Lion Marj about to give a short Presentation to the Residents of a Sheltered Housing Complex on the benefits of the Lions Message in a Bottle Project.

Oldham District lions Club was Chartered into Lions Clubs International in 1974.

Lions Clubs International has over 45000 Clubs and 1.3Million Members in approx 203 Countries.

The HQ of the Association is based in Oakbrook, Chicago, USA. Lions Clubs International came into being in 1917.

The United Kingdom was the 105th Country to have Lions Clubs.  It started in London in 1950 with the London Host Lions Club.  The UK is split into 13 Districts and Oldham is in District BN.  We are also part of a Zone which consists of five other Lions Clubs. Rochdale/Middleton/Heywood/Littleborough/West Tameside.

The Lions Clubs Motto is "WE SERVE", but Oldham also includes the phrase:- "WE SERVE     BECAUSE     WE CARE".

The aim of Lions Clubs is to serve our respective Communities in any way that is required.  One of our main Projects is service to the Blind.  In the 1920's Helen Keller attended a Convention and asked the Lions to become "Knights of the Blind", and ever since,  Lions have continued to act as Knights to the Blind.

Recently Lions had a Project called Campaign Sightfirst 2, which raised $200Million which will help erase River Blindness in Third World Countries, and train Medical Staff.  Cateract Operations are carried out in Hospitals funded by Lions Clubs, and a great many of the Doctors are members of Lions Clubs.

Oldham District Lions Club needs New Members to help us to continue serving our Community.

Any Man or Woman over the age of 18 who would like to spare a couple of hours a month helping the Aged or Infirm or Vulnerable members of our Society would be made very welcome to attend one of our Meetings.  If you came, you would not be "Press Ganged" into joining us.  We would like you to attend a few Meetings to see if what we do , is what you want to do, and it also gives you time to get to know us.

 

Picture submitted by Oldham District Lions Club (Twin Lions Club)
This is a picture of the members of the Oldham District Lions Club. L to R.
Lion Beverley. Lion Anne. David Cartright. Linda Cartright. (Husband and Wife, Prospective Members). Lion Alan. Lion Marj. LIon President Melanie.
 

 

LIONS CLUBS INTERNATIONAL'S 2010-2011 THEME:

Lions Clubs International Club's incoming International President - Sid L. Scruggs, III has chosen the theme of "A Beacon of Hope" for his 2010-2011 presidential year.

According to Scruggs, “If we could get 1.3 million Lions to recommit to service it would make a huge impact on the needs of people around the world. Our motto “We Serve” defines our mission, and is the core principle of our organization. This year, we are rededicating ourselves to service. Service will, in fact, be the focal point of my 2010-11 Presidential Theme. As people increasingly seek ways to volunteer, the time has never been better for Lions to shine a light on service. Hands-on service shines a light that directly touches people. We have seen it in practice and we have found through surveys and focus groups that “hands-on” service and direct contact with those we serve has become more important than ever before. People volunteer for many reasons, but mostly because they
want to make a difference. They are questioning what is important in their lives and reassessing how they spend their time. They are turning to community service and other volunteer opportunities. We must value their time by
ensuring it is used to make the greatest difference possible."

No better words may better summarize who WE ARE and our mission! Lions truly are "A BEACON OF HOPE".

Our organisation has been involved with, and supported Disability Sport Events for seventeen years, raising in excess of £200,000 during this time to support these championships.

The DSE Junior Athletics is an important part of our annual calendar of fundraising activities and all of the Lions who have attended on a regular basis count this event as one of their most memorable experiences. Together we now look forward to another wonderful weekend of sport.

Let me also tell you about some of the other programmes we as Lions develop and the projects we instigate not only throughout Great Britain and Ireland but also throughout the world.

Visual Impairment Lions Clubs International is recognised worldwide for its service to the blind and visually impaired.  It is a well know fact that Lions Clubs International introduced the White Cane back in 1930, which is still widely used today.

Lions operate the Sight First Programme, the world’s largest blindness prevention programme with the aim of establishing long-term solutions for eliminating preventable and reversible blindness throughout the world.

Youth Lions Clubs across the British Isles and Ireland support young people by recognising their efforts and providing them with opportunities to learn, achieve and grow. Leos are young people aged between 14 and 28 years.  Leo stands for Leadership, Experience and Opportunities for young people from all backgrounds, races and religions.  The Lions of the British Isles and Ireland are actively engaged in supporting the youth of our country, through programmes on education in the fields of drug and alcohol abuse.

Community Across the British Isles and Ireland, Lions Clubs work in partnership with and support a wide range of organisations active in the community, including, Disability Sport Events, Special Olympics, organisations which work with children and people with Physical & Learning Disabilities. Organisations which cover Diabetes UK, Diabetes Federation of Ireland, Guide Dogs for the Blind, Hearing Dogs for Deaf people.

International Aid Through Lions Clubs International Foundation, Lions contributes to disaster funds throughout the world, and works in partnership with UNICEF, WHO, and UNESCO to provide world-wide aid.  The Gift for Living initiative provides help and medical aid of people who have been in disasters.

Lions Clubs International was recently voted the number one Non-Governmental Organisation by both the Financial Times and the United Nations. It is a Caring Voluntary Organisation. Lions are dedicated to selfless, effective community services within their global and local communities. Every single penny we collect goes directly to needy causes. All overheads are paid for by members subscriptions.

Lions Clubs International is the world's largest service club organization with more than 1.4 million members in approximately 46,000 clubs in more than 200 countries and geographical areas around the world.