International Portfolio Reports
Moorfields Lions Korle Bu Trust Chairman
PID Lion Howard Lee
MD105 Very Own Sight Project
I make no apology for once again explaining why our very own sight project is so desperately needed.
In West Africa, there are around 2.6 million people known to be blind, but the actual total could be twice that figure. Whilst up to 90% of this blindness could be cured or prevented, sight services available in the region have historically been at levels only around 20% of those needed to tackle the problem. So, the most important part of our MD105 project, the Lions international Eye Centre, Korle Bu, is to provide training for ophthalmic surgeons and their teams, IN West Africa, BY West Africa, FOR West Africa. This training project is now showing very positive results, leading to much improve sight services throughout the region, both in terms of quality and quantity.
We Lions of MD105 continue to work with Moorfields Eye Hospital, University College London, Korle Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH), West African College of Surgeons (WACS) and others to run training courses at the Lions International Eye Centre (LIEC) which we have built and equipped at Ghana's main teaching hospital in Accra. The centre provides a resource for the diagnosis, management and treatment of all eye diseases, whilst enabling specialists from across West Africa to train in a safe and high-volume surgery unit. Once trained, ophthalmologists not only put their skills to use in their place of work in West Africa, but also pass on their knowledge and skills to colleagues, disseminating expertise and helping to eliminate preventable blindness from cataract, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy and many other conditions across the region.
Without your continued support, we would not have been able to achieve this. On behalf of everyone involved in the project, thank you.
Our Eye Centre
Before the LIEC was built, the KBTH Ophthalmic Department was only able to treat around 75 patients per day. Now they can treat up to 300 patients per day. This is a massive improvement, but this is only possible if the medical teams have the necessary expertise. Therefore, our training courses are a vital component in the development of the capacity and standards necessary to improve significantly the sight services available.
Work on the development of courses is progressing very well. Courses in Small Incision Cataract Surgery, Diabetic Retinopathy and Glaucoma are now fully up and running, being organised almost entirely by our own local courses manager based in Accra and staffed entirely by West African ophthalmologists whom we have trained as faculty members. Our first course in Paediatric Cataract is due to be held this July, and further courses are being prepared in Oculoplastics and Sickle Cell Retinopathy.
Most excitingly, we are running an online course introducing suitably trained medical personnel to the speciality of ophthalmic surgery, and this course is now in the curriculum for fellowship of WACS.
In addition, we have trained over 200 nurses and other staff in modern techniques in ophthalmic support services, patient flows, patient record keeping, etc.
Our latest review calculates that our overall results to date are:
Moorfields House
Along with the Lions International Eye Centre, we built an accommodation block, with full catering facilities, known as Moorfields House. The original purpose of this block was to cut out the high cost of housing our students and facilitators in hotels during the courses, and it is now being used for this purpose. However, since opening it, we have found that there is great demand for space within the hospital grounds. We have rented two rooms to WACS and two rooms to World Child Cancer, all used as offices on a long-term basis. This still leaving us sufficient bedrooms for our accommodation use. We continue to receive a good number of enquiries for accommodation space by others visiting KBTH for various reasons, and we are now making a significant surplus on Moorfield House to be ploughed back into our courses programme.
The Future Looks Great
Be in no doubt, the work we Lions are now doing, in partnership with others, is providing West Africa with sight services of a quality and quantity that could not have been envisaged before, and we are changing huge numbers of lives for the better.
Our plan is to build up the number of courses to six per year, thus providing direct training to between 20 and 24 ophthalmologists annually. All our courses now contain a "train the trainer" element, so that the skills can be passed onto many others.
We have been working on reducing the cost of courses. Over the last two years we have reduced the costs from around £15,000 each to around £10,000 each.
To move towards true sustainability, we must seek local West African sources of finance. Ideas of how this can be done are being considered.
Your Help Is Needed
I am sure you will agree that our project is desperately needed, and that now it is really coming to fruition. However, it will take another three to five years to reach the level of sustainability towards which we strive. In the meantime, your continued support is vital to gain the benefits of all the hard work and resources which we Lions have committed in the past.
We should be delighted If you would like to sponsor a whole course at £10,000, or an individual student at £2,500. But donations of any size are important to us.
Please send your donations to your District Charities Treasurer clearly marked "Korle Bu".
A Huge Thank You
Many thanks to all our Trustees for their hard work. This includes PCC Chris Iles, PDG Max Mongia and PCC Andy Pemberton. I am also pleased to say that our team has recently be joined by PCC Stewart Sherman-Kahn, and we welcome him on board
On behalf of everyone involved in the project, and on behalf of the many thousands of people in West Africa who are benefitting from our work, I thank you again for your kind and loyal support in the past, and I would ask you to continue that support for the next few years.
PID Lion Howard Lee
Chairman, Moorfields Lions Korle Bu Trust
Gift for Living
Environmental Report to Convention 2024
Refugee Report for MD Convention 2024
Refugee Officer
In July 2023, I was privileged to have been appointed as the MD Refugee Officer. The focus of this new role was to develop and support this area of service for the Lions Clubs in our Multiple District.
According to the United Nation Refugee Council statistics, as of November 2022 there were 231,597 refugees, 127,421 pending asylum cases and 5,483 stateless persons in the UK including recent Ukrainians refugees. This gives us a great opportunity to make difference to the lives of people who face many hardships as they seek to settle in the UK or want to return home.
As this was a new a role in our Multiple District, I initially contacted all the District Governors to ascertain the status of how Clubs in our Multiple District already engaged in this area of service. I also requested for names of any Lions interested in taking this agenda forward in their District with the aim of having a contact point.
Many of the Clubs have been involved with families from Ukraine. Under the government scheme ("Homes for Ukraine") families were placed with hosts. Club members have worked with local Ukrainian support groups to help with shopping, driving to appointments, donations, paying for furnishing of houses for resettlement, befriending, and supporting English classes. One Club has also produced a booklet on the safety from un-exploded land mines aimed especially at Ukrainian Children who might return home for holidays or to their families.
Although there is a still a need to support people coming in from the Ukraine and this is likely to continue, there are other groups that need more support, especially asylum seekers. Many local authorities have dedicated departments that deal with this area of work and can be contacted for local groups that we as Lions can access.
There are several key charities that provide support for refugees and asylum seekers:
- The UN Refugee Agency | UNHCR UK
- British Red Cross
- Refugee Action
- Refugee Council
- Scottish Refugee Council
- Welsh Refugee Council
The City of Sanctuary is a charity that has groups across the UK to build a more welcoming UK for people forced to flee their homes. Lion Clubs have the opportunity to be part of this network and work with groups that have already been set up.
The National Community Engagement Team from the Home office offers workshops on dangers around exploitation, human trafficking, modern slavery and organised immigration crime. Lions Clubs can host events and run immigration surgeries to raise such awareness, whilst supporting communities.
The key to get involved is to be proactive and work in partnership with other agencies.
The displacement of large groups of people across a wide area is a humanitarian crisis. Lions across the world are already supporting refugees to settle in their new environments. We have a crisis on our door. Anything we can do individually or collectively to make a change for the better is worth doing.
Although we can focus on how we can support this area of service, we must also remember that refugees and asylum seekers are looking for opportunities to offer their skills, gain employability skills and learn to be part of our society. Lions Clubs can offer these opportunities to them as volunteers, so engagement is not just about Lions giving support, it is also about utilising what they can offer.
I think I have only touched the surface of this new service area. My focus for the future will be to establish a team across our Multiple District to promote service opportunities locally and to establish partnerships with other key organisations to take this agenda forward.
I am happy to be contacted for any further information.
LCIF Co-ordinators Report for MD Convention
PDG Lion David Pope
Refugee Report for MD Convention 2024
Refugee Officer
In July 2023, I was privileged to have been appointed as the MD Refugee Officer. The focus of this new role was to develop and support this area of service for the Lions Clubs in our Multiple District.
According to the United Nation Refugee Council statistics, as of November 2022 there were 231,597 refugees, 127,421 pending asylum cases and 5,483 stateless persons in the UK including recent Ukrainians refugees. This gives us a great opportunity to make difference to the lives of people who face many hardships as they seek to settle in the UK or want to return home.
As this was a new a role in our Multiple District, I initially contacted all the District Governors to ascertain the status of how Clubs in our Multiple District already engaged in this area of service. I also requested for names of any Lions interested in taking this agenda forward in their District with the aim of having a contact point.
Many of the Clubs have been involved with families from Ukraine. Under the government scheme ("Homes for Ukraine") families were placed with hosts. Club members have worked with local Ukrainian support groups to help with shopping, driving to appointments, donations, paying for furnishing of houses for resettlement, befriending, and supporting English classes. One Club has also produced a booklet on the safety from un-exploded land mines aimed especially at Ukrainian Children who might return home for holidays or to their families.
Although there is a still a need to support people coming in from the Ukraine and this is likely to continue, there are other groups that need more support, especially asylum seekers. Many local authorities have dedicated departments that deal with this area of work and can be contacted for local groups that we as Lions can access.
There are several key charities that provide support for refugees and asylum seekers:
- The UN Refugee Agency | UNHCR UK
- British Red Cross
- Refugee Action
- Refugee Council
- Scottish Refugee Council
- Welsh Refugee Council
The City of Sanctuary is a charity that has groups across the UK to build a more welcoming UK for people forced to flee their homes. Lion Clubs have the opportunity to be part of this network and work with groups that have already been set up.
The National Community Engagement Team from the Home office offers workshops on dangers around exploitation, human trafficking, modern slavery and organised immigration crime. Lions Clubs can host events and run immigration surgeries to raise such awareness, whilst supporting communities.
The key to get involved is to be proactive and work in partnership with other agencies.
The displacement of large groups of people across a wide area is a humanitarian crisis. Lions across the world are already supporting refugees to settle in their new environments. We have a crisis on our door. Anything we can do individually or collectively to make a change for the better is worth doing.
Although we can focus on how we can support this area of service, we must also remember that refugees and asylum seekers are looking for opportunities to offer their skills, gain employability skills and learn to be part of our society. Lions Clubs can offer these opportunities to them as volunteers, so engagement is not just about Lions giving support, it is also about utilising what they can offer.
I think I have only touched the surface of this new service area. My focus for the future will be to establish a team across our Multiple District to promote service opportunities locally and to establish partnerships with other key organisations to take this agenda forward.
I am happy to be contacted for any further information.
1. Decision Required of Council – Ensure prompt forwarding on of payments made
2. Justification for Decision Required – Clubs / individuals are not being recognised for their donations in a timely manner
3. Action taken since last Report – See report below:
4. Other matters – See report below:
Please remember - LCIF Magnifies Lions impact to serve.
The desperate need for our International Foundation continues, the support for the devastation around the world both natural & man-made is not reducing, these all require our love, support and donations. Please continue to support our International Foundation. Remember that LCIF magnifies the action of Lions. A huge thank you to everyone who has contributed, the generosity of the Lions of the British Isles is truly humbling.
Donations received by Linda Picton from Districts for 2023/24 are as follows:
| LCIF DONATIONS 2023 - 2024 April 2024 | ||||||||||||||||||
| April | March | February | January | December | November | October | September | August | July | % MD | ||||||||
| 2024 | 2023 | YTD | ||||||||||||||||
| A | 1,670.50 | 1,911.00 | 4,025.00 | 5,350.00 | 696 | 5,844.50 | 12319 | 7544 | 5397 | 44,757.00 | A | 14.48% | ||||||
| CE | 4,343.80 | 1,251.96 | 19,020.00 | 2,921.75 | 2,582.00 | 3,035.00 | 12035 | 7910 | 292 | 2610 | 56,001.51 | CE | 18.12% | |||||
| CN | 13,632.00 | 3,434.41 | 1,900.00 | 2,250.00 | 950 | 2,100.00 | 8350 | 3594.47 | 3760 | 2950 | 42,920.88 | CN | 13.89% | |||||
| CW | 4,130.00 | 11,377.60 | 880 | 80 | 9,762.72 | 120 | 13141 | 80 | 100 | 39,671.32 | CW | 12.84% | ||||||
| N | 5,600.00 | 8,380.00 | 5,061.27 | 1,253.00 | 1,711.00 | 3,105.00 | 7703.61 | 2550 | 3150 | 3858 | 42,371.88 | N | 13.71% | |||||
| SC | 11,679.31 | 5,880.00 | 4,540.00 | 550 | 14,818.00 | 37,467.31 | SC | 12.12% | ||||||||||
| SE | 4,257.00 | 4,040.00 | 450 | 1,500.00 | 1,000.00 | 3,125.00 | 11928.75 | 500 | 26,800.75 | SE | 8.67% | |||||||
| SW | 4,013.00 | 2,776.00 | 2,600.00 | 1,500.00 | 450 | 350 | 3858.85 | 3450.2 | 18,998.05 | SW | 6.15% | |||||||
| MD105 | - | 70 | 70 | MD105 | 0.02% | |||||||||||||
| - | ||||||||||||||||||
| TOTAL | 49,325.61 | 39,050.97 | 38,476.27 | 14,854.75 | 17,701.72 | 32,497.50 | 69,336.21 | 25,128.67 | 12,769.00 | 9,918.00 | 309,058.70 | TOTAL | 100.00% | |||||
It is clear from the table above that there are some Districts who still withhold donations (105SC had banking issues) and not forwarding them onto LCIF in a timely manner, these delayed payments disappoint clubs & individuals who do not have their LCIF payments credited as quickly as possible.
You will be aware that donations passed through from Districts to Lion Linda Picton to transfer to LCIF have been irregular from some Districts, please work with your District Treasurers to forward on your payments to Lion Linda Picton by the 20th of EVERY month – THANK YOU
Timing of submitting payments through to the LCI Foundation is one of the main complaints from clubs we get. Our International Foundation quite rightly have a strict cut-off for receipt of payments and data.
Ukraine Stoves
Following a compelling appeal in early February to support an initiative to supply stoves to Ukraine, this was really well received by clubs and individuals in the British Isles, below are the amounts raised by District, cumulating in an amazing 433 stoves @ 150 Euros each.
| MD105 Ukraine Stove Donations by District |
|||||||||
| A | CE | CN | CW | N | SC | SE | SW | TOTAL | |
| Feb | £ 250.00 | £1,950.00 | £ 800.00 | £ 3,000.00 | |||||
| Mar | £ 2,524.41 | £ 5,667.60 | £5,890.00 | £ 3,300.00 | £ 4,040.00 | £1,776.00 | £ 23,198.01 | ||
| Apr | £ 3,652.80 | £ 6,982.00 | £ 2,560.00 | £3,100.00 | £ 7,239.31 | £ 3,657.00 | £2,163.00 | £ 29,354.11 | |
| Totals | £ - | £ 3,652.80 | £ 9,756.41 | £ 8,227.60 | £10,940.00 | £ 10,539.31 | £ 7,697.00 | £4,739.00 | £ 55,552.12 |
| % MD | 0.00 | 6.58 | 17.56 | 14.81 | 19.69 | 18.97 | 13.86 | 8.53 | 100 |
| Euro Exchange rate | |||||||||
| 1.17 | 0 | € 4,273.78 | € 11,415.00 | € 9,626.29 | € 12,800 | € 12,330.99 | € 9,005.49 | € 5,544.63 | € 64,995.98 |
| 150 Euros per stove | 0 | 28 | 76 | 64 | 85 | 82 | 60 | 37 | 433 |
LCIF Grant data
Each of the LCIF cause pages also has data ongrant making in that cause area which is updated three times annually. For example, with Disaster relief, there is a place on the website to download disaster grant making data. Same for the Humanitarian cause area data is available on the web page for download.
The LCIF cause area web pages are found when you hover of click on Support Your Foundation.
LCIF Stories of Pride
The following link will take you direct to what you make possible LCIF - Stories of Pride (lcifpride.org)
I am pleased to report that personal donations have increased following my presentation at MD Convention 2023 and my subsequent Council reports. Remember our International Foundation has re-introduced a recognition badge for donations of $50, $100 and $200 – these are available from your District Foundation Co-ordinator.
I am not a fan of cheque book Lionism, but one simple way of making personal donations is to collect your loose change through the year and donate it to our International Foundation. I also make a donation when I attend a funeral in memory of the individual rather that add to the collection plate, both ways increase the level of my personal donations to LCIF without impacting too much on my wallet.
The latest LCIF Annual Report (2022/23) is available to download from the link below.
https://www.lionsclubs.org/en/explore-our-foundation/annual-report
Thank you for your continued support for our International Foundation.
