Each year Newcastle Lions Club promote an International Peace Poster event. Numerous schools in the lion's catchment area take part. This year through the great work of Lion Emma Chestnutt, County Down school children had the opportunity to be aware of the artwork of the children of Colombo Sri Lanka, who also entered the international peace poster event. In Sri Lanka the school children joined the Principal of Gnanodya school and school children with teachers to award Adithya Senarathne with her LCI award certificate and gifts. These included Rs: 4000/- gift vouchers, Rs:3000/- cash and exercise books. Following the presentation, the school children were given a brief introduction to Lions Club International.
In County Down following the judging of the entries, schools were visited by the Newcastle Lions and prizes awarded. The children in all the schools were only then made aware of the difficulties the children in Sri Lanka faced.
While the children in some of Sri Lanka's schools had wanted to enter the poster event, due to a shortage of paper and colouring pencils or paint it was impossible. After some sterling work by Emma, who reported the difficulties to the Lions and the Wee Charity Shop Newcastle, and as a result of this, Emma was thrilled to accompany Lion Brendan Downey to collect a donation of £2000.00 to Newcastle Lions Club. With the donation Emma was able to provide paper and colouring facilities to an orphanage, also school children in Gnanandya School, Shasthranada MV, Payagala Schools. The remainder of the donation will support all the children in their education and other sustainable projects in Sri Lanka. In December the donation to the Colombo schools will be further enhanced when Newcastle Lions will host a pub quiz in the Harbour Inn on Friday 16th Dec at 9.00 pm.
Lions Brendan Downey and Emma Chestnutt, receive a cheque for £2000.00 from volunteers at the wee Charity Shop (not for printing, staff prefer to be unnamed)
Lions Club Colombo Alexandrite President Prash Barnes with Gnanandya principal Mr K KSamantha , winning peace poster student Adithya Senarathne, Lion Kanis Jurampathy and Lion Muthu Ekanayake
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