Festive News 2017 by Hereford Lions Club | Page 24

PAGE 24 • FESTIVE NEWS • DECEMBER 2015 Herefor in Commun Ride him cowboy Riding for the Disabled, based at Holme Lacy now has a horse that doesn’t need feeding or grooming – he’s Steady Eddie, a mechanical horse. His role is to help the disabled who go to RDA for therapy sessions to get used to riding a real horse. But getting them into the saddle was a problem. What was needed was an electric hoist, costing £2,500 to lift them safely on to the horse. Hereford Lions Club, long time supporters of RDA were so impressed with Eddie they paid for the hoist. Said Lion Mike Hughes, “The service provided by RDA is of great value to the disabled. Riding a horse is very therapeutic. But it was also important, for the safety of both the rider and those responsible for getting them on to the horse that a hoist is used. Lions were pleased to be able to help this very worthwhile organisation.” Ride him Cowboy! Six year old Ellis Jones loves his horse riding sessions and the therapy is helping his mobility.. Ellis has cerebral palsy and at two and a half a generous public raised the £45,000 for Ellis to go to America for a life changing operation to help him walk with a walking frame. Lions Club contributed £1,500 and members were delighted to meet him again at RDA and see how well he is progressing. LIONS PROJECT TO HELP SAVE LIVES Neil Jenkins of Lions Club hands over the hoist to RDA administrator, Lisa Millman Saturday February 20th 2016 Tel Lion Mick Harmon 01432 357995 Hereford Lions Clu b has set its self a new challenge to help save lives by buying defibrillators for use in public places or venues around the city . Each life-saving machine costs around £1000. The club has set a £5,000budget for the project and is inviting applications from organisations or venues wanting to provide the facility to the public. Said President, Colin Smith, “After a cardiac arrest every SAVE YOUR SPECS Hereford Lions Club collects unwanted spectacles for recycling to overseas countries where people cannot afford to buy them. Said Neil Jenkins, “An old and unwanted pair of specs can, in fact, become a gift of sight to someone in impoverished third world countries..” The club’s latest dispatch totalled … pairs. Clear your drawers of disused specs and drop them into the Lions box at SpecSavers in Maylord shopping centre. minute without CPR reduces the chances of survival by 10%, so the more readily available defibrillators are the better the chances of an individual surviving. “The club believes this is a project the community, and especially all those who support our fund-raising events will welcome as heart attacks happen anytime and anywhere and if there is a defibrillator close by the victim is more likely to survive.” COMMUNITY SUPPORT Hereford Lions Club over the past 12 months have helped a variety of local charities with grants from their community support fund. These are some of them: £250 to St Peter’s Church Close House for cloths for the homeless. £1000 to help Hereford Hospital Radio broadcast to community hospitals in the county, £200 Acorns Hospice, £300 Open Door, £150 Hereford Food Bank, £200 Burghill Scouts for new carpet for scout hut, £100 Mayor’s Charity, £250 St Peters Church shelter for the homeless, £500 Hereford in Bloom, £100 Herefordshire Schools Cricket, £100 Burghill Junior Golf, £100 Deaf Children’s Society, £600 Herefordshire Young Carers, £500 The Haven Breast Cancer Centre, Donations to overseas projects include, £500 Sightsavers, £500 the Ebola crisis appeal fund, £1000 The Nepal earthquake disaster appeal. Hereford Lions Club through its many fund raising events raises around £40,000 a year which is distributed to a variety of small and large projects including £5,000 to Air Ambulance.