Global Action Team

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Global Membership - PCC Stewart Sherman-Kahn

This year MD105 has been fully focussed on Membership as we continue our commitment to Mission 1.5.

The year began with a Membership Summit which was held from 6-7 September 2025. This was attended by DG's, GMT's and GET's from all 8 District.

This was made possible by funding from MD105.

I must acknowledge and thank CC Stu and the Council for ensuring the Membership has been kept at the top of the Agenda for MD105.

The Council and their Vice Council have given the MD a Challenge. Challenge 10K. The aim of this challenge is to increase the membership of MD105 back to 10,000.

Monthly Meetings with the GMT and GET Teams from all the Districts and our neighbours in District 133 (Ireland) have been held. This has been a chance for us all to share success and discuss challenges. These Meetings have been well attended and thanks to all those GMT and GET Officers who have attended and participated. We have leant and shared so much with each other.

In this Lions year a new Membership Guide Pack was sent out to all Club Presidents containing a wealth of information to help with recruitment, retention and more and a call to action. This is now available on the Bookcase. A great resource provided to all.

This was possible thanks to a Grant from LCI and funding from MD105. Always thanks must go to Brigitte for her hard work on making this an amazing new resource.

So, where are we, at the time of writing Mid-April 2025 the Membership of MD105 stands at 8920. Yes, some way to go BUT again Membership has increased at this time of year and 5 Districts are showing positive Membership growth. This was only 3 Districts this time last year. Progress

To build on the green shorts of growth we all need to remember to share and show how much we enjoy being a Lion. Ensure that when we are out serving, we do it out loud. Showing our brand to our community and the online world.

When was the last time you asked someone to join? What is the worst that can happen? They could say "No" but the next person you ask may say yes.

As Mission 1.5 enters its final year next year there is still work do to. At a recent Council Meeting the Council confirmed how hard they, with their teams, are working to grow Membership. Even an increase of MD Membership of +1 would mark amazing progress and something which we can all be proud of.

It seems that we are good at recruitment and we have been again this year. However, we struggle to retain members. We all know there is only 1 reason Members leave and that is because they are not enjoying their Membership or getting what they want or expect from it.

Do we need to start asking Members what they want and expect from us rather that telling them what we want or expect from them. Food for thought.

Remember in each District there is a Membership Officer and Extension Officer now who is there to help you. They will be attending a Membership Summit in June and if you need help, advice or inspiration then give them a shout.

I have no doubt that if we all work together, we can indeed start to grow Membership in MD105 again and ensure that England, Scotland and Wales are served by Lions for many years to come.

Challenge-10k-logo


Global Extension Team - Lion David Houghton

It is difficult to believe it has been twelve months since our last convention report and what a year it has been. The second Mission 1.5 Summit was held in June 2025 in Warsaw, Poland which was very productive and led to a Membership Summit being held for MD105 in September 2025. This was made possible through funding from MD105 and was attended by DG's, GMT's and GET's from all 8 districts.

The monthly meetings with all the MD GMT & GET Teams have continued throughout the year where we have been able to listen and learn from those successes achieved across our Multiple District. This past year has clearly highlighted the need for new clubs to be formed on a good firm foundation, giving new members a clear understanding of Lionism and this can be seen across our Multiple District where club branches have been formed that have subsequently grown into fully Chartered Clubs. This approach will continue during this coming year to build our clubs and membership on firm foundations.

Speciality Clubs have also been a major topic during this past year with the potential development of Virtual Clubs in four Districts across the MD. Once more the process is the formation of a Club Branch that will then be grown into a fully chartered club. One such example is the Knights of the Blind virtual club.

Information gleaned from the portal indicates, as of 31st March 2026, we have formed 3 new clubs but have dropped 18 this Lionistic year. While this gives a reason to be concerned it must also indicate an opportunity where we can reorganise clubs in those areas. This is confirmed by the fact that during the same period 10 clubs have been reorganised.

Without doubt we still have work to do to ensure we can achieve the Challenge 10,000 members within our Multiple District, but by working together we can meet this goal. However, we should recognise the fact that while membership is important are our clubs relevant in today's society. Are we meeting the needs of the community, where we are we have seen growth. Your Multiple District membership team is there to help, "TOGETHER WE CAN AND TOGETHER WE WILL" make a difference.

David Houghton

GET Coordinator MD105


Global Service Team - Lion Dr Chris Hibbert

This has been my first year serving as Multiple District Global Service Team Lead. Although I have spent many years within the GST as Hunger Officer, stepping into this role has provided a much broader perspective on our service activities across all portfolios. It has been an energising and rewarding year, and I have thoroughly enjoyed becoming more closely involved with each area of service and witnessing the passion, commitment, and creativity shown by our Specialist Officers.

I would like to place on record my sincere thanks to Lion Sarah Holey. Her organisation, attention to detail, and calm efficiency have been instrumental in supporting both myself and the wider team throughout the year, and her contribution has made this role significantly easier.

Team Building and Development

We began the year with an incomplete team, which inevitably created early challenges. I am pleased to report that all Specialist Officer roles have now been filled, with the appointment of a Vision Officer, Environment Officer, Diabetes Officer, and, most recently, a Hunger Officer.

To support a smooth transition, Sarah and I have held individual meetings or extended phone calls with each new officer to help bring them up to speed as quickly as possible. During the year we have held one face‑to‑face GST meeting and two virtual meetings. These sessions have been consistently well attended and have generated strong discussion, idea‑sharing, and enthusiasm across all portfolios.

Building Synergies

Alongside team building, one of our key aims has been to encourage greater collaboration across service portfolios. I am pleased to see increasing synergy between officers, with colleagues supporting one another's initiatives, sharing ideas, and adding value across traditional portfolio boundaries. This collaborative approach is strengthening the GST and helping us present a more joined‑up and impactful service offer.

Objectives and Communication

At the start of the year, we issued separate welcome letters outlining expectations for Multiple District Specialist Officers and District GST Leads. A priority objective was to improve communication and accessibility, which we addressed by creating and sharing a comprehensive GST contact list across the team.

These seemingly simple steps have helped clarify roles, streamline communication, and support more effective coordination between Districts and the Multiple District GST.

Results Sharing and Marketing

One of our key objectives this year was to improve how we capture and share service and fundraising projects. To support this, we introduced a Google Form designed to gather examples of projects that could be used for learning, sharing good practice, and developing marketing and promotional materials.

Our specific aim was for each Specialist Officer to receive at least one project submission from each District within their service portfolio. While this has not yet been as successful as we had hoped, we have received 12 reports to date. These submissions are greatly appreciated and provide a solid foundation on which to build next year, as we continue to refine the process and encourage wider participation.

Service Reporting and Impact

In addition to project sharing, Lion Sarah Holey has compiled and distributed monthly service reporting data to the GST team and the Council Chair for onward circulation. This regular reporting provides transparency and enables us to monitor progress throughout the year.

At the time of writing, our Lions and Leos have:

Volunteer hours are a critical measure of impact especially as they are less subjective than people served. Using the UK National Minimum Wage of £12.71 per hour, our 262,828 volunteer hours equate to a community value of £3.34 million, underlining the substantial economic contribution made by Lions and Leos through service.

While we still have some way to go to match last year's figures, these numbers clearly demonstrate the ongoing commitment of our members to meaningful service within their communities.

Global Weeks of Service

The Global Weeks of Service for Mental Health and Wellbeing, Hunger, and Environment formed an important part of our service calendar this year. These designated weeks were intended to focus collective action on key global causes while maximising public awareness through coordinated, large‑scale participation and publicity.

By encouraging clubs across the Multiple District to deliver service activities within defined timeframes and common themes, the Global Weeks of Service provided a platform for shared messaging, increased visibility, and stronger storytelling at local, national, and international levels.

Service Tourism

You may have heard the phrase "Service Tourism" used on a few occasions this year. For some, this may immediately conjure images of travelling long distances to serve alongside fellow Lions in far‑off countries. While this is certainly one important aspect of Service Tourism, it is not the whole picture.

Service Tourism also takes place much closer to home, between neighbouring clubs, across zones, and throughout our districts. At its heart, Service Tourism encourages Lions to step outside their own clubs, to experience service in different settings, and to see the bigger picture of what Lions achieve collectively. It fosters learning, shared experience, and the development of strong friendships beyond club boundaries.

I am aware of many excellent examples of Service Tourism taking place across our Multiple District and beyond this year. My thanks go to all those who have embraced this approach and helped strengthen collaboration, understanding, and fellowship through shared service.

Kindness Matters Service Award (KMSA)

The Kindness Matters Service Award is one of the most prestigious service awards within Lions International, recognising outstanding and innovative service projects across our global causes.

This year, we received entries from three Districts: District A, CN, and CE. I would like to thank those Districts for promoting and supporting the award, and the clubs and Leo members who submitted such impressive and inspiring projects.

Selecting winning projects was not easy, both at District level and within the Multiple District. Notably, this year included an entry from a Leo member alongside Lions Club entries, which was particularly encouraging. Both Multiple District winning entries were submitted to LCI, and I am delighted to report that one of these was successful in achieving a Kindness Matters Service Award.

Looking ahead, it would be fantastic to receive entries from all Districts next year — not only to strengthen our presence internationally, but also to make an already difficult judging process even harder.

Closing thoughts

In closing, this year has laid strong foundations in terms of team development, collaboration, and communication. While there is still work to be done — particularly around project sharing and engagement — the direction of travel is positive. I am confident that, by continuing to build on these foundations, the GST will go from strength to strength in the coming year.

Thank you to all GST officers, District teams, and Lions and Leos for your continued dedication to service.


Diabetes - Lion Dr Anand Ramakrishnan

After taking over as MD diabetes officer in November 2025, we have made good progress thanks to the district diabetes officers and active clubs.

Objectives of our diabetes programme:

1. Help others to realise the strong link that diabetes has with unhealthy lifestyle and mental health issues.

2. Enhance awareness and understanding of diabetic conditions & complications among those most at risk.

3. Encourage those at risk to seek appropriate investigations and NHS support

4. Involve as many Lions as possible in the Diabetes Programme nationally.

The districts are doing various activities to help raise funds for the national charity, Diabetes-UK, and to improve awareness of diabetes among public. Few activities are described here:

  1. District 105A is doing diabetes screening tests and have done about 500 tests so far this Lion year.
  2. 105 SW organises Strides walk, walk around estuary and river once a month for 6km x2 years, attends monthly Diabetes-UK meeting at local community centre with Lion funds, This was started in January 2024.They also organise events at farmers market/community hub forum etc, and holds cookery classes to promote healthy eating with cheaper foods.
  3. 105 CW organises support groups that covers whole of S. Birmingham. Meetings are well attended and finger-prick diabetes testing (silver star) utilised at zone meetings. He has been visiting local library and is part of a monthly forum; the group also go to other 10 libraries in the region.
  4. 105 SC recent Diabetes Officer participated in the 3.4 million steps challenge last year and raised £1400 for Diabetes-UK. This year he is planning for "8 million challenge", started on 5th of November 2025 for one year. He walks 25,000 steps-17 kilometres every day and he's able to meet a lot of people with diabetes and talk to them.
  5. 105 CE, Diabetes Officer persuades clubs to have a district wide diabetes network. He organised diabetes screening and 220 people were tested locally.
  6. As MD Diabetes Officer I have been having regular contact with many district officers who are providing excellent service to their communities and raising awareness of diabetes. I have organised 2 webinars already on diabetes and mental health and managing diabetes; that were well received by many Lions and families. Plan is to hold one webinar every month for the rest of the year. All are requested to send me what you would like to hear from speakers and send your comments and feedback. My email contact is given above.

I thank the MD Council for appointing me as the Diabetes Officer and GST Lead for his encouragement and support. Also, thanks to the admin staff and managers for their wholehearted support


Environment - Lion PDG Neil Martin MJF

Introduction

Over the past 12 months, the Environment Portfolio across MD105 has built on the strong foundations established in 2024–2025. The focus this year has been to move from awareness and resource gathering to structured delivery, engagement, and measurable impact.

The guiding theme has been:

"Local Action, Global Impact – The Lions Environmental Portfolio"

This report provides an overview of the objectives, progress, key achievements, and the direction of travel for 2026–2027.

The Objective for 2025–2026

At the start of the year, a clear objective was set:

To develop and launch an MD105 Environmental Best Practice Toolkit

Alongside this, the commitment has been:

Progress Throughout the Year

1. Strengthening District Engagement

Engagement with District Environment Officers and general membership is ongoing:

This has helped create a stronger, more connected environmental network across MD105.

2. Growth in Club-Level Environmental Activity

Clubs across MD105 continue to deliver a wide range of impactful projects:

These activities reflect a strong grassroots commitment to environmental service and community engagement.

There has also been increasing recognition of the link between:

Environment, Wellbeing, and Mental Health with outdoor projects helping reduce isolation and improve community wellbeing.

3. Development and Launch of the Environmental Toolkit

The major milestone of the year has been the successful:

Launch of the MD105 Environmental Toolkits

Now available via the MD website service bookcases, these toolkits provide practical "how-to" guidance for clubs, covering:

Each toolkit includes:

This represents a shift from ideas to action-ready resources for every club.

4. Innovation and New Initiatives

Several new initiatives have supported engagement and innovation:

5. Building Foundations for Measurement and Impact

A key challenge identified has been capturing and sharing the impact of environmental service. To address this:

6. Supporting Safe and Responsible Environmental Action

Work has also started on providing guidance to clubs around:

This ensures clubs can deliver projects confidently, safely, and in compliance with regulations.

Achievements and Goals Met

Over the past year, we have successfully:

✔ Strengthened engagement with District Environment Officers
✔ Increased visibility and coordination of environmental service
✔ Developed and launched the MD105 Environmental Toolkits
✔ Supported international initiatives including Environment Week
✔ Introduced new engagement tools such as competitions and podcasts
✔ Begun development of a central Environment Hub for impact reporting
✔ Promoted environmental service as a tool for community wellbeing

Most importantly, we have moved from:

"Collecting ideas" →"Delivering structured environmental action"

Looking Ahead: 2026–2027

The focus for the coming year will be to build on this progress and embed it across all clubs.

Key Priorities

1. Expand the Environmental Toolkit

2. Drive Adoption Across All Clubs

3. Launch the MD105 Environment Hub

4. Increase Reporting and Visibility

5. Strengthen Partnerships

Closing Message

This year has marked a turning point for the Environment Portfolio in MD105.

We have:

Now, the opportunity ahead is to:

Empower every club to take action, tell their story, and demonstrate impact

Together, we can ensure that Lions across MD105 are recognised not only for their service—but for their leadership in protecting and improving our environment for future generations.

EXAMPLES OF THE ENVIROMENT TOOLKITS AVAILABLE FROM THE MD SERVICE BOOKCASES

Environment 1

Environment 2


Environment 3


3 Pillars

Environment workshop

Scan to access the MD Environment Bookcase

https://lionsclubs.co/MembersNews/index.php/environmental-projects-service-areas/

Environment QR

 Spectrek


GST Sight/LEHP - Lion Richard Stannard

I have been surprised at how quickly my first year in post has gone. I have been mindful of adhering to the Objectives, Responsibilities & Guidance of the MD role & those set out by MD GST lion Chris – whose shared acumen with me has been invaluable. I have learnt that aspirations & goals take a lot longer to achieve in practice over theory e.g. finding participants for the Peace Essay or arranging talks with other societies / organisations – but, at least here, I am making progress having delivered some promotional presentations at a local level. I recognise the precious advice of not taking on too much & will endeavour to improve on this going forward.

I am fortunate to have a peer group of experienced DSO's to work with & offer advice. We now have a functioning communication system involving WhatsApp, SMS, email & telephone.

I look forward to working with the MD team – especially Environment – promoting spectacle recycling at HQ as a joint benefit & Diabetes – with diabetic retinopathy as a commonality.


MD Activity Alliance (EFDS) Liaison and Promotion - Lion Penny Tregillus

Since the 1980s Lions in this Multiple District have been working with the organisation, now known as, Activity Alliance. Lions, family members and friends help Activity Alliance run their Annual National Junior Para Athletics Championships on the distribution of the food, assisting on the field and track and field events and directing cars to car parks.

The 2025 Activity Alliance Annual National Junior Para Athletics Championships took place over the weekend of the 5th and 6th July at the Godiva Harriers Race Track in Coventry. 33 volunteers (Lions plus family members and friends) attended.

Volunteers came from 13 Clubs based in Districts A, CE, CN, CW and N.

The roles covered by volunteers included car parking, food distribution, helping Game Officials on field and track events, as well as doing anything asked of them.

115 athletes, with a range of disabilities, took part in field and track events. Each athlete competed against other athletes of a similar ability.

The Lions Endeavour Trophy, awarded the athlete who displays enthusiasm and shows the best sportsmanship, was presented to brothers Hassan and Hussein Benhaffof. They were members of the Wheelchair Association of Ireland. They both participated in the wheelchair seated javelin, shot and discus events.

I presented a cheque for £5,000 to Activity Alliance. This money was donated by Clubs in the Multiple District and will be used to cover some of the costs incurred to run the event.

At the moment I am making arrangements for the 2026 Activity Alliance Annual National Junior Para Athletics Championships which will be taking place over the weekend of the 4th and 5th July. So far, I have 30 volunteers from Districts A, CE, CN and CW but more are always welcome. If you are interested in helping, please email me on pennytregillus@lionsclubs.co.uk

A cheque for a further £5,000 will be handed over to Activity Alliance for the 2026 Games.

My thanks go to all Clubs who have made a donation to Activity Alliance.

If your Club would like to donate money to Activity Alliance please make an online payment through the District Treasurer. Name of the cause is Activity Alliance and payee reference is your Club name. Please record your donation on the Lion Portal and advise me if a donation is being made so I can send a Thank You letter. 


MIAB - Lion Brigitte Green MJF

After more than 28 years in operation, Lions Message in a Bottle (MIAB) continues to demonstrate exceptional relevance, resilience, and impact. Demand remains consistently strong, public engagement continues to grow, and the project is increasingly recognised by emergency services, healthcare professionals, and partner organisations as an essential community resource. I would like to record my sincere thanks to PDG Lion David McKirdy for his ongoing support of MIAB throughout the year.

Demand, Public Engagement, and Digital Access.

Demand for MIAB remains robust and sustained. Daily requests now regularly exceed 60 bottles, with weekly dispatch volumes typically between 150 and 180 bottles. Over 1,000 bottles have been distributed during the year via the MIAB website and through direct enquiries by phone and email, with recipients covering postage costs. This strong level of demand clearly highlights MIAB's continuing value within our communities.

The MIAB website is accessed daily and remains the primary route for public ordering. Its performance continues to be reliable and user-friendly, providing smooth order processing and responsive customer support. Ongoing enhancement of the website remains a priority to ensure continued accessibility and clarity for users.

Partnership Development

Significant progress has been made in strengthening partnerships at both regional and national levels. The focus is still to explore the development of a coordinated, county-wide approach to MIAB promotion.

MIAB has gained growing recognition within national professional forums. Attendance for a second time at the National Police Missing Persons Conference in York proved particularly valuable, generating excellent publicity and reinforcing MIAB's relevance in missing person investigations, where the information stored in the bottle can be critical. Discussions included senior police leadership and have led to ongoing conversations that may open new opportunities for collaboration.

Importantly, this event in York also resulted in contact with the national team at Dementia UK. Subsequent meetings have been arranged involving our Dementia Officer, PDG Liz Axten, further strengthening MIAB's connection to dementia support services.

Production, and Supply

Bottle production has continued through two supply routes, ensuring resilience and continuity. RPC remains the principal supplier and has provided stability throughout the year. Garth Prison has resumed production and continues to act as a secondary supplier; however, ongoing challenges remain. Staff illness, shortages, and occasional lockdowns have affected reliability, confirming that the earlier decision not to depend solely on Garth Prison was both prudent and necessary.

Initial quality assessments of bottles produced at Garth Prison are encouraging, and ongoing monitoring will continue to ensure consistency across all production batches. RPC, like many manufacturers, relies on oil as a base material for plastic production. Recent sharp increases in oil prices, driven by the Middle East conflict, have resulted in RPC advising that bottle production costs will rise. The full impact of these increases on overall costs is currently being assessed.

The Eco Workshop in Stratford has continued to provide invaluable support by assisting with bottle packing. Their contribution has become an integral part of headquarters operations and is greatly appreciated.

The focus for the coming period will be on consolidation, growth, and sustained relevance:

Strategic Expansion: Increase rollout of MIAB through First Responders and Local Authorities to improve reach and effectiveness.

Awareness Campaigns: Continue collaborative promotion across Fire, Police, Ambulance Services, Carers' Associations, and healthcare partners.

Information Currency: Reinforce the importance of keeping MIAB information up to date through all communication channels, centred on the message:

"You may have a bottle in the fridge – but is the information inside still current?"

Digital Development: Maintain and enhance the MIAB website to ensure clarity, accessibility, and ease of use.

Production Oversight: Continue quality monitoring across all suppliers while managing cost pressures responsibly.

New Partnerships: Ongoing discussions with the national RSPCA team regarding potential additions to MIAB forms relating to pets, further demonstrating the growing reach and adaptability of the scheme.

Support from Lions Clubs remains outstanding; however, a significant and continuing shift is evident, with an increasing proportion of demand now coming directly from members of the public. MIAB continues to grow in reach, recognition, and impact, with momentum not only sustained but strengthened.

We remain fully committed to delivering MIAB as a core part of our service mission. Through careful management, strong partnerships, and a continued focus on dignity and practical support, MIAB will remain a trusted and vital resource for vulnerable individuals and the wider community.


Prostate Cancer - Lion Jon Lines

Decisions required this year

None.

Summary of action taken this year

Continued liaison with Graham Fulford Charitable Trust who partner with Lions on the majority of events in the UK. Provided ongoing help and support to clubs holding events as requested.

In 2025 I have been informed of Lions clubs holding 49 PSA Testing Events, an increase from the 42 events held in 2024. The number of men tested was 14,838 up nearly 20% from 2024.

Statistics for first quarter 2026 and previous years enclosed.

Objectives for this year

To attend the GFCT conference and encourage District Officers to attend. To disseminate current research information and try and get more clubs to hold PSA testing events. Statistically the UK has one of the worst death rates in Europe for men dying of Prostate Cancer.  

To continue providing information to clubs on request and updating guide to holding an event as necessary.

To ensure any statistics are recorded and forwarded.

Other Matters

None.


SOGB Liaison and promotion - PCC Lion Alastair Joel

Lions have partnered with Special Olympics for many years, the partnership has brought development and service opportunities to individuals with intellectual disabilities in over 100 nations. Special Olympics and LCIF continue to deliver the Opening eyes programme, Family Health forums, Healthy Hearing, Special Smiles, and Inclusive Sports. Since 2013 Special Olympics and Lions Clubs International Foundation have implemented the 'Invite an Athlete' scheme which encourages Lions Clubs to conduct outreach to individuals with intellectual disabilities to harness the unique talents and gifts of these athletes.

What is Special Olympics? As a vision of Eunice Kennedy Shriver, who saw how unjustly and unfairly people with Intellectual disabilities were treated, she decided to act. In 1968 the first Special Olympics Summer games were held in Chicago. The formalisation of Special Olympics was confirmed later that year.

Out of the Shadows: Events Leading to the Founding of Special Olympics

Special Olympics GB (SOGB) was formed a decade later in 1978, it is a non-profit charity providing, year-round coaching and athletic competition for both summer and winter sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities.

To define an intellectual disability:  A significantly reduced ability to understand new or complex information, to learn new skills with reduced ability to cope independently, which started before adulthood with a lasting effect on development. Source Dept of Health (2001) Valuing people

Unlike the Olympics or Paralympics, Special Olympics differs as it aims to offer opportunities for athletes of all abilities to take part in sports every day of the week, all year round.

There are an estimated 1.5 million people living with an Intellectual disability with Great Britain with that number estimated to rise. Special Olympics GB currently has more than 120 clubs in the UK offering 28 sports. These programmes are run by over 4000 volunteers.

The work of Special Olympics GB is funded by individuals, trust, and corporate donations, this is vital to enable the work to continue.

Special Olympics Great Britain (specialolympicsgb.org.uk)

There are discussions between the Lions and SOGB with regard the MAPT programme (Motor Activity Training programme) with the possibility of us becoming involved with this or even taking ownership of it.

What is MAPT? The Special Olympics Motor Activity Training Programme (MATP) is a unique programme specifically designed for athletes of all ages with Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulties (PMLD) or complex needs.

MATP provides genuine opportunities for training and competition for individuals with PMLD and complex needs. Opportunities are realistic and tailored to the individual. It focuses on the abilities and enables athletes to work and showcase motor skills and sporting achievements that are relevant to them. 

Through MATP we look to: 

•  Increase physical activity leading to improvement in motor skills, physical fitness, and functional ability
•  Enable more opportunities to perform sports activities
•  Development of a more positive self-image through skill acquisition
•  Enable greater interaction through sport and physical activity
•  Provide more opportunities to develop friendships with other athletes, family members and engage the local community.

sogb-table


This summer sees a series of National Games around the UK; this will give the opportunity for Lions to support these locally. I am waiting to hear what involvement is required. Below is the outline programme.

I would encourage clubs to get involved with SOGB in your local area, if you look on the website, you will find where they are located or contact me, and I can put you in touch.

Thank you to those clubs who are already working alongside SOGB, your support is greatly appreciated.


Speech and Hearing - Lion Penny Tregillus

In the United Kingdom 1 in 6 people suffer from hearing loss. Lions run Deaf Aware Training Sessions to help people in the hearing community understand about deafness and how to communicate more effectively those who suffer from hearing loss. Please contact me if you would like to attend or organise a Deaf Aware Training Session.

District Officers are distributing Deaf Aware Cards, Door Hangers and I SEE WHAT YOU'RE SAYING Badges to hearing impaired people in their Districts. These will be available on the Speech and Hearing Display Table at MD Convention.

The Collection of Used Hearing Equipment Project provides refurbished hearing aids to deaf and hard of hearing people living in Cambodia, Egypt, Ghana, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Tanzania and Yemen.

Since last MD Convention 13 Clubs have donated around 9,000 used and unwanted hearing aids and sent them to Dr Michael Nolan who refurbishes them. This is an easy Project for Clubs to be involved with and my thanks go to all Clubs who have collected hearing aids this Lionistic year.

To donate used hearing equipment send it, through the post or using a courier service to Dr Michael Nolan.

Ask me for his address.

In your package include your contact details (your name, Club name, email address/telephone number) so an acknowledgement can be sent.

Remove any batteries and excess packaging. Please include charging units and rechargeable batteries if you are donating chargeable hearing aids.

Alternatively used hearing equipment can be sent to Chichester Lions and National Headquarters along with spectacles.

Lion Andrew Zelkin, District 105CE, is collecting used hearing aid batteries and recycling the metal gained from them. He is using the money raised from doing this and donating it to purchasing cameras for the Lions Child Sight UK Project.

Hearing Dogs for Deaf People, www.hearingdogs.org.uk, train dogs to help deaf and hard of hearing people lead a near normal life as possible. I would encourage Clubs to support Hearing Dogs for Deaf People. They have units all over the country.

The Royal National Institute for the Deaf (RNID), www.rnid.org.uk, provide information and leaflets about deafness.

Please visit the members area of the MD website to find out more about all Speech and Hearing Projects.

For more information about what is happening regarding Hearing Projects please contact your District Officer responsible for Hearing Projects or contact me by email on pennytregillus@lionsclubs.co.uk

Lion Penny Tregillus

MD105 Speech and Hearing Officer


Dementia Awareness - PDG Lion Liz Axten

The work that Lions do within this area is greatly appreciated, there has been over 1900 resources that have been given out since July 2025.

EXAMPLES OF ANECDOTAL FEEDBACK RECEIVED SINCE JULY 2025:

The household stickers 'are the best thing since sliced bread'.

A care worker, when asked about the stickers, was asked if she was in Lions, her favourite sticker was the washing machine one, she just added the number the washing goes on and can now do her own washing again.

A healthcare professional reported that our resources are more up-to-date than the resources than the ones she gives out.

From the feedback we have received, Council of Governors can be reassured that our resources are fit for purpose and helps to support people within our communities.

This continues to be a growth area for a service led project.

Within the Multiple District (MD) we now have 4 awareness officers with a possible further 2 joining the team. SW has an experienced officer, other officers either work with clients that have dementia and they have an interest in the area, the others are keen to raise awareness and learn more. This is great for the MD as we have a team of great mixed skills. Throughout the MD, there are Dementia cafes and groups, Lions support this by volunteering within them, fundraising, sponsoring venues, providing craft activities, providing local hospitals with Dementia Activity packs for patients. There are clubs organising outings for local groups living with dementia and their carers'. Within the MD the officers that can, have signposted as appropriate to the various organisations, local clubs and activities available, SW set up a Facebook Group sharing resources and news to Lions (any members welcome to join).  The experienced officers have completed presentations, at Lions' clubs, talks at various venues including residential homes, small groups and commercial companies, which has included virtual reality experiences.

We have dementia friendly clubs and dementia buddy clubs all supporting those living with or caring for someone with dementia.

The officers are signing posting people to resources that are available, alongside giving out our own resources.

I am attending various conventions, to date I have been to SE's convention where the resources proved popular.

I am organising a dementia festival in Kendal on May 23rd, with the help of Home Instead.

From the Europa Forum. I am still in touch with Lions from other countries, we are hoping to have a zoom meeting soon. I have applied to do a presentation at this year's Europa Forum.

Childhood dementia – new to this service project

There has been a couple of news articles recently on the news about 2 young people that have been diagnosed with dementia, that have been signed posted to me by District N's incoming officer.

I have reached out to both families, talking about the resource that have been developed. One of the Dad's has got in contact and hopefully I will be linked into the Childhood Dementia Scotland panel.

Work continues to maintain and up-date the resources we have. There is lots of scope to continue to expand our resources. Plus there is some possible collaborative working with a few national organisations, to be reported on in the future.

Lions and MDHQ have supported me in this role, from proofreading, sending me information, being a taxi-driver. Without their support this project would not have become as successful as it has, so I give them my heart-felt appreciation.


Gift for Living - PID Lion Phil Nathan MBE

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Icon GFL Report APRILMAY 2026 Convention Report.pdf