February Update: The weather put paid to our Zone Meeting which has now been rearranged for the beginning of this Month. Lion VP Mike Barker, our Welfare Officer has been active in the background, every year usually at Christmas, we send donations to local charity's, our budget is flexible and this year £3,500 has been sent out in amounts upwards from £100, The Marlpit is one I believe! If your local charity would like to be considered for a specific project please let us know we may be able to help.

Our major event was our 27th Charter Anniversary Lunch, The Broads Hotel did us proud, special thanks to local chef Peter Culley who stunned some of the guests with his presentations, it tasted great too. Lions Clubs International District Governor David Woodruff and his wife Margaret attended along with our invited guest Peter Mendham and Sarah. Peter has had many donations from Lions Clubs for the East Anglian Air Ambulance but ours was the first Charter Anniversary he had attended, the proceeds of our efforts on the Tombola Stall in the Riverside Centre last summer of £3,500 (2 days operating costs for the helicopter) was presented and he seemed well pleased. We have to date given 4 operating days costs to help keep the Charity flying!

David Woodruff was pleased to accept a cheque for £1,000 towards a special appeal he told us of when he attended a business meeting here in November. Theresa Noble is a nurse who, along with 2 friends takes turns to always stay in an orphanage in China. David related the terrible conditions children are subjected to following the state policy of one child only per family, second and sometimes, disadvantaged young children are abandoned. There was a documentary last year called The

Dieing Rooms, the title speaks for itself, Theresa has done something about it, she is looking for as much help as she can to change the appalling conditions and improve the quality of life for the children. If anyone would like to know more please give me a ring.

We are able to help these special causes primarily from the proceeds of The Lions Shop in the Riverside Centre, your donations of clothes, bric-a-brac, books etc are sold at the best price, our manager Lion Lesley knows that people who donate the articles would not like us to just give them away they are priced accordingly - and sell. This month £100 has been sent to The Cystic Fibrosis Trust, thanks for Angela Claxton of Coltishall for her donation and entering our monthly draw.

Great Yarmouth Lions Club has invited us to a Host Night on the Tuesday, 18th March; they have a short business meeting followed by a presentation, this year it is about the Floods in 1953. Chicken & chip supper included - it's a good night out. As are all our social occasions.

Lions Clubs International is about to mount a National campaign to advertise our Organisation; it will feature our special slogan 'Ordinary People, Amazing Things'. We can make things happen, but need more Ordinary people like the 18 of us to do even more. I can loan a new video about The Lions if anyone would like to borrow it please let me know, who knows next year you might have that special feeling of helping others who really need some help.

David Pye
Lion President
davidpye@lineone.net