuary 24
On a bone chilling winter afternoon I am typing this as quickly as possible, so that I can move into a cosy and more comfortable chair elsewhere. Nonetheless, welcome everyone to another snippet of life in the West Norwich Lions.
I am delighted to share with you the grand total of donations collected during December. At our local Co-op on Norwich Road, we collected on 3 different occasions which amounted to £686.06. At Barron’s Chip shop nearby we collected on 3 evenings with a total of £316.05. Over at Roy’s in Bowthorpe our total over 4 days was £1155.05. We also collected at B&M’s in Riverside and Mile Cross on 8 occasions with a total of £2192.14. That is an amazing grand total of £4349.30. Gift aid can be claimed on these donations after April, all of which means we have a generous pot to be shared between our President’s chosen charities plus surplus for other good causes.
Just prior to Christmas West Norwich Lions donated £1500.00 to Norwich Food Bank and £500.00 to Future Projects based in Knowland Grove, who distributed Christmas hampers to local deserving families. £250.00 has just been sent to aid the Japanese earthquake disaster fund via Lion’s Internation.
At our most recent meeting we were pleased to welcome John Paul, the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital Charity Director. It was our pleasure to present a cheque for £1100.00 to him to pay for a special bed and mattress to be used for family members of patients in hospital. This is as a result of donations made specifically in memory of our good friend and Lion Margaret Drake. Although Margaret lived in Bowthorpe she was friend to many while a member of a local WI.
Stay warm good people while enjoying the company of good friends in the sunshine however briefly we see it this month. Don’t forget our next meeting is Wednesday 24th January at 7pm at Clover Hill Community Centre, if you want to come along and find out more about us. We were delighted that Frances did just that. She had read some of these articles and assures us she will be back again to find out more.
Patricia Moore
Secretary West Norwich Lions
Contact 07868724266
West Norwich Lions
Meet at Clover Hill Community Centre 2nd & 4th Wednesday of each month at 7 pm
As I write this, we have just had our first meeting back after Christmas, and what a busy meeting it was. Not only did we discuss how we got on with our Christmas collections, but we also had several visitors.
We had John Paul from the Norfolk & Norwich Hospital charities to receive a cheque for £1100. Sadly, last year, we lost Margaret, a dear member and friend to all. At her funeral, a collection was held, and that money, plus a donation from West Norwich Lions, was presented to John Paul for the charity. This money is to be used to purchase a bed, which can be used by family members staying at the bedside of the sick patient. Her husband, Lion Martin and their children were also at the presentation.
Then we had Chris Speed, 2nd Vice District Governor for our district. He passed on some very useful information and also made presentations to some of our members for the service they had given. One of these was for Lion Adrian who has served 45 years as a Lion, he was with the City of Norwich Club and then joined West Norwich as a charter member (a member who has joined the club at the very beginning).
We also welcomed Frances who, as a result of reading our articles in this magazine, thought she would like to come and find out more. We could not have been too bad as she hopes to come again.
Then, we got on to the results of our Christmas collecting. We are happy to announce that our weekend collections at Roy's, Co-op Norwich Road, Barrons Norwich Road and the B&M stores at Mile Cross and Riverside raised £4,335.53.
We want to say a BIG thank you to all of you who donated to make this possible. The Charities to receive this are The Norwich Foodbank and Meningitis Research, as we had on our collecting buckets.
June Sheldrake ( Welfare) email junesheldrake@hotmail.co.uk
FEBRUARY 2024
West Norwich Lions
Meet at Clover Hill Community Centre on the 2nd & 4th on Wednesday.
each Month at 7 pm
As I write this, it is a wet and dull day after yesterday's lovely sunshine, but it is a great pleasure to see the bulbs begin to show their heads.
So what do the Lions get up to when we have no charity events planned for the near future (watch this space for things coming up in a few months’ time)
Match Day Car Parking
Well, we have our car parking service at a printer on Europa Way. We park cars here at every Norwich City home game and charge £5 a car. This provides us with a good income which we then use to fund our fundraising causes.
Lions Recycle for Sight
Regularly once a fortnight we do our spectacle collections. You may have seen a black waste bin with our logo on it as you leave Roy's or in the Opticians. These bins, either black, blue or grey, can also be found in and around Norwich at the many opticians who support us.
If you have new glasses, what do you do with your old ones?
If you put them in one of these bins, we collect them and sort them, separating the glasses from the cases. The cases are disposed of, but the glasses are counted and boxed up. In the last Lions year, July 22/June 23, we collected 21,976 pairs.
These boxes are then transported to The Recycling Centre at Birmingham, which is the Lions National Headquarters, for sorting. The volunteers there select those that are suitable for recycling. None of them are sent to landfill, all are reused. Next, they go to Lions Medico France for washing and re-grading and then on to many countries throughout the world.
As a club, we also like to meet up socially, and recently, some of us went for a meal at the Red Lion at Drayton. We had a good evening and are now planning our next trip.
So, if you are interested in what the Lions do, come and join us. We love the company of like-minded men and women who want to do good for their community and have a bit of fun, too.
For further information please contact Lion Patricia Moore at 07868724266 or patmoorelion@gmail.com
APRIL 2024
West Norwich Lions
Meet at Clover Hill Community Centre 2nd & 4th Wednesday each month at 7pm
With Lion Year running from 1st July to June 30th, we are fast approaching our year-end; what does this mean, and who does this affect? at West Norwich Lions, as an active Lions Club.
The Vice President will become President for 2024-25; 2nd Vice President moves to 1st Vice, and the club members vote in a new 2nd Vice President. Our new President will be Mrs Carole Sewell, who will take office starting at our first meeting on 10th July. Other Officers are appointed at the same time: Secretary-Treasurer - Membership Chairperson. A ballot carries this, and all completed nomination forms are passed to the Secretary; the positions are open to all members, so if you fancy being an officer and a volunteer, come along and join us. Please review the details below when contacting or visiting our website @ West Norwich Lions Club - Lions e Clubhouse or following us on Facebook. Could you check us out? At our last meeting we had the great pleasure of welcoming our new friend Frances to officially became a member of West Norwich Lions, we look forward to her help and support in the future. We are always looking for New Members. We also mix socially, so it's not all work and no play. We are a Registered Charity and report to the England and Wales Charity Commission,
So here are a few details to show how your support helps us support those who need our help. We regularly raise money from our car parking service, then our Christmas collections & all the other collections we do throughout the year. These have then enabled us to support, so far this Lions year - Norwich foodbank, Cancer Research, Macmillan, Multiple Sclerosis, Norwich door to door, Children in Need, Future Projects, Clover Hill playgroup, a local family in need, Miracle Magnets for Hearts and to provide an exceptional bed at the Norfolk & Norwich hospital for a relative to use.
Year to date, from July 23 to February 24, we have donated more than £9,000. Without your kind donations, we could not have achieved this. So, a BIG THANK YOU to you and everyone, supporting West Norwich Lions.
For further information please contact Lion Patricia Moore on 07868724266 or patmoorelion@gmail.com
MAY 2024
West Norwich Lions
Meet at Clover Hill Community Centre 2nd & 4th Wednesday each month at 7pm
Well the days are certainly drawing out now and it is lovely to see the sun.
Recently at one of our meetings we were pleased to welcome Eddie Daniels and Grace Richardson from Future Projects based in Knowland Grove. They gave us a very interesting insight into what happens at The Baseline Centre, Future Radio 107.8fm and Future Education. We hope to be able to support each other when the need is there. By the time you read this we will have also visited the Baseline Centre to see for ourselves what goes on there.
We held a collection at Roys on Easter Saturday for EACH. Thank you so much if you stopped by and supported us, we raised £163.
Also recently 2 of our members visited the centre for the Caring Together Charity. This charity along with Carers Matter support over 100,000 carers of all ages in Norfolk, young carers, young adult carers and 18 yrs and upwards carers. They go into schools to give training to teachers so that they can recognise the signs of young carers. They raise awareness in the community with health, social care, education professionals and employers. They also outlined all the care & help that they give to the carers. One of many interesting facts they heard was that the NHS budget is £132 billion. If the NHS funded the unpaid Carers it would cost an additional £128 billion.
During April we have been busy socially. We had a lovely meal at The Queens Head at Hethersett where we were able to have a good catch up with our fellow Lions. Then a few of us have also had a lovely coach holiday to Snowdonia and Chester. These trips, funded by ourselves, give us a chance to recharge our batteries ready for our next round of fund raising.
After our trip away we helped at Lyng Motocross with car park marshalling. A great way to make our selves known in the community.
So if you fancy joining us for fund raising and our social events we would love to see you at our meetings and don't forget if we can help your charity in anyway please get in touch.
For further information please contact Lion Patricia Moore on 07868724266 or patmoorelion@gmail.com
West Norwich Lions
Meet at Clover Hill Community Centre 2nd & 4th Wednesday each month at 7pm
Bowthorpe Newsletter
June 2024
Welcome to our June news from your local Lions Club. What have we been up to?
As we mentioned in our last months newsletter item we had visited the Caring Together Charity and I'm very pleased to pass on the news that we donated £1000 to this good charity for carers. Again an update on Future Projects. A group of us went to visit their Baseline Centre and another donation was made to them for £500. We understand that this is going to be used for their Community Meals.
At our last meeting we had a visit form Remy Allen-Martin from the Norfolk & Norwich Hospital and she gave us an interesting talk on the work of the Meningitis Research that is being carried out. This was our President Steve's chosen charity for his year and we were able to present a cheque for £2000.
Coming up on the 25th May we will have had a bucket collection at B&M Mile Cross in aid of the EACH charity.
On Saturday 22nd June we will be at Clover Hill Infant and Nursery Schools Summer Fayre. We will be bringing along our human fruit machine and if you attended the Costessey Fete last year you may remember what great fun it was. So we do hope you will come along and see what we get up to.
Then we will be assisting at the Royal Norfolk Show on Wednesday 26th and Thursday 27th June with free child tagging. We will be located at the Bawburgh Gate on both days, so please do come and say hello.
As you see we have been able to support many local charities recently and this would not be possible if you did not support us. So if you have been able to put something in one of our bucket collections or even just come and said Hello, it means a lot to all our members.
Following on from that if you know of any local causes that need our help please contact us on the details below.
For further information please contact Lion Patricia Moore on 07868724266 or patmoorelion@gmail.com
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West Norwich Lions
Meet at Clover Hill Community Centre 2nd & 4th Wednesday of each month at 7 pm
September Newsletter
Hello from West Norwich Lions. It's that time of year when we start our new Lions year. Our new team is in place, headed by our President, June. We are also pleased to report that by the time you read this, we will have a new member and the possibility of two more joining us.
We have attended two lovely Summer Fayres, one at All Angels Community School and another at Chapel Break Infants School. It was lovely to meet you all.
So what's coming up? The football season has started, so you will find us parking cars at Europa Way at Norwich City home matches. We charge £5 a car, cash or card, and this money goes into our Charity account to support our local good causes.
Then we are looking forward to running 2 Race Nights, 1 for the Care Home and the other for Door to Door. These events raise money for the organisers charity.
Also, at this time of year, we have to start planning our Christmas (sorry to mention that word) collecting. A lot of work goes into the planning of our collections, including where we will collect and, more importantly, whether we have enough collectors to cover everything. If you have some spare time at this busy time, please get in touch with us, and we will gratefully receive your help.
Remember, West Norwich Lions is run by volunteers who work in YOUR community for YOUR community. If you have some spare time and would like to know more about what we do, we would love to welcome you to one of our meetings.
For further information, please get in touch with Lion Patricia Moore at 07868724266 or patmoorelion@gmail.com
West Norwich Lions
Registered Charity Number 1154145
At the beginning of July, our new Lion Year started with some changes, including new President June and Vice President Martin. We also welcomed a new member, Jackie, who has been a good friend of the Lions for many years and is very familiar with our activities, including collections throughout the year, Fetes, and Race Nights.
It was good to meet lots of folks at the Summer fayres held by All Angels Community School and Chapel Break Infants in July. Everyone had fun raising some money and enjoying the sunshine while parting with our money on all the other stalls participating.
Dare I say the Football season has started? If you are a Norwich City supporter and struggle to find parking spaces for your vehicle, I must remind you that West Norwich Lions have permission to park cars in spaces belonging to BDH printers in Europa Way. We charge £5.00 per vehicle and take cash or card payments, with all monies going to local good causes and charities.
As the cooler weather sets in, we begin our Race Night season with 2 organised so far for Door to Door in Hellesdon and The Care Village in Bowthorpe. These are fun afternoons or evenings for us, although they take about 12 hard-working members to make the event work smoothly. Even complete beginners can have fun calling on their chosen numbered horse to be the first to cross the winning line. The organisers can plan for a worthwhile donation share of the event while some remain for our charities.
We're always looking for new people to join our team of volunteers. Everyone helps out with what feels comfortable for them and when they're available.
For more information, please get in touch with Lion Patricia, Secretary, West Norwich Lions, on 07868724266 or patmoorelion@gmail.com
News Letter OCTOBER 2024
Hello again from West Norwich Lions. As I write this we have certainly had some chilly weather which reminds us that Autumn is on it's way.
When you read this we may have held our Race Night (afternoon) at the Care Village and I hope that everyone who attended had a great time. Our next Race Night is for the Norwich Door to Door on the 2nd November and they are a great crowd to work with which means we have a fun evening. We look forward to seeing some of you there as we know many of you use their buses. Again I remind you that these events raise money for the organisers charity. If your group needs to raise some funds then this might be for you. For further information about the Race Nights please contact Martine Drake on 01603 745544.
So what's next. We have been able to secure a date to do a bucket collection at Tesco's Harford Bridge. We are looking forward to being there on Saturday 12th October, these collections help us make donations to various needs. In this past month we were able to help the family who lost their home due to a fire in Bowthorpe and also to EACH, who have a shop in the Main Centre.
As a little break before we start our Christmas programme, a group of us are off to Weston Super Mare (self funded). We will recharge our batteries and be ready for our busy time leading up to Christmas. I know we don't like talking about that word, certainly not before Halloween, but our collections take a lot of preparations. We can always do with another pair of hands. So please get in touch if you can spare a couple of hours to help us.
For further information please contact Lion Patricia Moore on 07868724266 or patmoorelion@gmail.com
