Since our formation in 2004 as branch club and from 2006 as a full Lions Club we are very proud of the donations we have made on a consistent basis to many charities and worthy causes. There are too many to list them all but below is a snapshot of our donations. We can state however that:
‘Donations so far this year’
£9,251
‘Total Donations to date’
£304,049
Below is some of our notable donations that we have made in recent years.
2008
Donation of parent beds to children’s ward of King George Hospital
In 2008 the Clover ward was in desperate need of parent beds. It is very often the case that a parent needs to stay in hospital to comfort their son or daughter during their stay in hospital. There were very few beds available and the majority of the parents therefore had to sleep on chairs for the night which is most uncomfortable. The nursing staff do all they can to make them comfortable but are often embarrassed about the lack of facilities they can provide.
Our club donated 14 parent beds and pictured below is the presentation of the beds to the hospital.
PENTAX Digital Camera
2009
Cheque for £250.00 presented to District Governor Lion Vijay Arora for the Baby Lifeline appeal.
Cheque for 501.00 presented to the Arthritis Support Network by Lion president Guy Jandoo.
Cheque for £1,000 presented to Little Heath School by Lion President Guy Jandoo.
Polio children
Fairlop Lions Team up with Polio Children UK to hold a joint fund raising event in October 2009
The purpose of the event was to raise monies for an education programme for the children of SKSN School based in Jodhpur India, where all the children are Polio victims
Our club is very proud to have assisted Polio Children UK, a registered charity whose mission is to ensure that every child with polio will have access to opportunities that will allow him/her to become independent in adult life and join the mainstream of society. They aim to accomplish their mission by supporting existing programs that cater for the special needs of children afflicted with polio and other neuromuscular disorders. Their primary areas of focus are Nutrition, Education, Health care, and Vocational training.
Our association with this charity goes back many years when we first donated money to help fund an education programme under the banner of our mother club, Lions club of London Seven Kings. The founding trustee Mr. Arun Patel is himself a Polio victim which he describes as an ‘evil disease’. Together with his family they are assisting SKSN, a school in India for children who are all polio victims. Many of our members have visited the school in recent years and have been very humbled by the experience. These children are amazing in what they have achieved with the help of this wonderful charity.
This event, held last month was particularly to raise funds for the educational programme. Some 28 children have qualified to progress to university education- over double the expected number! A 3 year study course for each student would cost approx £2880 which includes everything that the student requires in respect of accommodation, food, clothing, educational fees and materials. The total required is just over £80000 and while the charity has some funding it is desperately short of this figure. If funding is not obtained then this will mean disappointment and heartbreak for many students.
What the made the evening so special was the presence of 3 of the children from the school Sonal, Janek and Bitu (pictured opposite) all gave their own account in Hindi and English of their lives both before and after joining the school which for most of the audience was very emotional. They said they were representing their brothers and sisters they had left behind at the school and wanted to thank everyone that is supporting them in person.
On a fantastic evening, our joint venture managed to raise just over £46000 due to the generosity of our caring public. This was achieved by pledges, raffles and auctions and Fairlop Lions and Polio Children UK wishes to thank EVERYONE who helped to support the event as the list is to long to detail!
We will continue to monitor the progress of the students and very much look forward to many graduations in three year’s time!!
2010
Donation of breast cancer machine to King George Hosital
The Lions Club of Fairlop was very proud to present King George Hospital in Ilford a machine that will help them with the treatment of Breast Cancer.
Mr Anthony Pittathankal, Consultant surgeon and Clinical lead for Breast Services at King George approached the club via club President’s wife Rashpal to provide a ‘Nipple Areolar Pigmentation machine’ which will provide patients with a quality reconstruction of the breast.
The machine cost £5000 and the monies were raised by Fairlop Lions at a Diwali function in October 2010 and the club are grateful to everyone who supported the event and made valuable contributions.
The presentation was made to the hospital on 24th March 2011 and pictured below are members of the club with the President and his wife presenting the machine to Mr Pittathankal and members of his team.
2012
Little Heath school for special needs children
Little Heath is a successful and well established school for pupils aged 11-19 with a wide range of needs including moderate and severe learning difficulties and communication needs (including a number with autistic spectrum conditions). We have nearly 150 pupils on site and support around 230 in mainstream settings. The current numbers will rise next year as we expand our Sixth form provision in response to local needs. The school has an excellent reputation locally and beyond. It has a highly skilled and dedicated staff team who work together to ensure all pupils experience an exciting curriculum tailored to meet their individual needs. As a result there is a safe, caring and supportive ethos that enables them to be happy at school and achieve well in their learning.
The school approached our club to help fund some essential sensory equipment for the children and were delighted to make a donation of £1000 to purchase the item. Attending the presentation was the Mayor of Redbridge who also thanked the club for our support. Pictured below is Fairlop Members Lions Praful and Tajinder making the presentation of the sensory equipment to the school in the presence of the Mayor of Redbridge, Headmaster of Little Heath School and some pupils from the school.
Osbourne partnership
Established in 1997, this unique talented registered charitable organisation strives to offer the best possible training and work opportunities for people with learning difficulties. The charity has strong links with the local community forming partnerships with employers, colleges, training providers and the local authority. It has built an enviable reputation, delivering high quality services and obtaining excellent results in both training and work opportunities. The Osborne Partnership is committed to supporting people with learning difficulties in their quest for integration and acceptance in the world of work.
Fairlop Lions Club was delighted to make a contribution to help fund wrist bands that will be distributed during a major event which will help raise around £1500. Pictured below Is Lion Praful making the presentation of the cheque to the Osborne Partnership
RAMFEL
RAMFEL is the Refugee and Migrant Forum of Essex and London, a not for profit organisation led by the needs of the individuals and communities we work with. We place them at the very heart of our work. We work for asylum seekers, migrants, refugees, Black, Asian and ethnic minority communities and anyone experiencing discrimination.
RAMFEL approached us for some monies to fund storage and refrigeration equipment. Pictured below are some of our members making a presentation of a Cheque for £850 to Rita Chadha and her team at RAMFEL
Water Bole Project in Kenya
Together with three/four other Associations we began this project in 2013. Our aim is to create one Bore hole each year to provide clean water to some of the remotest villages in India. To date we contributed almost £11k to this project and hope to continue its success on a yearly basis.
Eye camps in India
The Lions Club of Fairlop have for many years held eye camps in Punjab, India. These camps are attended by several members of the club at their own cost and very much reflects the spirit of Lionism. The eye camps are staged in February and March every year where approx. 600 operations are performed and are a combination of adult and children’s operations. The cost of these operations range between £20,000 to £25,000, all of which is donated by our club from monies raised at our annual Vaisakhi dinner and dance.
Eye sight is something we all take for granted but for the many thousands of poor people in India it is a dream. However, with a simple cataract operation that dream can become a reality. There is only so much we can do in a couple of weeks and it is with great sadness that we have to turn away those people who have come to fulfil their dream and who perhaps may have a chance the following year.
Up to the 2015 Eye Camps our club has funded eye operations to the sum of £185,000.
Below are some of the images from our most recent eye camps.
Further acknowledgements of donations made
Click on each one for more information.