Hounds for Heroes

District Governor Frank and Judith recently attended a Burgess Hill Lions Club meeting and heard a presentation from Alan Parton, founder of Hounds for Heroes. This is a new, small, dedicated charity run by volunteers, including staff who train the assistance dogs that will change the lives of men and women disabled through serving their country. Hounds for Heroes has just managed to start its first training course for five puppies.

Hounds for Heroes was founded in January 2010. Since then, they have raised the funds to provide a training centre and trainers and commence training the first five puppies. It takes £5,000 to find, purchase and train a puppy to the standard needed to transform the life of a disabled serviceman or woman or member of the emergency services who has been injured in the course of their duties.

"There are currently 900,000 ex-service people in Britain with disabilities. A high proportion of these would benefit from having an assistance dog."

Hounds for Heroes aims to provide specially trained assistance dogs to injured and disabled men and women of both the UK armed forces and civilian emergency services. Through this provision, men and women will be given an enhanced quality of life in line with their expectations together with help and practical support to help them achieve and active independent life.

"Hounds for Heroes is about enablement, independence and an enhanced quality of life for so many injured personnel. We are here to make a difference."

Judith and Frank would like to give Hounds for Heroes one puppy and its training costs. If any surplus funds are raised these will be used to purchase additional puppies and their training.



Could you help this excellent young charity to respond to the needs of our servicemen, disabled while serving their country, with a small donation?

Will you help fulfill Judith and District Governor Frank's vision?

Clubs are asked to send donations to Lion Tom Berry, District Charities Treasurer.

Lions at the Lord Mayor's Show

The family of Lions once again hit the City streets on 12th November with an obviously popular entry to the audience promoting Lions service to the Community since 1950. Our SE contingent this year came from Haywards Heath, Tenterden , Deal and Seahaven Lionesses, Cranleigh, Paddock Wood, Guildford and Thanet as well as Leo’s from Kent. As usual, our own Roary the Lion was also there but this year in a new body after it was discovered that some nibberly creatures had decided to transfer their attentions to his head ! Chairman of Council Tony and Diane came down from Cheshire to join in the fun.

This was the 797th Lord Mayors Show, as always, full of fun and very enterprising floats, bands galore and a great party atmosphere. The weather was reasonably kind, well it was dry, and we all arrived back at the assembly point in London Wall tired but satisfied that it was a job well done. The half a million people along the route gave our Lions entry a great welcome with cheers and plenty of flag waving. Our Land Train was a great success and the Leo passengers all helped to “whip up” support from the crowd. We certainly achieved our objective in improving public awareness of Lions and our activities in the community. Whilst we were not a selected feature, BBC TV did catch us, quite a bit during an interview with the past Olympic athletes on the open top bus in front of us. DG Frank and Judith were up in the grandstand at St.Pauls along with fellow Governors who all gave an enthusiastic welcome as we marched by.

Our thanks must go the Lions. Lionesses and Leo’s from the four Districts who made up this years Team. Sponsorship is vital in funding our entry and this year, in spite of the economic situation we were still able to secure Foulger Transport, SCL Ltd, Funtime Hire, Twinline Utilities, Build Swift Ltd and Benton Hall Golf, without whom we would not be so successful in achieving our objectives.

Laura and the Lions unite to help charity

Reproduced by courtsey the Isle of Thanet Gazette

THANET South MP Laura Sandys has donned a blindfold to find out what it is like to live without sight.

The exercise, which took at the Broadstairs Asda branch, was part of an event organised by the Thanet Lions Club and the Kent Association for the Blind to mark International Sight Day on October 14.

Among those taking part with Mrs Sandys were Broadstairs Mayor David Saunders, Deputy Margate Mayor Brian Sullivan and Thanet District Council Chairman Doug Clark.

Colin Lockitt, of the Thanet Lions Club, said: "This is a worldwide campaign that the Lions Club takes part in every year. The idea is to get a number of influential people to attend so we can show them the kind of things blind people go through.

"The event was very well received and a lot people were interested in trying the glasses. My opinion is that if one person realises what it is like and how something can be changed as a result then we have made a big impact."

Asda's Kay Smith said: "It gave us all an idea of what it would be like. It really made me realise the problems people have and how we need to be more aware of how we can help."

Though the main purpose of the day was to raise awareness, a collection was held for the Royal National Institute of Blind People, raising £45.

East African famine 4

Dear Fellow Lions,

I am writing to you all to follow up my report and recommendation contained in Bulletin East Africa Famine Crisis – 3.

The current situation is that there has been no further information from District 411A concerning their proposed convoy of aid or of any further proposed action. A similar situation prevails with LCIF or the establishment of a possible MD105 Appeal.

Consequently, until such time that there is a positive development with any of these possible alternative routes for donations from Lions Clubs in District 105SE, you are recommended to support the UNICEF option outlined in my previous bulletin. In this case please forward your cheques or bank transfers via the District Charities Treasurer PDG Tom Berry.

I will be in touch again as soon as there is any change in the current situation.

East African famine 3

Dear Fellow Lions,

The formal invitation from UNICEF for the District to financially assist their operations in the famine area has now been received and can be downloaded from our web site here. With their own medical teams already working in the area, together with their food aid supplies getting through to where they are most needed, they can obviously provide immediate support.

There has been no further update on the support convoy being prepared by Lions Clubs of District 411A or proposals to follow on to this initial response, with the assistance of the LCIF’s US$15,000 grant. It has, however, been suggested that a “Horn of Africa Appeal” may be established through the MD LCI Appeal Fund open for donations from MD105 Clubs which would initially be transferred to District 411A or alternatively be held awaiting LCIF’s decision on their own Appeal. This proposal is to be discussed at this weekends Council of Governors meeting.

There are, therefore, currently two options. If your Club or members wish to make immediate donations the only option is to do so through UNICEF and your cheques or bank transfers should be sent via the District Charities Treasurer as detailed in the accompanying letter.

Alternatively you may wish to await the outcome of the Councils decision, which will be known after this weekend, bearing in mind that at this time we are not aware of the future action planned by District 411A.

East African famine 2

Dear Fellow Lions,

Over the past 48 hours the Lions Clubs of District 411A have advised that they are preparing a convoy of aid to be despatched to the Somalia border area. At this time they do not have prepared plans to follow on to this initial response. However, LCIF have also announced that they are making a special grant of US$15,000 to District 411A for financial support to their aid operations.

There has also been further discussions with UNICEF who have advised that they already have doctors and nurses working in the area and that currently their supplies are getting through to those in need, despite serious access problems. They have also reported that more than 2 million children under 5 years are acutely malnourished.

In the next 24 hours we will be further investigating both of these options in order that I can advise tomorrow, Thursday, of the recommended options to follow for your Club or individual members.

East African famine

Bill Blake, District 105SE Disaster Response Coordinator, has issued the following:

Dear Fellow Lions,

Following the deepening of the crisis in East Africa, over the past few days I have been investigating reliable and secure methods whereby Lions, Lioness and Leo Clubs or individual members can provide aid to the area.

At this point in time LCIF do not have proposals to launch an Appeal, although discussions are still ongoing with Lions Clubs in Kenya and through LCI as to how this could be achieved. In respect of a possible LCIF initiative there would have to be a Lions organisation on the ground to closely administer and control the financial aid. That in itself creates problems since Somalia is a virtual war zone, the border area is remote from main habitation in Kenya, quite apart from poor security.

In the meantime and following up possible alternative reliable providers of aid, it has been necessary to liaise with the UK Disaster Emergency Committee (DEC) and UNICEF, the latter having now formally requested assistance from Lions Clubs District 105SE. There are still, of course, major logistical problems in reaching those in urgent need for all Agencies who provide aid.

Whilst I do appreciate that there are serious concerns by members of the family of Lions, not only in SE but across the Multiple District and worldwide, I would suggest that you delay any immediate action for the next 24 – 48 hours until an update has been received from LCIF regarding their possible plans.

If that does not materialise in that timescale, I will contact you all again to update you and, if necessary, suggest that you then send any donations your Clubs may wish to make, or personal donations from individual Lions or the public, to the District Charities Treasurer (PDG Tom Berry) who is currently making financial arrangements with UNICEF. You will then be able to donate by cheque or Bank transfer – if the latter I will confirm the appropriate SE banking details and you will need to email him to notify the amount and the donor.

Many thanks and I will be in contact again no later than Wednesday evening.

Youth Cup Final

As previously announced, our District's final in the MD Youth Football Competition is to be played between Corinthians, sponsored by Darent Valley Lions Club, and Highdown Saints, sponsored by Littlehampton Lions Club. The match will be played on Sunday, 6th March, kicking off at 2.30pm. The venue is to be Burgess Hill Town FC, Leylands Park, Maple Drive, Burgess Hill, West Sussex RH15 8DL.
If in any doubt about the weather stopping play please telephone: 01444 254324.

Refreshments will be available.
The match will consist of 2 halves of 35 minutes each way. In the event of a draw it could then go to extra time of 10 minutes each way followed by penalties.

Youth Football Competition

The matches in Round 1 have now been played. Highdown Saints, sponsored by Littlehampton Lions Club, beat Meadow Sports, sponsored by Guildford Lions Club, 4-1 and Corinthians, sponsored by Darent Valley Lions Club, triumphed 4-0 over Crowborough Athletic, sponsored by Crowborough Lions Club.

So the District final will be between Highdown Saints and Corinthians, with the winners going on into Round 3 of the Multiple District competition.

Shoebox Appeal 2011

Information about the District's Shoebox Appeal 2011 has now been uploaded on the web site and can be found here.