50th Charter Anniversary
Diamond Valley Lions Club recently celebrated their 50th Anniversary of its Charter on 26th March, over 55 members and guests attended the lunchtime function. Guests include the District Governor Graham Bryant, Zone Chair Peter Talbot, Greg McNamara, President Nillumbik Lions, Vicki Ward, State MP for Eltham and Peter Perkins, Nillumbik Councillor. Several past Diamond Valley Lions members also attended including ten past Presidents.
The function was held at Bridges Restaurant in Hurstbridge and included a display of Club memorabilia including the charter President Ken Bradley’s Lions vest with every Lions pin that he had been awarded, and a slide show of Club activities. We all enjoyed a successful raffle with prizes donated by local businesses.
President Fiona Kates spoke about the Club’s heritage and it current activities, over 90,000 pairs of spectacles collected for Recycle for Sight, the sponsorship of a Lions Hearing Dog, support for Licola including sending local kids on Lions sponsored camps and the sponsorship of House 12, installation of the Diamond Creek fitness trail, and the installation of BBQ shelters at the Diamond Creek adventure playground. The long running Diamond Creek twilight market, Diamond Creek Blue Light Disco, the national Bunnings Lions Christmas Cake project, and of course the obligatory Bunnings BBQs. The Club also supports several local CFAs, Wattle Glen primary school, in conjunction with the University Of Melbourne audio test for primary school aged kids. The Club is a silver sponsor of the V Districts mobile skin cancer screening unit; in addition, the Club has sponsored the training of two dermatologists.
The Club is excited about our 50th anniversary project! We are currently in discussion with council to put in a sensory garden near to the Tram in Diamond Creek. Our vision is to have a garden that stimulates all the senses with having textural, scented, and edible plants. Access for the vision impaired and those with no or low mobility. Information labels that are written and in Braille, A quiet area to stop and reflect, perhaps for those with ASD and other special needs. A competition for locals interested in landscape and garden design, either as a hobby or professionally, would be run to find the best design.
The Club has recently launched a new website at https://www.diamondvalleylions.org.au/
Richard Keeling, Diamond Valley Lions Club