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HOW TO ASK LANCASTER AND MORECAMBE LIONS FOR HELP
We filled shoeboxes of goodies for International Aid to take to needy children in Eastern Europe
LANCASTER and Morecambe Lions Club enjoys making money, but our real enjoyment is using it to help both organisations and individuals in our local community. We give every application for help careful consideration, but, as much as we would like to, just do not have the resources to respond to every genuine request for help.
But you can help us to help you or your organisation by giving us the information we need in a clear and easy to understand way. Simply you need to persuade us that your case is stronger than some of the other cases we may have before us.
This little guide is for Lancaster and Morecambe Lions Club, though other Lions clubs will operate in a similar way.
Our Club considers every request for help on its own merits whether from within the Club's own area or from further afield. However where possible members will usually give priority to requests from within their own community, or with local connections.
Having said that the Club has, on occasion, helped both national and international appeals.
Looking for a few clues on how we can help
Requests
Requests for help may be for financial help or for physical help, such as helping to steward an event or may be for help in decorating or gardening where a person is unable to do this themselves and cannot afford to pay for professional help. Sometimes we are able to link up with other organisations and/or other clubs to provide help.
We are only able to offer help through the money we raise from a generous general public, so it is important that wherever possible we can show them through the local press and other media how their money has been spent. However, the club will always respect requests for privacy and a request for no publicity will in no way affect the way in which a request for help is handled.
Here are a few tips to help your request for help:
Decide why you need help and what help is needed.
How can this help benefit the individual/organisation concerned?
Are there any potential benefits to the local community?
Tell us a little about yourself/your organisation and, where possible emphasise any local links.
Depending on the nature of your request, make it as practical as possible for us to help you. If it is a big project, break it down into a number of small requests - a shopping list. Our Club may well be able to offer one or more items, but would have to dismiss a single large request.
Often our Club prefers to give goods rather than money, but is also happy to provide direct financial help where appropriate.
We may be able to take a weight off your mind.
The application itself:
Initial enquiries can always be made by telephone or simply chatting to any club member.
Always send in a written request to the Club secretary. The request is then put before the Club's Welfare Committee who will make their recommendations, but the final decision is made by the full meeting of Club members.
Make the application as clear and easy to read as possible. Where appropriate photographs/illustrations are always useful.
Include a little background on your own organisation/connections with the request (Just a couple of lines will do, but don't assume that we already know all about you!!)
Wherever possible always offer to meet the Club or to invite Club members to see a project. Even if the Club does not take up the offer, this is good public relations.
If you have any ideas for potential publicity, these will be welcomed. However we will only publicise any donation with the full agreement and cooperation of the recipient individual or organisation.
Remember we want to help you, but we can only do so if you help us. Together we can be ordinary people doing some extraordinary things. Together we can make a real difference.
Send your requests to our secretary: Joe Pearson, 18 Forgewood Drive, Halton, Lancaster. LA2 6NY, Tel/fax: 01524 811880 Email