Lions Club starts up in Redfern

At the initial meeting, Lions members from established clubs and local community members discussed a number of issues that the club could focus on in Redfern-Waterloo.

Norma Ingram, of the Wyanga Aboriginal Community Aged Care Program, suggested a possible project could be raising funds for electric scooters at the centre. “Many of the elders find it difficult to get around,” she said, “and scooters would help them when they are shopping and moving about.” At a cost of around four thousand dollars per scooter, she said it would be a worthwhile project for the Lions club to get behind.

The elderly population in the area is seen as a significant group that the club could serve, and those at the meeting expressed a number of ways that they could assist them. Possible projects included creating a space where retired men could put their trade skills to work, building toys for local children. Another proposal was to hold a Christmas party for those who have to spend it alone.

Aside from helping the elderly, projects to assist Aboriginal youth were also discussed, including sponsorship to help them through school and employment forums to assist young people in getting jobs.

The Redfern-Waterloo Lions Club will be supported by the well established Sydney Chinese Lions Club, based in Haymarket. Sydney Chinese Lions president Anthony Cheung said at the meeting that, if the new Redfern branch goes ahead with the plan to raise funds for the scooters for Wyanga, the Sydney Chinese club will donate to the project.

[South Sydney Herald July 2006]