Our Club Fundraising and Donations 2024 - 2025
One thing that is so unique, to Lions clubs, is that 100% of all monies raised goes to charitable causes; membership fees cover the day to day running of the club and global associates.
We run stalls at fetes, fairs and fun days with a teddy and game tombola, as well as selling 2nd hand books, gift baskets and knitted/crocheted items.
We also support other Lions clubs at their events, marshalling etc, as well as Witham & Maldon SWANS and Saffron Waldon Crocus Sapphires at their fundraising events.
26th April 2025 Quiz Night in support of Boys Brigade camp fund
We invited local Lions Clubs, peope who attend the Church where we were holding the quiz and other local groups.
The quiz was held at Friars Baptist Church, Shoeburyness, where 3rd South East Essex Boys Brigade also meet weekly during school term time.
Thank you to Leigh-on-Sea Lions, Eastwood Lions, Southend-on-Sea City Lions, Castle Point Lions for supporting us.
A huge thank you to Sandra from the SWANS for creating the quiz questions, and hosting the evening.
Winners were Leigh Lions with an incredably high score, they each recieved a bottle of wine.
Joint winers of the Smarties were Castle Point Lions and Eastwood Lions (to help make them smarter for the next quiz!)
We couldn't hold a traditional raffel, as is was against church rules, but, we gave away free tickets with all refreshment purchases! (tea, coffee, home made cakes etc)
We raised a massive £500 towards the Boys Brigade camp fund. We look forward to hearing how it went later in the summer.
Boys Brigade 2024 camp presentation
27th March 2025 Brave Futures Donation
President Sandie and Tony went along to Brave Futures to donate £100 to help with their running costs.
At our first Zoom Social of the year, Hannah from Brave Futures came along to talk to us about the work they are doing.
Brave Futures is a specialist support service for children and young people upto the age of 18 years who have experienced sexual abuse. They work throughout Suffolk and Norfolk. Providing a safe place for children and young people to make sense of the confusion they feel. They give children and young people the skills and tools they need to re-build their futures, manage the trauma they have experienced and help them move from victim to survivor.
Brave Futures contacted us in November last year to see if they could come along and have a chat with us. We accepted their offer and afterwards we decided to make a donation.
Farleigh Hospice provides care to people affected by life-limiting illnesses and bereavement across mid Essex.
7th march 2025 Farleigh Hospice donation
During the month before Christmas 2024 we had stalls at
- 21st November 2024 Tiptree Christmas Street Festival
- 28th November 2024 Maldon Christmas Light Switch On Event and Christmas Market
- 30th November 2024 Weatherspoons Parsons Barn Christmas Market
- 8th December 2024 Heybridge Parish Council Christmas event
- 16th December 2024 Weatherspoons The Roebuck Christmas Market
- During December 2024 Robyn and Rick decorated their house for Christmas and had a donation box outside
We raised £1000 and decided to donate £250 to a Hospice in each of the areas that our members live.
President Sandie and Tony went to Farleigh Hospice, Chelmsford to present a cheque for £250.
Fair Havens provides care and support to adults living with incurable conditions in Southend, Castle Point and Rochford.
Their specialist team can offer a wide range of care and support options for you and your loved ones, based on your needs and wishes.
28th February 2025 Fair Havens Hospice donation
During the month before Christmas 2024 we had stalls at
- 21st November 2024 Tiptree Christmas Street Festival
- 28th November 2024 Maldon Christmas Light Switch On Event and Christmas Market
- 30th November 2024 Weatherspoons Parsons Barn Christmas Market
- 8th December 2024 Heybridge Parish Council Christmas event
- 16th December 2024 Weatherspoons The Roebuck Christmas Market
- During December 2024 Robyn and Rick decorated their house for Christmas and had a donation box outside
We raised £1000 and decided to donate £250 to a Hospice in each of the areas that our members live.
Rick, Robyn, Sandie and Tony went to Fair Havens Hospice, Southend to present a cheque for £250. This was very much appreciated as they had fallen just below their winter fundraising target of £50,000 and this donation meant that they had reached their target!
Robyn and Rick also gave Havens a Message In A Bottle as a sample, as Havens also do respite care and work with other services who may find MIB useful.
27th February 2025 Calais trip to buy wine
We had used up our suppy of wine at Christmas events with bottle tombolas or wine or water.
Our quiz was coming up at the end of April, and needed some prizes for that and the upcoming summer events.
Sandie, Tony, Robyn and Rick set off for Calais, visiting two wine superstores and returning with a bootfull of cheap wine!
Tapping House is a registered charity providing free care, comfort and compassion to residents of West Norfolk and beyond who are nearing the end of their lives. They also provide carer support and bereavement services for their families.
13th February 2025 Tapping House Hospice donation
During the month before Christmas 2024 we had stalls at
- 21st November 2024 Tiptree Christmas Street Festival
- 28th November 2024 Maldon Christmas Light Switch On Event and Christmas Market
- 30th November 2024 Weatherspoons Parsons Barn Christmas Market
- 8th December 2024 Heybridge Parish Council Christmas event
- 16th December 2024 Weatherspoons The Roebuck Christmas Market
- During December 2024 Robyn and Rick decorated their house for Christmas and had a donation box outside
We raised £1000 and decided to donate £250 to a Hospice in each of the areas that our members live.
John went to Tapping House Hospice at Hillington, not far from where John and Margaret live in Norfolk, to present a cheque for £250 to Jodie, one of the fundraising team.
During December 2024 Robyn and Rick decorated their house for Christmas
New for 2024 was the garland around the front door.
We had donations boxs outside, and raised £18.21.
Robyn and Rick also made it onto the Your Southend Christmas light trail released on December 23rd 2024. They have been on the trail every year that it has run.
It features the most amazing home displays around Southend and makes for a magical drive around.
🎄 The Pre-Programmed Route:
Begin at 400 Westbourne Grove.
Then once you are there, open the link to continue the trail: https://bit.ly/SouthendXmasLightsTrail (opens in Google Map)
Some of the displays have elements that you can interact with too!
Full list of the 2024 displays:
- 400 Westbourne Grove (INTERACTIVE)
- 95 Hornby Avenue
- 4 Willmott Road
- 240 Priory Crescent
- 18 Gayton Road
- 78 The Grove (INTERACTIVE)
- 75 Southchurch Avenue
- 9 Lovelace Gardens
- 25 Cranley Gardens
- Church Road Barling
16th December 2024 Weatherspoons The Roebuck Christmas Market
After the Parsons Barn Christmas Market we were invited to attend The Roebuck pub in Rayleigh, who were also having a Christmas Market, this time indoors.
They were also raising money for Young Lives Verses Cancer.
Weatherspoons Young Lives Verses Cancer charity has raised £22million so far!
This was our final fundraising event for 2024! Sandie, Tony, Robyn and Rick took our crafts and Christmas items to sell.This was a new event for this pub and wasnt advertised, but we still managed to make £25 on the day.
We have enjoyed attending lots of new events, now it's time for a well earned rest before we start making plans for next year!
8th December 2024 Heybridge Parish Council Christmas event
Continuing on with our busy schedule, Sandie, Moira and Louisa attended the Heybridge Parish Council Christmas event at Plantation Hall.
They took a toy tombola, and some craft and Christmas items.
We had a lovely day and enjoyed the light switch on with Christmas carols from the Maldon Carnival Court.
We made £155 on the day. Well done.
30th November 2024 Weatherspoons Parsons Barn Christmas Market
28th November 2024 Maldon Christmas Light Switch On Event and Christmas Market
The next event in our busy schedule was the Maldon Christmas light switch on.
We took a stall jam packed with teddy tombola, bottle tombola, craft items made by club members and Lion Richard's new game, Wine or Water.
Once again the weather was kind (not raining!) It wasn't as cold as the previous week and we saw a wonderful turn out of people to the town.
21st November 2024 Tiptree Christmas Street Festival
Well what a way to start our run of Christmas events! The freezing cold minus temperatures certainly didn't lower our spirits at the Tiptree Christmas Street Festival night.
We had a Teddy, Bottle and Treasure Island tombolas and lots of craft items made by club members, the pigs in blankets and gonks were extremely popular!
Sandie, Tony, Louisa, Robyn and Rick helped out and we made £293.78 on the night. Very well done all!
29th September 2024 Lunch in aid of Macmillan
26th August 2024 Sandon Park and Ride Bootsale
Our President Sandie, Tony and Louisa ventured out on Bank Holiday Monday to do a bootsale.
It's the first time we have tried a bank holiday Monday, it was a bit quieter than on a Sunday, but still a productive day raising £60 for our charity account!
20th August 2024 Knightswood Day Centre we donated a record player and records
Our President Sandie and Tony visited Knightswood Day Care Centre to deliver a record player and 2 large boxes of records.
We raised the money for the record player at our recent big breakfast on the 9th June.
We have been told that it has proved very popular and beneficial to the clients who struggle with their memory.
17th August 2024 Mersea Island Family Festival
We had a great day at the Mersea Island Lions Fun Day.
We took a toy tombola, our 'retro' games, new treasure Island tombola, and 2nd hand book sales.
The superb weather brought plenty of people to the event and our games were a hit. It was lovely to see other clubs there, our neighbours were the lovely Cherry and Susie from the New Century and Hellen Keller Lions clubs, we also enjoyed meeting the Mersea Island Rotary Club. Our thanks to Mersea Island Lions Club for giving us the opportunity to come and fundraise at this event.
We raised an amazing £268 - well done all!
13th August 2024 Donation of toiletries and blankets to HARP
We saw recently that HARP (the charity we donate the blankets to) were really short of toiletries.
During the day, until 4pm the homeless shelter is open for the showers to be used and clothes to be cleaned.
After then it becomes a night shelter. So we decided to donate £50 worth of toiletries and dropped them in along with 9 blankets!
The toiletries included deodorant, toothbrushes and toothpaste, shower gel, shampoo, conditioner, hair brushes and combs.
Evertthing was very much appreciated by the staff.
7th August 2024 Vision Screening Cameras
On 11th June 2024 Mark & Moira attended vision screening in schools training at Bulphan
From DG Colins Newsletter 1st September 2024
‘ChildSight UK’
Congratulations to all who are supporting this life-changing project and those who are still working endlessly to encourage greater funding. We have passed the five cameras and on the way to our sixth, this is fabulous as this will, subject to match funding equate to two per region within the district. The Plusoptix Vision Camera is the chosen one for us.
See plusoptix.com for more details.
There are two, both of which must meet the approval of LCI, the cost being just under £5,500 each.
Negotiated into this price is a free carrying case, wrist strap and an additional 1-year guarantee.
So, what’s next?
I’m currently preparing a bid for match funding. The deadline is 1st October 2024 for a decision by the Lions Clubs International trustees, for approval on January 25, and if granted they should be paid shortly after that.
Both Lynne and I are on a short break but still finding the time to acknowledge all your efforts by raising a glass and toasting your success.
The HCRG Care Group are currently drawing up a schedule of school visits within the Essex area. Once completed, they will be liaising with the clubs to join them to complete the vision screening. These visits will be from October 2024 onwards and clubs will be notified well in advance of these visits.
Currently the multi-District only has two Vision Cameras on loan.
To enable this program to commence, East Anglia Centennial 100 Champions will purchase three cameras, these will be removed from our total, however, financially they were never included within our total.
Not rolling out in your area?
January 25 isn’t that far away. Now is the time to start liaising with the junior schools, mention the project. As HCRG does not cover all the district enquire which health group provides this service and please let me know. The health care providers do know of the program as do some schools. We are almost there but keep your donations coming in. This will not be a project forgotten once completed but will continue year on year with each new pupil intake.
We contributed £200 towards this project in August 2024
14th July 2024 Heybridge Parish Council Fete
Wow what a day we had!
We attended the Heybridge Parish Council fete, we made the most of the lovely field and took a toy tombola, bottle tombola, baskets, message in a bottle and 3 of Lion Richards new games.
With the weather being very pleasant it was well supported and there was a great amount of people enjoying the event for the whole day.
We were made to feel so welcome and thoroughly enjoyed our day. We look forward to their next event and will certainly be back.
Well done to Sandie, Moira, Mark, Robyn, Rick and Louisa who raised a massive £460!
6th July Heybridge Primary school fete
Today we took our toy tombola to the Heybridge Primary school fete.
The rain forced the fete to be moved inside to the school hall.
Despite the weather people still came to support the event. The children loved coming over to try and win some of the well known characters on our stall!
Well done to Sandie, Tony, Angela, Moira and Mark for raising £60
2nd July 2024 Jigsaw Puzzles donated to Knightswood Day Care Centre
This week Lion President Sandie and Tony visited Knightswood Day Care Centre in Ashledham to drop off some items we had to donate.
Knightswood had asked if we had any 500 piece jigsaw puzzles with pictures suitable for adults.
This means the pieces are a suitable size for people to be able to pick up easily and complete the puzzles during their visit.
1st July 2024 Making up tombolas for the summer fetes
A lovely day was spent out in the garden making up a tombola for our upcoming events.
The summer weather had certainly arrived so we took a break and had sausages and burgers on the bbq.
Well done Mark, Moira, Angela, Sandie, Tony, Robyn and Rick.