Lions Clubs International District 105EA

DGs Lady's Appeal

I have given a lot of thought over the last year whether or not to have a Charity.

However when I finally  gathered all my thoughts together I decided to have a Charity that is within the Lions family but since we have so many to chose from I found it very difficult.

My final decision was to have three which are very close to my heart;

1. Special Olympics Great Britain
2. Paul Whittaker – Music and the Deaf
3. Romanian Pride (New Century Lions)

Special Olympics

The Special Olympics movement was founded in 1968 by Eunice Kennedy Shriver, sister of President John F Kennedy she believed that Olympic ideals of sport could give confidence and new hope to  people with learning disabilities and those who cares for them.

Special Olympics Great Britain was established 1978 as part of the global Special Olympics movement. Special Olympics GB serves over 8000 athletes who participate in year round training and competition programs at local regional national and international levels. The national summer games takes place every four years .Since its formation SO-GB has grown and grown it has 23 Olympic type sports for learning disabled children and adults aged from 8 to 80.

One of the principles of the SO is that everyone with encouragement support and access to resources can develop improve physical fitness greater self – confidence and a more positive self image.

Paul Whittaker – Music and the Deaf

Paul Whittaker – Music and the Deaf was started two decades ago by a most  remarkable man  I have ever seen. Paul who has a music degree from Oxford University has been deaf since birth and profoundly deaf since the age of two. He is the founder of music and the deaf a Huddersfield based Charity that created the Deaf Youth Orchestra. He feels that music is part of all our lives but deaf children all too often miss out on its pleasures because deafness is misunderstood. Now in its 3rd year the deaf orchestra  has 22 members aged 9 to 17 originally limited to West Yorkshire the deaf Youth Orchestra now has young musicians from far afield  .Part of their long term planning is to establish a national Youth Orchestra and to enable that to happen it will need funding and support .

Romanian Pride (New Century Lions)

The New Century Lions have achieved so much since the project was started in 2001,the  team have made many visits over the years spending time with the children helping to give them a childhood they have seen so many changes especially at the baby centre which is also the home to children with severe physical and mental disabilities and I  am sure this very distressing for them to see . As I have said the Romanian Pride team are all Lions and each member pays for their trip out of their own pocket. This enables all money raised to be spent on the children. Please help  to make future trips as successful as all the rest have been over the years and put big smiles on the children’s faces.

If clubs wish to donate to one of the charities that is great but I would like all the charities to benefit from a large sum at of the end of the year to be split three ways

Thank you so much for your support, Maureen