Page 24 - Phonebox Magazine October 2014

The Lions’ Den
Newport Pagnell and Olney Lions Club
Saving Children’s Lives for 50p
What is responsible for the deaths of more than 160,000 people annually, the vast majority being children under five? Not a weapon of mass destruction, or an armed conflict but an illness which used to be so common in the UK and is generally considered a mere obstacle in growing up here.
So what is this illness? Measles, a condition which, thanks to vaccination in childhood, has been reduced considerably in Western Society. But in third world countries, countless children are suffering daily from the debilitating and often fatal impact of the illness. However a simple vaccination costing only 50p – less than a small bar of chocolate – can have amazing results.
A few months ago, we told you about the Lions International project, which is aiming to raise a staggering $30m to help immunize children at risk of Measles and its sidekick, Rubella. Working in partnership with the GAVI Alliance, a public private partnership whose mission is to save children’s lives and protect people’s health by increasing access to immunization in the world’s poorest countries, Lions Worldwide are being asked to help fund the programme.
Thanks to two other partnerships with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the UK Dept for International Development (DfI), each £1 donated by a UK Lions club will ‘grow’ magically to £2 - an offer which our club just couldn’t refuse to take advantage of.
At a recent meeting, it was decided to make a
donation of £1000 to the LCIF “One Shot, One Life” campaign, enabling the purchase of 4000 doses of vaccine that will be administered by GAVI.
Dr Seth Berkley, CEO of the Gavi Alliance said: “Teaming up with the vast network of Lions Clubs worldwide will allow GAVI to immunize more children with the measles- rubella vaccine, ultimately reducing the number of measles deaths and cases of Congenital Rubella Syndrome”. At Newport Pagnell and Olney Lions club we are happy to make our contribution.
But what about the local community?
We are, after all, a local organisation and we also made a large donation of a similar sum to a local fund - The William Crook’s Brighter Future Fund.
William, you may remember, was the young child who from birth had suffered a number of serious conditions, which saw him spending most of his short life in a number of hospitals in Leicester and London. He underwent 10 operations including bowel removal, dialysis and food line fitting (including some having to be removed and refitted due to infection) and was receiving dialysis four days a week at the Great Ormond Street Hospital. Sadly, his family lost him on the 4th June this year. His family have embarked on a project to help raise funds for GOSH and specifically the renal care unit, which not only provides excellent medical attention but also supports the families who often become inpatients in
the unit as they support their children.
The task (which his parents and brother have given themselves) is pretty enormous, as they have set a target of at least £20k, which will see them working with staff at GOSH to help finance a range of items which are badly needed.
If anyone reading this would like to help with a personal donation, please pop into CT Wilson’s shop in the High St where a collecting box is situated and drop in a coin or two.
Lions Shoot at Rushden
Members of our club met up with other Lions from Wellingborough, Kettering, Northampton and Rushden at the Rushden Lions Club annual clay pigeon shoot. The sun shone, the clay rabbit was running well and clay pigeons flew high as we raised funds for the new Children’s Air Ambulance which interestingly, has recently been adapted to enable the paediatric team, which treated William Crook at Glenfield Hospital, to be flown anywhere in the UK where seriously ill children require their services.
Make a Date with Lions
At the time of writing, we are finalising our two town calendars and have started to take advance orders. Our Olney Calendar has been created using photographs given to us by local (and some not so local) people. Drop into the Olney Centre if you would like a sneak preview of the photos or look at our website.
The Newport Pagnell Town Calendar has been put together using photos from the council and both items will be selling for £5. They are great value if you have friends or relatives who want a Christmas/New Year gift.
Our Olney Calendar 2015
See the shortlisted photos in the Olney Centre. All photos supplied by local people. £5 per calendar includes postage envelope
Calendar will be available shortly but pre order now at www.olneylionsclub.org or via form at the Olney Centre
13 month Calendar
A true community publication.
All profits to Lions Charity Account Supported by Phonebox Magazine
Our Olney Calendar” is a community project run by Newport Pagnell & Olney Lions Club www.olneylionsclub.org
24 Phonebox Magazine