Not just a night at the Museum

In the past few months COGs have helped out our local museum. East Surrey Museum is based in Station Road Caterham and houses a surprisingly large number of interesting objects. Firstly, we were asked to help support the purchase of a new display case and to provide some funds for the dinosaur corner. The children’s section of the museum houses many toys from our childhood but also current toys that any visitors can play with, perhaps while their parents or carers are having a look around! Secondly COGs helped out with the provision of new chairs with arms for patrons to sit on, an access ramp for wheelchair users and a loop system for those with appropriate hearing aids. These last three items struck a chord with the Club and we were very pleased to fully fund all of them,

As part of our members social activities, we were granted a special after-hours tour of the museum and these two photos show Lion President Rita Reissland with Chairman of East Surrey Museum, Mark Wiles showing off the new chairs and dinosaur corner.

COGs Help Caterham Food Bank

In early December the Club agreed once again to support Caterham Food Bank with some extra parcels packed with some Christmas orientated food items. The Club donated £2000 specifically for this purpose and it enabled the Food Bank team to create 276 parcels tailored to their clients needs over Christmas.

In parallel to this members of the Club donated money to Lions Sightsavers https://www.sightsavers.org/how-to-help/community-groups/lions-sight-savers-trust/  instead of sending Christmas cards to one another. Topped up by the Lions charitable account we were able to donated £500 towards this valuable work keeping to our maxim of Lions being” Knights of the Blind” This title was coined by Hellen Kellar in the early days of Lions International.

Easter help for St Catherine’s Hospice

For some years now COG Lions have given Easter Eggs for the patients at St. Catherine’s Hospice, at Pease Pottage.   This year the Hospice asked if we minded donating the money to their Catering Fund instead.  We were of course only too pleased to agree. Lion President Rita took a trip down the motorway and is pictured presenting a Sainsbury’s Gift Voucher to buy some Easter Goodies.   Hospices are going through a rough time, along with others, of course, and St. Catherine’s has had to close some beds in its lovely modern new building at Pease Pottage.  Also closed is its Community Café but there are several Hospice Charity shops in local High Streets, so if you have suitable items, why not take them along and help this wonderful organisation?