D’Urban Park Lions celebrates its 26th anniversary

Dec 12, 2019 News

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Saturday will mark the 26th anniversary of the Lions Club of Georgetown D’urban Park. Formed on December 14, 1993 with 25 members and the late Lion Deborah Backer as its charter President, the Club now boasts a total membership of 81 with the inclusion of 19 members from its Club Branch in Linden.
At the helm for the current fiscal year is Lion Simone Beckles who is ably supported by a Board comprising 15 members and the general membership among which prevails a strong sense of camaraderie and a passion for doing service.
At the District level, Georgetown D’Urban Park has been represented by Past District Governor and Council Chair Lion Maxine Cummings and the current First Vice District Governor Lion Denise Bentinck.
Ms. Bentinck will be the next District Governor for the Region.
The Lions Club of Georgetown D’Urban Park has over the years had the deepest satisfaction in providing service to the community – both within and outside of its assigned boundaries bordered by Hadfield Street, Cane View Avenue, High Palm Road/Meadowbrook Drive and Cemetery Road.
The Club provides service under its three umbrella programmes – Education and Youth, Health and Service and Sight Conservation and Work with the Blind.
Through its Education and Youth programme, the Club continues to support the mental and physical well-being of Guyana’s youth through a number of activities. These include a weekly school feeding programme at the Thomas More Primary School, weekly library and remedial reading classes for children within the Festival City and wider community and an annual literacy competition among the schools within the Club boundaries.
From this competition, a student is selected for a four-year Bursary provided by Ram and McRae Associates.
Through the Lions Quest programme and the Club’s life skills programme, life skills counselling is provided to second and third form students in guiding them towards adopting healthy attitudes and values as they develop into adults.
The culmination of this annual programme is marked by a life skills camp hosted by the Club at which students and Lions interact at an informal level. Members of the Club’s children’s library are also treated to an annual Christmas party, which is enjoyed by all.
In preparing adolescents for the world of work, the Club hosts an annual career fair, which is attended by the students of a number of secondary schools within Georgetown.
The Club’s annual Peace Poster competition which is executed in three secondary schools each year provides an avenue for artistic creativity among students in developing posters depicting the theme of world peace.
The Club also promotes environmental consciousness among youth and the wider community through environmental projects within schools and clean-up campaigns/gardening competitions within the community.
Through its Health and Service Programme, D’Urban Park has hosted numerous health clinics for members of the La Penitence, Lodge, Sophia, Ruimveldt and other communities.
During these clinics, both general and specialist services are provided along with medications and counselling on nutrition and general wellness. The Club also collaborates with the Ministry of Public Health and other partners in supporting the annual Strides Walk for Diabetes.
This year, a social support group for persons living with diabetes has been launched. D’urban Park continues to serve the senior members of the community through its annual senior citizens’ party for approximately 150 members of the community at which there is much fun, frolic and goodies.
The Club also has an ongoing relationship with Uncle Eddie’s Home and has over the years, supported the refurbishing of the Home, in addition to providing Christmas cheer to the residents through its annual decorating of the building and the provision of refreshments.
Through the Sight Conservation and Work with the Blind programme, the Club conducts eye-screening and provides spectacles for the students of a number primary schools within the Club’s boundaries.
Through the kind services and subsidised costs provided by Drs. Michelle Ming, Kamrul Bacchus and Karen Persram, the Club has over the years been able to provide assistance to thousands of needy children within the community.
With the introduction of White Cane Day in 2012, the Club also distributes white canes to deserving persons within the community and also to the Guyana Association for the Blind.
Raising funds to finance the Club’s service activities is an ongoing challenge and the Club continues to explore innovative fund raising ways.
Annual fund raising activities include a Journey for Sight Walk, Sunny September brunch, hot dog sales, take-away lunch sales, games evenings, and back-in-time parties among other activities.
“We are deeply appreciative of the generous donations and other support received from the business community for both our fund raising and service activities.
“We are well aware of the many other organisations that seek support from the same small pool of business entities and are especially grateful for the ongoing support received from Ram and McRae, Food for the Poor, Republic Bank, Scotia Bank, Banks DIH, Sterling Products, Courts Ltd, Bhena’s Shoe Store, Pele Football Club Alumni and the many other entities that have supported our activities.
“We continue to plod along and look forward to another successful year of providing service to humanity,” Lion Simone Beckles said.

 

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