LIONS GRANT FOR GEORGIA
PAGE 24 • FESTIVE NEWS • DECEMBER 2018
Credenhill teenager Georgia Ellis
represented Hereford Lions Club
in a Lions District competition to
find a Young Ambassador to go
forward to a national finals with a
£1,000 bursary for the winner.
Georgia, 18, a Sixth Form
student was the district runner-up
in the search for young people
who play a role as volunteers in
their communities. She is a mentor
with the Young Carers Associ-
ation, a leader with her village
Brownies and plans a gap year as
an au pair in America to gain
experience before studying to care
for young children.
The city Lions club gave her a £250 grant to help fund her trip to the USA.
Lion Ian Foster (pictured with Georgia) said supporting young people
achieve their personal goals was a key objective of Lions International.
TEDDY PUTS A SMILE ON
INJURED EDEN’S FACE
Top county gymnast Eden McGarvie
broke her leg in February landing
awkwardly during a training session
ahead of a qualifier to win a place in
the West Midlands team for a
national gymnastics competition.
The 10 year
old Hereford
schoolgirl needed cheering up after
spending the night in the children’s
ward at the County Hospital and
knowing her chances of winning
more awards had been halted while
the leg mended. Right on cue
Hereford Lions Club turned up on the
Monday morning with a delivery of
100 teddies for the ward, bringing a
Eden with lots of teddies and
big smile to Eden’s face when then club
Ian Foster
president Ian Foster presented her with
the first one.
Said Ian: “Missing out on a possible place in a major national competition
was a huge blow for Eden but seeing her big smile and determination to get
fit and be back in training showed just how important the gift of a soft cuddly
toy is to children facing treatment in the ward,”
A pupil at Trinity Primary School, she lives with her parents, Simon and
Nicola in Moor Farm.
Hereford Lions in
LENNIE MAKES A
BIG IMPRESSION
Hereford Lions Club’s mascot, Lennie the Lion made a big impression
on the thousands of visitors to Hereford River Carnival. Not only did
he try to gate crash the formal Mayor’s parade and getting a hug
from the lady mayor but he had ‘high fives’ with hundreds of children
and managed to survive one of the hottest days . The club contributed
to the hugely successful community event by staging ‘games on the
village green,’ a variety of old favourites, welly wanging, bat the rat,
face painting and wheel of fortune.
GARDENING ON
THE CURRICULUM
Mission statement of Lions Clubs International:
We Serve
“To empower volunteers to serve their
communities, meet humantarian needs,
encourage peace and promote international
understanding through Lions Clubs.”
TRACTOR GIFT
Lennie makes lots of new friends
Herefordshire Riding for the Disabled needed a tractor capable
of lifting heavy bales of feed for their horses at their Holme
Lacy centre. Ian Foster, then president of Lions Club asked
fellow Lion Mike Hughes who spent his working life repairing
and selling tractors to find a second hand one, ideal for the job
and at the right price. Mike combed the county and finally
found a Case International for just £4,000.
Ian and fellow Lions were on hand when farmer Robert
Speakman who has a collection of tractors delivered it to the
riding centre. Manager Rachel King said: “It was just what we
wanted and will make life a lot easier.”
Supporting RDA was one of Ian’s president’s projects and he
took the opportunity to check on Trojan, a Welsh Cob Lions
bought for the riding therapy charity which is greatly valued by
the disabled, especially the youngsters.
Lions have also bought a new hoist costing £2,800 to lift
disabled riders onto the horse after the existing one broke down
and was beyond repair.
Mike Hughes and Jude Norcott (left) together with students and
tutors view some of the growing plants in the poly-tunnel.
Sixth form students at Barrs Court special needs college based in
Symonds Street in Hereford can now learn about gardening thanks to
the gift of a poly-tunnel which was officially opened before the start
of the summer holidays.
Special guests were Mike Hughes of Hereford Lions Club and Jude
Norcott of S & A Davies, the Marden based soft fruit growers who
joined forces to help the students achieve their wish to take up
gardening. Lions undertook the ground work and S & A built the poly-
tunnel now full of vegetables and flowers. Expert help was given by
tutors from Growing Point and Growing Local, and teaching assistant
Rex Birchmore.
Rebecca Roberts, who co-ordinated the project said: “The whole
college was very excited to have this new and exciting opportunity to
include gardening on the curriculum. Produce from the poly-tunnel
was sold at our summer fete.”
She added: “We would like to say a huge thankyou to everyone
involved in providing Barrs Court with this fantastic resource.
Ian hands the tractor, already loaded with a bale over to
Rachel King.