Our Club Projects

In serving our communities, our club supports certain projects on an ongoing basis – please see below some of these:

Blankets for HARP homeless charity – especially in Southend-on-Sea.
At the start of the first COVID lockdown, Robyn was given 3.5 tonnes of wool for charitable purposes. Robyn distributed the wool amongst club members and club supporters with a view to making 8 inch squares. 40 Squares of this size make an adult single blanket and we can then donate the finished blankets to HARP Homeless charity in Southend-on-Sea for their ‘clients’. The free wool ran out a long time ago, but the knitters and crocheters continue to provide Robyn with squares to make into blankets, using either wool supplied by others or wool they purchase themselves. This project has now gone across the UK.

Knitted/crocheted items for various charities – Our crafters often get fed up with knitting/crocheting squares, so they then work on baby items for local hospitals or appeals; items for Christmas hampers or for sale at boot or Christmas craft fayres.

Clothes for Charity Shops
We are often given clothes that have become unwanted. These we then redistribute to Charity shops for onward sale. This may be the HARP Southend, Havens Hospices or The Salvation Army.

Spectacle Cases
Collected and sold in connection with the SWANS – When we collect unwanted spectacles from opticians or other outlets, we often find cases in the bundle as well. These can be designer cases too, so we sell them online and put the proceeds into our Charity Account for use when we want to make a donation somewhere. We share this project with the SWANS as well to ensure the proceeds reach further.

Spectacles via MD or Chichester
This is a UK-wide project through Lions. We collect and sort unwanted spectacles. These are then sent to either MD HQ in Brimingham or Chichester Lions (who started the project initially). From there the boxes are forwarded to Medico in Northern France for onward transmission to Africa where they can restore sight to people in need out there.

Supporting The Liam Taylor Legacy - RIP Fish with Bleed Control Kits for pubs
Liam was sadly taken by knife crime.

Supporting Julie Taylor from The Cafe in St Peter's Hospital in Maldon with crochet or knitted Worry Worms
So as well as the knitting/crocheting projects listed above, we also make worry worms for Essex emergency services to utilise when out and about. They are for children and young people to help deal with any worries or concerns they might have.

Foreign Coins or notes left over from holidays can be donated for A Gift For Living

We collect printer cartridges

Partnerships With Other Organisations Or Other Lions Clubs

“Café At St Peter’s Hospital”

After our club was formed in 2016, one of our first projects was to support the Café at St Peter’s hospital, Maldon, Essex. The Café was run by volunteers, led by Julie Taylor, and provided reasonably – priced refreshments for patients, staff, visitors and members of the Public. They also provided food parcels and support to the “vulnerable” in the local community, or those in need. With the help of Lion Robyn (who worked in a large supermarket at the time), the Club supported this work with supplies for Christmas Food hampers - we continue to provide hand-knitted items and toys for these hampers too. In December 2022, we ran a “Reindeer Drive” (similar to a “Beetle Drive” but you draw a Reindeer!) and raised £500 for this cause.

The Cafe volunteers also started a “Knit n Natter” group – although we also have people attend who just want the company – all are welcome. This group have provided “Worry Worms” (to the emergency services to utilise); hats and scarves; Emergency Service knitted dolls and other toys. The club also supports these efforts. The Knit n Natter group also “gives back” to the Club by making 8 inch squares for our project to provide blankets to a Homeless Charity in Southend-on-Sea too.

Although the Café has since shut down (through no fault of the volunteers!), the work continues to help those in the Community who need it.

At the instigation of Lion President Moira and Lion Mark, this “partnership” has now moved on into the “Café’s” new home, the Maldon Methodist Church. These Lions help to run and administer the Group and also have been instrumental in creating the Group as an official “warm space” in Maldon for those who need it. The Church applied for a council grant, which they matched from their funds, to provide Julie with the money to run the group as an official warm space. The Church also makes no charge for the use of the premises.

“Liam Taylor Fish Foundation / Daniel Baird Bleed Control Kits”

In January 2020, the Club were shocked to learn that Julie’s grandson, Liam, had been involved in a knife attack. He and a friend were mistaken for someone else and, unfortunately, Liam lost his life. Julie kept running the Café (see above) but became increasingly involved in publicising the “Daniel Baird Bleed Control Kits” which go into the community to provide vital first aid until professional medical assistance can arrive following a knife attack.

The Club originally wanted to place a Bleed Control Kit in a Wetherspoons pub in Shoeburyness. Julie told us that she had had no luck with this chain. Lion Mark is always up for a challenge – and contacted Wetherspoons HQ management – now they can go into any Wetherspoons pub - where the Manager agrees!

This project has gathered momentum – with not only our club putting Bags in place, but Braintree Lions, Chelmsford Lions, Leigh on Sea Lions, Billericay Lions – to name but a few – raising funds and placing Bags in various locations. The Knit n Natter Club has also raised funds for placing three bags so far. This is what a Partnership can do for our communities.

3rd November 2021 Blankets for Harp

That's 6 more blankets ready to take to Harp homeless charity. Making 14 in total with more squares ready to be made into blankets. Well done to all for providing the squares and to Robyn for the hours dedicated to turning them into blankets!

Throughout Covid Lockdown club members, and their friends, have knitted or crochet 8" x 8" squares which are sown together to make blankets. Robyn recieved a donation of 3 1/2 tonnes of wool. The squares get sewn together to make blankets for the homeless

March 2020 Oaks Children’s Centre donation

The Club donated of £100 towards sensory toys needed by The Oaks Children’s Centre. The Oaks have recently refurbished the Sensory Room and were in desperate need of new toys, to make it useable. The room can be accessed by all children, whether they have a disability or not, who visit the Oaks, so it will be greatly used. Sue held a coffee morning to raise money for these toys which was a great success and with the help of other friends managed to raise a total £310.60. The money has now been presented to the Oaks and toys are on order.

22nd January 2018 Hospital Emergency Packs, Spectacles and Knitting

The Services committee also reported that a further 75 emergency packs had been sent to the hospital along with 7 large boxes of other toiletries for use on the wards and the annual Christmas Gift appeal.

Since Christmas 372 pairs of spectacles have been sent Chichester Lions for recycling and several members are busy knitting blankets, cardigans and baby Octopuses for the Premature Baby Units around the District.

The half year total of service hours completed by the members is an amazing 465 hours spread across 39 different activities.

2nd June 2017 Glasses / Spectacles Collected

Today we collected another 308 pairs of eye glasses/spectacles.

This takes our total so far to over 500. These glasses have been sent to Chichester Lions for grading and onward despatch to our Lion friends in France, where they will be once again inspected by a qualified professional and given approval for further use. These eye glasses/spectacles will be distributed to people that do not have access to proper eye care. This will enable individuals to regain their independence.

We would like to thank all the Businesses that have helped us by providing collection boxes and just as important the individuals that have donated your no longer used eye glasses/spectacles.

Please continue to support us, this is a long term and ongoing project. Alone we can do so little. Together ' We Can Achieve So Much'.

1st March 2017 Little Dresses For Africa - Main Headquarters

'In my opinion, it is the essence of why we do what we do. It's why you stay up late and get up early, sewing your little dresses for children who you will never meet. It is to give little girls honor and dignity. This happened on our way to visit with Chief Kachindamoto and to check on the building of the hostel structure. We were able to personally deliver a “Buckets of Hope” to a few widows in dire need. The Chief did a great job in identifying the widows that were in the most need of some encouragement and help. We were blessed by meeting them. They were thrilled with our visit and the supplies we brought. We prayed with them and heard their stories. On our way to one in particular we were walking along a muddy road (it’s rainy season) and as the group moved ahead, I noticed a little girl who was trying to follow us as we walked. She was shy and I quickly spotted the reason; she was only wearing a skirt as her dress, but the elastic was worn and stretched out and no longer held it up. She had the skirt wrapped bunched up and held up against her chest to cover herself the best she could. The moment I saw her I remembered why we were there: to honor and protect little girls and I had to do something immediately. I let the others walk ahead and I went back to the van to rummage around until I found a dress that I thought would fit her. It was gorgeous and I brought it out and I took her by the hand and showed it to her and then put it on over her worn out skirt. Her smile is with me still. I can picture it in my mind and luckily I was able to snap a shot so now you also can know her. She represents the very essence of what we try to do. We want to bring dignity to little girls. We want to honor them. We want to bring them hope. Your little dresses do that for them. Never for even a minute forget how important your work is. We thank you for your faithful support. I wish I knew her name but I didn't ask her. I don't know it, but God does. She’s one of his children. I won’t forget her.'

A project that we have supported

The Lions Club Of East Anglia Lioness

We Serve

The Lions Club Of East Anglia Lioness

We Serve