OUR STORIES - Lions Clubs Australia

Walking towards a cure for diabetes

June 14, 2023/in OUR STORIES /by Emily Williams

Original story by Joan Tufvesson

The Lions Club of Yarrawonga and the Lions Club of Lake Mulwala joined forces to host the inaugural walk for diabetes awareness at the Yarrawonga Showgrounds on Saturday 20th May.

Support for this event from local businesses and professionals was fantastic and very much appreciated by both Clubs.

The weather behaved itself, providing cloud cover for the 70 walkers and two dogs. A total of 280 km was walked; which equates to approximately 459 laps of the oval.

There was a “Pit Stop” provided halfway around the oval where snacks, fresh fruit, and bottled water were handed out. At the final “Pit Stop”, held at the Yarrawonga Lions Wool Pavilion, a selection of diabetic-friendly food was cooked for walkers – chilli con carne and wholemeal pancakes – which was included in the $10 registration fee. All produce and snacks were generously donated by Woolworths and Midland Fresh.

The starting line. Image: supplied.

Advice was given free of charge and the Clubs’ thanks go to Credentialed Diabetes Educator Janet Lagstrom; Accredited Practising Dietitian at Yarrawonga Health Liza Black; optometrists Sandra Heaney and Andrew Banks; and Lions District Diabetes Chairperson Robyn Harrison.

Posters with QR codes were placed on the fence which linked to a website with relevant information about diabetes.

A pizza oven was donated by Bunnings with the winner being the President of Finley Lions Chris Horne.

All funds raised from the registration and sale of raffle tickets was forwarded to Lions Australia Diabetes Foundation, which will go towards prevention, awareness, and research in the fight against diabetes.

Without volunteers and sponsors, these events could not happen. So, a very big thank you to everyone involved in this event.

You can learn more about the Lions Australia Diabetes Foundation here.

Lions provide warmth and comfort to palliative care patients

June 9, 2023/in OUR STORIES /by Jemma

Lions in Victoria have come together to provide some warmth and comfort for people living with serious illness at the Frankston Palliative Care Unit.

The Lions Clubs of Frankston, Mt Eliza, Mornington, Mount Martha and Balnarring proudly handed over a Blanket Warming Cabinet, used to heat blankets to warm and comfort patients of all ages in the palliative ward.

A cabinet like this costs over $4,000, with money raised by all five Lions Clubs.

Lions Julie (Frankston Lions Club), Janet and Brian (Mornington Lions Club) were there to gift the cabinet to the unit on Friday 26th May, which also coincided with Palliative Care Week.

National Palliative Care Week runs 21 May to 27 May 2023, and aims to put ‘Matters of Life and Death’ front and centre in Australia’s consciousness.

Lions Recycle for Sight Project touching lives in Papua New Guinea

June 9, 2023/in OUR STORIES /by Jemma

Lions in Gilles Plains have brought the Lions Recycle for Sight Project to Papua New Guinea (PNG), helping small communities see and read better for the first time.

As part of the project, members of the Gilles Plains Lions Club have been collecting used reading glasses and sending them to Renee Mongagi, a Lion in PNG.

Renee, along with her children, travel many kilometres to distribute these to people in the community, often on foot as there are no bus or train services, and the roads are harsh.

As they make their way through the townships, Renee has the public try on glasses until they find the ones that suit them.

Most of the time, Renee also takes food to give to those who need it (sometimes security for Renee is required).

“I am so proud of the work Renee does to help those less fortunate,” says Gilles Plains Lions Club President, Lance Crook.

Lance shares a special connection to PNG, having spent time there in 2011 to help with his mental health after falling off a roof and ending up on a disability pension.

It was during this time that Lance met Lion Renee, who lives in the Northern Province town of Popondetta.

“Renee was in the village I visited, where after many years I was accepted as a white chief of Papua New Guinea, a very honoured position,” says Lance.

“I returned in 2015, taking 54 solar lights into the village.

That enabled 54 families and around 160 children to do their homework with light, as this village has no running water or electricity.”

It was on Lance’s next visit, that he took some recycled reading glasses to the village.

“Everyone was amazed to be able to see and read the bible,” he says.

This was a turning point to officially bring the Lions Recycle for Sight Project to PNG with Lance’s club routinely collecting and sending boxes of glasses to Renee.

Lions Recycle for Sight Australia is an initiative of Lions Clubs International, recycling used glasses for re-use in remote and impoverished communities.

The collected glasses are cleaned and prepared for distribution locally, to places where eye care is often unaffordable and inaccessible.

Do you have a pair of unused glasses sitting around? Click here to find out how you can donate them to this life-changing project.

The future of Lions Australia

May 19, 2023/in LEOS WINNER, OUR STORIES, YOUTH OPPORTUNITIES /by Emily Williams

Lions Australia’s youth programs were front and centre at the recent MD201 Convention on the Gold Coast.

Finals of the Youth of the Year and Leo of the Year competitions took place, providing great entertainment and food for thought for Conventioneers and judges alike.

With Lions Australia’s recent announcement of the Big Audacious Mission (BAM) to build membership to 30,000 by 2030 and 50,000 by 2050, the Leos and Youth of the Year programs have never been more important.

Leos

The Leo of the Year program offers young people the opportunity to share and celebrate their passion and commitment to community service, and a platform to voice their opinions on topics close to their heart.

Leo Committee Chairperson Pam Bennett with the 2023 Leo of the Year Finalists.

Leo Committee Chairperson Pam Bennett says Leos are important pieces in the Lions Australia puzzle.

“Leos are our partners in service. They have chosen to join our organisation and have the same ethics and purposes as Lions and fulfil a real need in the communities in which they serve,” she said.

The final of the 2023 Leo of the Year competition took place on Saturday, April 29^th.

The 4 finalists each presented a five-minute speech on topics ranging from community service to outfits.

NSW’s Georgia Bailey, QLD’s Molly Gysberts, VIC’s Clarissa Wong, and WA’s Luke Tammen all presented wonderful speeches.

Luke Tammen won the Public Speaking Award while Georgia Bailey was announced as the 2023 Leo of the Year.

Council Chairperson Steve Boyce presents Leo of the Year 2023 Georgia Bailey with a plaque.

Council Chairperson Steve Boyce presents the 2023 Leo of the Year, Georgia Bailey with a plaque.

Georgia reminded Lions of the value of Leos, particularly when it comes to technology and social media use.

“Leos understand all of this, make use of us,” she said in her speech.

Over the next twelve months, Georgia will visit Lions Clubs across the country with hopes of opening more Leo Clubs.

Youth of the Year

On the other hand, the Youth of the Program encourages and fosters leadership skills in students nearing the end of their schooling years, hoping to bring forth the next generation of outstanding young Australians.

2023 Youth of the Year Finalists.

National Youth of the Year Chairperson PDG Ken Bradford says the program is a great opportunity.

“The experiences and life skills gained by achieving this level of the challenge will, very often, give encouragement to take on projects which may have been considered unattainable,” he said.

The final of the 2023 Youth of the Year competition took place on Monday, May 1^st.

The competition looks at competitors’ leadership, sporting and cultural awareness, personality and general knowledge, as well as public speaking.

The six finalists: W1’s Jonah Hanikeri, T1’s Kulani Somarathna, Q1’s Lindsey White, N1’s Frederick Kearney, C2’s Zach Pope, and V2’s Sienna Gladstone, went head to head in the final round of the competition on stage.

Lions Youth of the Year Winner, Fred Kearney delivers his outstanding speech.

Sienna Gladstone, who spoke about domestic violence, was the winner of the public speaking competition

Frederick Kearney from the Armidale School who spoke about how “tough times create tough people” was the overall winner.

Both Fred and Sienna will receive cash prizes when they turn 18 years old.

As Lions begin work towards the first goal of BAM, these youth programs are proving invaluable to the future of the organisation.

You can learn more about Leos here and Youth of the Year here – and watch all the finalist speeches on our YouTube channel.

Manly Lions Club Wins Top Club Service Project Award for Sunsquirt Station

May 16, 2023/in OUR STORIES /by Jemma

At our recent National Convention on the Gold Coast, the Lions Club of Manly was awarded the Top Club Service Project for their innovative idea that’s protecting members of the community from harmful UV exposure.

Working with a local manufacturer, the Club came up with a plan to produce a free sunscreen dispenser known as the ‘Sunsquirt Station’, that can be placed along local beaches and parks.

This light and versatile unit offers the community free SPF 50+ Cancer Council sunscreen with just the wave of their hand.

To date, the Sunsquirt Station has proven to be very popular. It is a novelty to the children and a great convenience to the adults – especially on hot beach days when they leave the sunscreen in the car!

The Manly Lions Club would love to see more of these units in other areas including low decile schools who cannot afford the units to purchase.

They also encourage other Lions Clubs who are interested in doing a similar project to consider helping out their local preschool and junior sports teams – or bring the Sunsquirt Station along to your Lions BBQ!

Congratulations to all involved in this innovative and practical project. Yet again proving that where there’s a need, there is always a Lion.

Lions help 10-year-old Huddy Glubb get to World Dwarf Games in Germany

May 9, 2023/in DONATIONS, OUR STORIES /by Jemma

Lions have surprised Gold Coast local athletics star Huddy Glubb with a $5,000 donation at this year’s Lions National Convention held at The Star on the Gold Coast.

Huddy has achondroplasia, a genetic condition which impacts bone growth. Despite doctor’s early warnings that he probably wouldn’t be able to participate in sport, he has developed into an inspiring young athlete and recently qualified for the World Dwarf Games junior team competing this July in Germany.

Lions support Huddy Glubb as he takes aim at the World Dwarf Games in Germany.

Along with the donation from Lions Australia, Huddy’s local Oremeau Lions Club hosted a BBQ early on to help kickstart his fundraising to get him and his team to the games.

Huddy’s mother Kerry Glubb is incredibly proud of her son’s achievements so far, and of his determination that has motivated him to excel in the activities of track and field, basketball and soccer.

“When Huddy was born we were told that he probably wouldn’t be able to participate in sport. The day that he got his first gold medal, that was just — there were so many tears — it was such a special moment,” she said.

Kerry says they are so grateful for all the support received to date from the community.

“I’d like to thank everybody in the community for their support for Huddy so far, we’re already over halfway to reaching our fundraising goal!”

Huddy and his family joined Council Chair Steve Boyce and Lion Sari-Elle Kraemer on stage at the Lions Australia National Convention on the Gold Coast.

Huddy shared his heartwarming story with volunteers from right across the country at the Lions National Convention on the 29th of April, which you can watch here.

For more information on how you can support Huddy’s fundraising campaign to attend the World Dwarf Games, visit his GoFundMe page.

Adamstown Lions auctioning artworks for hope

April 14, 2023/in DONATIONS, HUMANITARIAN, OUR STORIES /by Emily Williams

BY EMILY WILLIAMS

Adamstown Lions Club is hosting an online art auction as a fundraiser to support Ukrainian refugees.

68 artworks created by artists from Newcastle and the Central Coast are up for grabs, with all money raised going towards LCIF’s Ukraine appeal.

Artwork by Eugenia Dunlevie.

Dr Carol Gano approached Adamstown Lions Club, amazed at their good work in the community, to ask if the Club would be interested in helping her run this auction. Carol has since become a member of the Club.

Artwork by Lesley Duffin.

Secretary Judy Mulhearn and Treasurer John Mulhearn have worked hard alongside Carol to get the auction up and running.

All artworks were generously donated by the artists, some more established than others, after the Club contacted art societies and individuals in the Newcastle area.

Artwork by Geoffrey Breen

State Leo of the Year, Georgia Bailey, also contributed a piece of art to the auction.

Since war broke out in Ukraine 14 months ago, LCIF has awarded more than $6.2 million to support refugees in Ukraine.

You can check out the artwork up for auction and start bidding here.

Lions to celebrate special four-legged friends this month

April 5, 2023/in NEWS, OUR STORIES /by Jemma

Lions around the country will celebrate National Hearing Dog Day on the 19th of April 2023.

National Hearing Dog Day is an annual celebration of the very first Hearing Assistance Dog delivered in Australia in 1982. Over 40 years ago on this day, Hearing Dog ‘Amber’ was provided free of charge to a Deaf recipient living in metropolitan South Australia.

Since then, Australian Lions Hearing Dogs (ALHD) have provided over 670 Hearing Assistance Dogs to Australians who are deaf or hard of hearing, reaching from Albany in WA over to Far North Queensland.

National Hearing Dog Day is an opportunity to share stories of the Hearing Dogs that have changed and saved lives, the puppies that have received love and encouragement from ALHD volunteers, the Lions Clubs that make the logistics of each placement a reality, and the community of generous supporters that give with their heart and help ALHD provide Assistance Dogs to people in need.

One in six Australians are suffering from some form of hearing loss and this number is on the rise.

The work of Australian Lions Hearing Dogs is not only helping many Australians live a safer, more secure and confident lifestyle but it’s also giving the animals a new home and purpose. An Australian Lions Hearing Dog can be any shape or size and the majority of dogs are actually sourced from pounds, rescue organisations and shelters.

The cost of fully training a Lions Hearing Dog is just under $40,000.

Australian Lions Hearing Dogs CEO David Horne says there is growing demand for hearing dogs in the community.

“Since the 1980s, Australian Lions Hearing Dogs has been training and placing Hearing Assistance Dogs with deaf or hard of hearing people all around Australia. We are the only Australian organisation accredited by Assistance Dogs International to carry out such work. There is currently a very high demand for our dogs with one in six Australians now suffering from some form of hearing loss. Unfortunately, this number is on the rise,” says David.

“Australian Lions Hearing Dog is 100% funded by donations, accepting support from many Lions Clubs and individuals around Australia. The more funds raised, the more Assistance Dogs we can provide to Australians in need,” adds David.

To support the continuation and success of the Australian Lions Hearing Dogs, you can find a resource pack or purchase the National Hearing Dog Day shoelace pack online here or make a donation here.

Lions Club Supports NSW Nurses with Scholarship

April 5, 2023/in DONATIONS, OUR STORIES /by Jemma

At their recent March dinner meeting, the Lions Club of West Pennant Hills Cherrybrook presented a Lions Nurses Scholarship for $1,500 to Nurse Anne Hoolahan on behalf of the NSW/ACT Lions Nurses Scholarship Foundation.

The grant will assist Anne’s attendance at the 2023 Psychogeriatic Association’s (IPA) international Congress being held in Lisbon. Portugal in June this year.

The mission of the NSW/ACT Lions Nurses Scholarship Foundation is to provide financial assistance for nurses to continue their professional development.

Clinical Nurse Consultant – Health & Wellbeing Specialist, Anne Hoolahan, being presented with her scholarship funds by NSF Director Graham Estreich and Lions Club of West Pennant Hills Cherrybrook Past President, Geoff Harrison.

Anne is a worthy recipient. She holds the position of Clinical Nurse Consultant – Health & Wellbeing Specialist working for Older Peoples Mental Health Services (OPMHS) team at Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Hospital. Her clinical role is to provide in-home health and wellbeing reviews and support the GP and Case Manager in facilitating client focused health management.

She has been involved in the NSW state-wide project aimed at improving the physical health for older mental health consumers and has submitted an abstract for consideration for presentation at the forthcoming Lisbon conference.

Anne spoke to Lions members about her nursing career and where she has specialised and took the time to thank the Lions Nurses Scholarship Foundation for supporting her Congress attendance and all that will be learnt through this upcoming opportunity.

The Lions Nurses Scholarship Foundation was represented on the evening by NSF Director, Graham Estreich.

Lions go above and beyond to help communities impacted by Wooroloo bushfire

March 16, 2023/in EMERGENCY RESPONSE, OUR STORIES /by Jemma

When disaster strikes, Lions volunteers roll up their sleeves and take action – often sticking around long after the disaster to assist those left behind.

That’s exactly what has happened in Western Australia off the back of the devastating 2021 Wooroloo Bushfire.

Volunteers across the Lions’ W1 and W2 districts have now dispersed over $82,000 worth of support back to the community.

Fire fighters combat the Wooroloo Bushfire. Credit: DFES/DFES / Incident Photographer Evan Collis

“In times of disaster Lions are focused on doing whatever we can to support the community and help it rebuild,” says Lions Past District Governor Mick Wainwright.

“It’s been a big couple of years for our members. The Wooroloo Bushfire in 2021 caused extensive damage to residential properties within the City of Swan and Shire of Mundaring. Over the six days it burned an area of more than 10,500 hectares inside a perimeter of 154km, with 86 properties lost and more than 100 damaged.”

“Local Lions Clubs, with the support of their communities and the Australian Lions Foundation, have been busy supporting those impacted and helping the community rebuild.”
“Most of those we have assisted could not applied for help under the normal disaster relief funding or insurance.”

“Support has ranged from replacing water tanks and providing welding equipment for the fence repair team to providing Christmas hampers and funding for 26 year six students to attend school camp.”

“The community has been so grateful for the support and highlights the importance of community service organisations like Lions. We are always there for the community and can get support quickly to those who need it most.”

With volunteers celebrating Lions Awareness Day this month, Mick says it’s a great opportunity for anyone interested in volunteering to get more information on how you can get involved or support Lions.

“If you are interested in making a difference, ask your local Lions how you can get involved. We know there are many people out there looking to make a difference in the community right now, and it’s a great time to join us,” adds Mick.

Since the first club was formed in Australia 75 years ago, Lions has grown dramatically in size and impact with over 1300 clubs and 25,000 members now giving back through an array of community-based programs and initiatives.

Some Lions are on a mission to cure childhood cancer and diabetes, others are committed to assisting those impacted by drought and floods and many are simply working together to help people in need in their local community. One thing all Lions have in common is together they are making an incredible difference.