Newcastle Lions asks for community help.

In 2022 with the Pandemic easing Newcastle Lions are ending the year on a high, but are appealing for help from the community to increase their membership and look for fresh ideas to help those in need. Through the great work of Lion president Liz Murphy, the club are now more transparent , through the club's open meeting Thursday coffee mornings and have been very busy in their community raising funds for charity.

As well as promoting the club in the local papers, Liz will also use social media such as Facebook and Instagram. Having taken donations, 100% will go to a nominated charity , which this year included, The Children's cancer Fund , St Vincent De Paul , The Pantry Food Bank and Women's Aid , donations were also made to Lions International World Appeal for disasters in Pakistan, India and Croatia.

In the field of service activities, the club continues to managed and maintain ten defibrillators that were installed through out the town five years ago and have made international friends through their work in helping school children in Sri Lanka

The club's most successful appeal has been their annual charity recycling appeal in March, when this year they collected eighty five adult bicycles to help people in Madagascar , forty five five sewing machine for Malawi and Tanzania , as well as tools and zimmer frames helping people in the developing world.

The biggest response in the town was for donations of spectacles which was further enhanced when, in August the Newcastle Club began collecting donations of glasses on a quarterly basis from the four recycling centres managed by Belfast City Council. This involved a round trip of 65 miles. In December 1,600 pairs were collected from BCC and added to the Newcastle donations President Liz helped pack glasses in some of the eleven boxes. Since August just over 6,000 pairs of glasses have been collected from BCC by Newcastle Lions . These were despatched to Lions Medico France which is helping those in need . While Newcastle Lions does sterling work, the club needs more new members, asking for a commitment of two hours in a month appealing through the local papers and contacting the club through our Facebook Page Newcastle Lions (County Down) or email lionsnewcastlecodown@yahoo.co.uk

Newcastle Lions President Liz Murphy helps pack the last of eleven boxes of spectacles bound for Lions France.

Newcastle Lions Club promote issue of Tourette's Syndrome

Recently, Newcastle Lions promoted World Disability Day. This day is an opportunity for each of us to stop and think about our family members; neighbours, or friends who could be blind or have a physical or a mental disability. It also presents us with the opportunity to raise awareness of conditions that we may have been previously unaware of. Neurodiverse Needs is such a condition.

For the parents of children who have Neurodiverse Needs, such as Tourette’s Syndrome, they face the challenge of helping their child, and trying to cope with social misunderstandings around the condition. Another word for this issue is Tics. Tics are sudden non-rhythmic repetitive movements or vocalizations. Tics are not purposeful and are generally experienced as involuntary.

The issue of Tics and Tourette's Syndrome was investigated previously in a programme on Channel 4 by Scarlett Moffat and was also highlighted by BBC on their morning news programme when they interviewed a ten-year-old child, Lucy Marie Phillips from Wales. Lucy produced a book I can't make it stop, my diary on living with Tourette's Syndrome. In looking for a way to highlight World Disability Day and raise awareness of Tourette’s Syndrome, Newcastle Lions Club will distribute free copies of this book to local schools.

The book was reviewed by local teachers who felt it was suitable and an appropriate way to raise awareness among children. The Lion’s Cub approached Super Valu Newcastle regarding funding and asked would the Musgrave Group sponsor the purchase of fifty copies of the book.

Through the help and support of Super Valu's manager Gareth Grew, the club were successful, and invitations are being sent to the SEN teachers at all local schools to come to the Newcastle Library on Saturday 3rd December. An invitation was also extended to the Northern Ireland support group, Tourette's Support NI (TSNI), to come to Newcastle and talk to the SEN teachers who will receive a copy of the book for their school library. In talking to the support group, one of their goals is to raise awareness in both primary and post primary schools of how children and teachers react to a child who experiences Tics in the classroom. Through the support group's Facebook page, Tourette's Support NI, their message can be summed up in one sentence from the Facebook, reassure them that it's ok.

Lions John Mc Donagh, Jeanine Knight, with Marion Crawford Super Valu, Lion President Liz Murphy receiving a cheque for £400.00 from Super Valu's manager Gareth Grew and Lion Dan O'Reilly

Ireland Lions District Governor Gerald Cashman highlights Disability Awareness in Newcastle, Co.Down

Newcastle Lions Club, Co.Down were thrilled to welcome District Governor Gerald Cashman and his wife Mary to help the club promote World Disability Day 3.12.22. Over a very busy weekend DG Gerald was able to meet with Lions from zone B on Friday night and on Saturday joined with members of Tourette's Support NI who had travelled from Magherafelt and Killyleagh to help promote awareness of Tourette's Syndrome, through the publication of the book by the Tourette's diary by ten year Lucy -Marie Phillip's. I can't make it stop.

On Friday evening in the Burrendale Hotel there was a mixture of work, food and beauty. Guests including DG's wife Mary went to a Clarin's beauty products presentation in the hotel. At the same time before meeting individually with clubs, DG Gerald presented long service pins to numerous members including one for 50 years' service to Downpatrick's Lion President Hugh Kelly. Lions from Downpatrick, Armagh, Newry, Ballynahinch and Newcastle were then split by clubs and DG Gerald was then allocated ten minutes to meet and talk to each club, encouraging all to increase membership and charitable donations. In a round robin approach, while the DG spoke to one club, the other clubs had a ten-minute information session with Laurence Mc Alindin from the Shimna Stars Special Olympic basketball team Newcastle, Emma Chestnutt, Sri Lanka Lions, Dan O'Reilly Recyling spectacles. On a very cold Saturday morning DG Gerald and Mary went to Newcastle's library to join with lions and guests to listen to the TSNI members speak about how Tourette's Syndrome affects the whole family. Copies of Lucy-Marie Phillips book were distributed to the public present and will also be forwarded to school libraries by Newcastle Lions Club. Lastly Newcastle Lions would also like to thank Lions Marian and Frank Mc Greevy for their offer of hospitality and hard work for making the week end possible.

District Governor Gerald Cashman with Tilly Hudson

District Governor Gerald Cashman with Tilly Hudson highlighting the Tourette's diary of Lucy-Marie Phillips, zone B Marian Mc Greevy, Tourette's Support NI members Orlagh Curran, Tilly Hudson with mum Katie Morter, DG Gerald, Newcastle Lion president Liz Murphy and TSNI member Brian McCallion.