Lions clubs continue to serve communities

THE Lions Club International’s mission is to empower members, volunteers and partners to improve health and well-being, strengthen communities and support those in need through humanitarian service and grants that impact lives globally and encourage peace and international understanding.

Established in 1971, it is the largest international service organisation in the world, and to this day, the Lions continues to fulfil their mission every day, and Bronwyn Paijmans from the Cowies Hill Lions Club said they take pride in serving the community while having fun doing it.

Lions Clubs International was established in 1917 in Chicago, Illinois, US, by Melvin Jones, a Chicago business leader and a Freemason.

“There are now more than 1.4 million members in more than 200 countries – all united by a common motto – ‘We Serve’.”

Paijmans said that all the Lions Clubs throughout the world embrace the Lions Club International Five Pillars of Service: Vision, Hunger, Diabetes, Childhood Cancer and Environment and try to do projects relating to those pillars.

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According to Paijmans, all Lions Clubs used to be men-only service organisations, and in 1986, the international constitution was amended to allow women to become Lions members at the discretion of the respective clubs.

“This was due to the demand as many of the wives and partners were already assisting their men in fundraising and service projects and were often doing their own individual fundraising or service projects. Ladies now outnumber the men in many clubs, including Cowies Hill, although some clubs are still men-only or ladies-only,” said Paijmans.

The Lions Club of Cowies Hill was chartered in May 1975 and, next year, will be celebrating its 50th anniversary. It is hoped that many of the past members will be able to attend this auspicious celebration especially as Cowies Hill Club is now the only Lions Club in the Highway area.

The Lions Clubs of South Africa are divided into two districts: 410W and 410E. KZN is part of District 410E which has 83 Lions Clubs, approximately 1 100 members and stretches from Port Elizabeth in the Eastern Cape all the way to Polokwane in Limpopo and the Kingdoms of Lesotho and Eswatini.

They can be found in various KZN towns from Newcastle in the north to Ramsgate in the south. Currently, there are eight Lions Clubs in the eThekwini area with Cowies Hill being one of the biggest clubs and also serving one of the largest areas.

How does one become a member?

Paijmans explained that prospective Lions need to be prepared to work with others and volunteer to serve where there is a need.

“Although it is a voluntary organisation, members are required to pay annual dues to belong to the Lions family. Apart from serving the community and making a difference in people’s lives, there are many personal benefits for growth and development, meeting people and making new friends when one becomes a Lion.

“Prospective Lions may contact any of the Cowies Hill Lions to find out more about Lions Clubs International, and if interested, they will then be invited to attend a few meetings and projects and then decide if they wish to get inducted as Lions.”

Charities and outreach programmes

Cowies Hill Lions Club is a busy club that performs many service projects. Some of these are:

– visit Ethelbert Child and Youth Care Centre to assist with homework and do activities with some of the children

– visit Queensburgh Cheshire Homes to play games with the residents and assist at their Market Days

– collect used spectacles to send to Lions Brightsight which provides subsidised spectacles to people

– visit and do activities with children in the Paediatric Oncology Ward at Inkosi Albert Luthuli Hospital

– have regular food collections at various shopping centres in the Highway area, which are then distributed to organisations such as Baby Hope House, Pinetown Methodist Church Pantry, Pinetown Child and Social Welfare, CHOC, Shap Shap, Salvation Army, Emolweni Soup Kitchen, Mariannridge Community and Waterfall Pantry

– co-ordinate collection and distribution of knitted mittens for Seafarers Institute and blankets, jerseys, jumpers and teddies for other organisations

– assist miscellaneous organisations with repairs and maintenance, transport and provision of food and clothing where we see a need and during emergency situations, such as the floods in 2022.

– play games once a month with the residents at Pinehaven Retirement Village

Diabetes and vision screening.

In addition, they also have to raise funds in order to be able to carry out many of their club and district service projects and rely on support from the public. All funds raised from the public have to be used for service projects.

Some of their regular fundraising projects are:

– sale of Lions Christmas cakes – they sold almost 800 Christmas cakes last year
– raffles
– sale of bacon and egg rolls, boerewors rolls and hamburgers at markets
– White Cane Day when funds are raised for sight projects
– Flip-Flop Day to raise funds for childhood cancer

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