Over 20 Projects with an estimated value in excess of €1m were outlined at the annual general meeting of Tullamore Lions Club which celebrates 50 year service to the town next year.

Addressing the members, this week, outgoing President, Anthony Kearns said members could be very proud of their work and time given voluntary to the success of the projects which included contributions to Tullamore Arts Centre, Offaly Parkinsons Association, the  Tullamore Annual and a very substantial ecological project at Clonbeale bog.

He further acknowledged the immense efforts of the Hooves for Hospice committee on their work in initially creating the awareness of the need for a Midland Hospice and following on to raise over €1m towards the provision of a state of the art patient centred facility in Tullamore.

President Kearns said he was happy that the membership of the club had grown over the past years and now includes female membership.

Concluding he thanked members for their respect and courtesy during his term before handing over to new President Larry Fleming who will serve for the coming year.

In his address President Fleming acknowledged the voluntary hours of members and their contribution to in excess of 20 sub-committees working outside of the monthly meeting.

He said he was particularly pleased with the diverse nature of the club’s projects which included local needs, Dochas, Self Help Africa and Childhood Cancer.

Concluding President Fleming revealed that the club will host the Lions National 2025 Congress next April which will attract over 300 members from all parts of the country and visiting international delegates to the town.

Projects and fundraising events for 2023/2024 included;

• Hooves for Hospice €1,000,000.
• Tullamore Arts Centre €43,000;
• Offaly Parkinsons Association €30,000;
• Self Help Africa €29,500;
• Dochas Cancer Support Services €14,000;
• Christmas Food Hampers value €19,000;
• Mary’s Meals €7,500;
• Support for Ukraine €5,500;
• Friends of the Tullamore Hospital €12,500;
• Cycling with Age €10,000;
• Third level Education Bursary, €8,000;
• Lions International Flood Appeal €3,000;
• Tullamore Tidy Towns €5,000
• Uganda School Upgrade €5,000;
• Ballinagar NS Autism Unit €2,000;
• Gaza Appeal €1,500;
• Childhood Cancer Support €1500;
• Moroccan Earth Quake Appeal €1,500;
• Christmas Food Hampers Value €19,000;
• Monthly confidential donations to individuals and families in need and organisations working with deserving causes approximately €15,000 per annum.

Other projects include an annual carers away weekend; teaching English to members of the town’s Ukranian community; the Spectacles Project which to date has collected and distributed over 5,000 pairs of spectacles to persons with visual impairment in the Third World and Message In a Bottle campaign aimed at helping emergency services access to vital information about vulnerable people quickly and easily in a crisis situation.