Presentation Evening 2017

ANNUAL CHEQUE PRESENTATION AND THANK-YOU EVENING FRIDAY 3 FEBRUARY 2017

Representatives of organisations receiving donations from the Mersea Island Lions Club at their Presentation Evening at Waldegraves Holiday Park in February 2016 – photo Keith Bird

Representatives of organisations receiving donations from the Mersea Island Lions Club at their Presentation Evening at Waldegraves Holiday Park in February 2017 – photo Keith Bird

This is the evening when we make donations to local charities and deserving causes as a result of our fund-raising throughout the year. It is also the occasion when we are able to publicly thank our volunteers and those who sponsor our fund-raising events. Without their help we could not raise these funds, or carry out our work in the community. We call them S.M.I.L.Es – Supporting Mersea Island Lions Efforts.

Our President, Lion Christine Chamberlain, sent her apologies as she is awaiting major spinal surgery. Past President Lion Roy Chamberlain led the proceedings and introduced our distinguished guests Lions International 105EA District Governor Lion Nigel Folkard and his wife Marion, Zone Chairman Lion Sandie Briault and her husband Lion Tony, and the West Mersea Town Council Deputy Mayor Robert Jenkins and his wife Sue.

DONATIONS given to charities and deserving causes during the past year was over £13,000.

  1. £10.000 was presented to the following charities during the evening:-
    Essex Air Ambulance
    Mersea Island Packing Shed
    Mersea Island Explorer Scouts
    Mersea Island First Responders
    1st Mersea Island Guides
    Mersea Island Blind Spot
    Mersea Island Junior Rugby Football Club
    Mersea Island Junior Squash Club
    Mersea Island Methodist Church Toddler Group
    Mersea Island Free Church Toddler Group
    Mersea Island RNLI
    Mersea Island Festival
    Action for Family Carers
    Colchester Hospital Cancer Campaign
    Colchester Hospital Time Garden
    Tools with a Mission
    BikeActive
    Revitalise Respite Holidays
    Lions 105EA District Governor Lady’s Charity – Cystic Fibrosis
    Lions 105 District Centennial Project – Hearing Dogs
  2. Donations were also made to clubs and individuals during the past year when the Club had been asked for financial help. Some of the ways in which we have helped this year are:
    Taking a group of foster children to the Lions Children’s Fun Day at Gt Yarmouth Circus
    Children in Need
    RBL Poppy Appeal
    Supporting the Zone Wardens in their work with the School and Elderly on Mersea Island
    A Christmas Day lunch and tea for 31 people home-alone on Christmas Day
    A defibrillator sited at Cudmore Grove

The monies enabling us to support these worthy causes had been raised by:-

  • Manning the gate at a Waldegraves Car Boot Sale
  • Selling raffle tickets on behalf of the Mersea Food Drink and Leisures Festival
  • Round the Island All Terrain Race (half marathon), and 5 & 10 Mile Races
  • The Annual Lions Summer Show and Transport and Classic Car Show
  • Car-parking for the Colchester and District Scooter Rally
  • Selling mulled wine, mince pies and sausage rolls at Mersea Lights-up
  • The Christmas Street Collection for the Home-alone Christmas Dinners
  • Monies raised by letting out our beach-hut which is available for use in the community.

Waldegraves presented us with a cheque for £2,105. We are delighted to be working with them, we also appreciate their generosity and hospitality through out the year.

Once again we are most grateful to David Lord of Waldegraves Holiday and Leisure Park for enabling us to hold this annual event in the Wheatsheaf.  We are particularly indebted to Chris Parsons and all his staff who do so much to make the evening such a huge success.

Our Greatest achievement of the year?

Our new Lions Community Mini Bus which was parked outside during the evening

Our thanks to all who have made donations and helped make this possible.

Photos of the evening: