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PRPRESIDENT TERRY'S BLOG: JULY 2021

 

Hello. Welcome back to our blog! I have just taken over as President for the Lions' Year 2021-2022.

The club has had limited abilities to function during lockdown and the challenge, as we approach a "new normality", is to find a way forward that enables the club to continue its ability to function and to provide an outreach to our wider community. It is clear that things will never be quite the same again.

We have not been able to hold our usual monthly meetings but have functioned as best we can via monthly Zoom meetings. We were, however, able to provide some support during lockdown: we gave financial assistance to a group of ladies making protective equipment for nurses: we helped a food bank and a toy bank that were set up as a result of the pandemic. Our defibrillator team were able to place another two units during this time: one in Holywell and the other in Ffynnongroew.

Whilst that major part of our outreach was able to tick over, our other "flagship" project, Prostate Cancer Awareness, has been on hold. In the past year. Our charity partner in this campaign, the Graham Fulford Charitable Trust, has been looking into new ways of collecting samples for analysis. We will be keeping a close eye on these developments and, when we know we can safely progress a new campaign, we shall "go public" and assist as many men as possible to have a safe test done at home and sponsored by our Club.

The very successful bedding plant sales, our biggest fund raiser, had to be cancelled in 2020 and 2021. As we approach our ability to function more readily in the community, we have had to take a "rain-check" on the club's various projects. Unfortunately, because of the rising age of the members, the inability to hire vans because of that age issue and the actual physical challenge of the event, we have very regretfully concluded that we cannot continue with the plant sales campaign. We apologise very sincerely to our loyal customers who have supported us in the more than twenty years of these sales. We are determined do all we can to retain your respect as we continue to provide assistance to the communities that we serve.

We are trying something new this year: we have had Christmas cards printed and hope shortly to be able to sell them as the first fund raiser we have been able to have since February 2020. Please look out for them and gives us your support.

I am embarking on a consultation with our members about future meetings, fundraising and projects. I hope that new ways forward will derive from this exercise and we can then get on with our mission the serve the community. When that has been achieved, I shall blog again and share our decisions with you.

In the meantime, please continue to keep safe and take care

Best wishes

Terry Withington

 

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