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May 2025 | Phonebox Magazine 41A Fairly Quiet Month %u2013 So here%u2019s a little bit of our Lion%u2019s Club History and A Review of the Year%u2019s Activity!INTRODUCTION: NP&O LC is a part of %u2018Lions Clubs International%u2019 %u2013 one of the largest service organisations in the world %u2013 with around 1.4 million members and 49,000 clubs, worldwide. Since its inception in 1968, LCI has awarded more than US$1.2 billion in grant funding to various charities, good causes and International disaster relief appeals.Our own club, like all other Lions clubs, acts independently, (under the constitution, objectives and ethics of LCI). We are a small club %u2013 but we punch well above our weight. We regularly raise between %u00a316,000 and %u00a320,000 pa (gross) and conduct 100%u2019s of hours of community service in the local area. We are a CIO and Registered Charity. We have 17 Members. Some of the Members, having done their bit over the years, are now %u2018retired%u2019 %u2013 but are still paying their subs, and are on our mailing list for such things as Newsletters, Minutes of Meetings, etc., i.e. taking an active interest in the Club%u2019s activities.The Club was founded in February 1977, and has been in continuous operation, supporting our local, national and international community, for nearly 50 years. In the past 20 years, the Club has raised almost %u00a3300,000 and performed an estimated 15,000 hours of local community service! We have achieved this mainly by means of organising and running various local Fund Raising events, many of which have a very high profi le in the town. This year, we have also received a number of donations from our Friends group, other local organisations and from the local community %u2013 including a handsome donation from The Olney Group. In this year, we also conducted various Service Activities. FUND RAISING EVENTS: In this Lionistic year, (which ended on 30th June 2024), we produced and sold our 2024 Town Calendars, in Olney and Newport Pagnell. The profi t of the whole campaign was around %u00a33,000 (on a print run of 850), which is a fabulous result. We also ran a high-quality Craft Fair, as part of the Dickens of a Christmas Event, in the Olney Centre, which raised over %u00a32,300 (gross). Other FR events included our very successful Motorama event, which attracted over 100 classic cars and vehicles %u2013 and around 2,000 visitors, our Grand Pele Poster Raffl e (thanks to Lion Steve for the fantastic prize!) and Newport Pagnell & Olney Lions (CIO)participation in the Olney Cherry Fair and BOFF.In the second half of the Lions year, we participated in the Newport Pagnell Christmas Lights Switch-On event; the Dickens of a Christmas Lions Craft Fair 2024 and our %u2018Lions Toast%u2019 Whisky Tastingevent. We also received about %u00a31,000 from various local organisations and individuals including a handsome cheque from The Olney Group and individual donations from very generous Friends and local residents in Olney and Newport Pagnell.SERVICE ACTIVITIES: In the last (Lions) year, we have conducted around 500 hours of community service, including: Distribution of Christmas Parcels, Olney Fireworks and RiverFest Newport Pagnell Carnival, Maintenance of our Avenue of Oaks, MK Can with MK Foodbank and our Recycling Projects. We also distributed a batch of our %u2018Message in a Bottle%u2019; helped out at BOFF (with FOLIO); marshalled at %u2018Paws in the Park%u2019 in Newport Pagnell and provided a lunch-time concert for our Senior Citizens at the Olney Centre. We also participated in the Lions District Youth Exchange Scheme. DONATIONS: In keeping with our Club constitution, we have made numerous donations to international, national and (mainly) local charities and good causes - including: %u2022 %u00a3500 to Ailsa%u2019s Aim%u2022 %u00a3250 to Olney Infant Academy to refurbish their Wildlife Area%u2022 %u00a31,800 for Christmas parcels for residents in Olney/Newport Pagnell%u2022 %u00a3200 for a local youngster to support her participation in a major UK equestrian event%u2022 %u00a3150 to the Cowper and Newton Museum %u2022 %u00a3485 to Newport Pagnell Youth Club%u2022 %u00a31,500 to Animals in Need %u2013 (who among their other services, make animals available for adoption %u2013 thus adding to the public%u2019s well being)%u2022 %u00a3300 to Emmaus, Carlton%u2022 %u00a31,000 to Motor Neurone Disease%u2022 %u00a3400 to Sightbox%u2022 %u00a31,450 to Lions International Appeals - supporting major disaster relief for Brazil Flooding, Hurricane Idaliai, Morocco Appeal and Taipei Earthquake%u2022 Others %u2013 including sponsorship of Olney hanging baskets, donation to Woodland Trust, contribution to District Senior Citizens Christmas Party, and support for the District Youth Exchange projectA quick %u2018Thank You%u2019 to Lion Steve and our Friend Terri for putting together a fantastic raffl e prize for our Curry Night and Fun Quiz at the Naga Tandoori Restaurant - planned for 15th May - what a super job they%u2019ve made of it! We agreed our usual sponsorship of the town Hanging BasketsWe%u2019ve just picked up another large batch of specs from Punch Opticians in Olney for our Spectacle Recycling project... a HUGE Thank You to them!Exciting New Sponsor - We recently met with Caryn, who is the Family Liaison Coordinator, at Kingsley Healthcare, and is based at the Olney Meadows Care Home. Caryn has very kindly agreed to support a number of our upcoming Lions projects which is excellent news and we really look forward to working with her.That%u2019s all folks!