Lions amazed at public response to Turkey, Syria Appeal

In response to a previous high use of defibrillators in Newcastle, Lion and T Gem defib guardians arranged a an awareness and fund raising week end at Base Coffee, The agenda for the two days was to help the public become aware of the use of defibrillators located in Newcastle and to to offer non certified defib and CPR awareness training at a future date in April 2023. The group also hoped to raise some funds to help pay for maintenance of the Lions Defibrillators.

The agenda was quickly altered with the news of the terrible earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria. The Lions over the week end were able to adapt their fund raising and were amazed at the generosity of the public who donated to the earthquake appeal to help the people of Turkey and Syria. Lion Clubs in Ireland are all doing their bit to try to raise funds for this crisis appeal. The donation which they will make will be added to to the $200,000 Major Catastrophe Grant that Lions Clubs International Foundation that has made to Lions in Turkey and other impacted areas to help their communities recover. As part of the week end, Lions and T Gem volunteers were also able to continue with their defibrillator and CPR awareness.

Photograph Lions Robin Mc Caren, Jeanine Knight and Lion President Liz Murphy, collecting at Base Coffee .

Newcastle Lions concerned about high numbers of defibrillator use in Newcastle.

In Newcastle there are ten defibrillators located in yellow boxes, that are maintained by the charity Newcastle Lions Club.

An unknown fact is that bar one, every single defibrillator since 2018 has been used on at least one occasion to try or actually save someone's life, and in some cases , during the period of a year, on three different people.

Once the defibrillator has been used, then battery, life saving sticky pads and hygiene pack must be replaced.

To help with this the Lions and T Gem are running a defibrillator awareness and fund raising campaign. On Saturday and Sunday 11th & 12th February at Base Coffee Main Street Newcastle through Charlie Magennis’s support, you can make a donation towards maintaining the defibrillators. The Lions and T Gem will be present to take names and mobile no. if you would like minimal CPR training, to be arranged at a later date . There will be a mannequin on display which is used for CPR training. Also on the 17th March in the Harbour Inn, there will be a pub quiz also in aid of defibrillator funds.

T Gem and Base unite to raise awareness of defibrillator use, in the photograph:

Lions Marian Mc Greevy, Tom Hughes, Linda Edgar TGem, Lion Dan O'Reilly , Paul Tumelty Base Coffee, Jennifer Speers T Gem and Lion Robin Mc Caren and Lion President Liz Murphy.

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.