Black Mountains Lions Close Down

 When I was at Baskerville Hall on Wednesday evening, the large function room on the other side of the bar was all set up for the Black Mountains Lions meeting, with flowers on the tables and display boards illustrating the history of the group.

Sadly, the occasion was the final meeting for the local group.  After over fifty years, they've decided that they can no longer carry on. In that time, they've supported Dial-a-Ride, provided defibrillators, supported the local football club, and supported all sorts of local charities and community groups.

The Clyro group was part of an international body, and the nearest Lions Club appears to be in Hereford, from the map on their website, with eighteen clubs across South and Mid Wales.

Gareth Ratcliffe was there, as County Councillor, to give a speech thanking the group for all their work. 

Volunteer Fair

 When I got to the Castle, I could hear voices in the background, but I couldn't see anybody, so I asked the people who were moving crates around - presumably the art exhibition going back to where it had come from.  They sent me upstairs to the Clore Learning Room, which was a bit small, really, for everything that was squeezed into it.

I think I got a leaflet from every stall, but I might have missed someone in the crush:

At one end was On the Verge, from Talgarth.  They are dedicated to "preserving and creating wildlife habitats through education and influence".  So they go into schools, and look after patches of countryside.  Sadly, I got the message that their website is dangerous when I tried to look, so I don't know any more than that.

At the other end of the room was Clan, Cultivating Learning and Nature CIC (there were several CICs present - it stands for Community Interest Companies, and is a good way of getting organised as a voluntary body.  The Cheesemarket is run by a CIC).  There was no-one there to chat to when I passed, but they seem quite similar to On the Verge, being concerned with "ecology, craft and horticultural activities to support wellbeing", and "being outdoors and using natural resources".  They're also involved in educational activities.  Their website is www.clan-cic.org, and they're based in Herefordshire. 

Also at that end of the room was the Brecon Repair Cafe information - Hay Repair Cafe had a much more active stall near the door.  The Brecon Repair Cafe meets every last Saturday of the month from 11am to 2pm except August and December, at the Market Vaults in Brecon.  They are also a collection point for Tools for Self Reliance.

The chaps from Men's Sheds Cymru were a cheerful bunch.  They've been making swift boxes and have other projects on the go.  This is a community space for men to connect, converse and create, and is also at Brecon Market Vaults.  They have two websites listed, neither of which works at the moment, but they can be contacted on vbxbrecon@gmail.com

The Black Mountain Lions were there - they get involved in a variety of local projects.  On display were pill containers to be kept in the fridge with emergency medication, so that paramedics can go straight to it if someone has a fall or other medical emergency at home.

Hay Football Club had a table, too.

Then there were several opportunities to work with animals.  

Bryngwyn Riding for the Disabled Association has been running for quite a while, taking children and adults riding.  You don't need any experience with horses to volunteer for this, and helping them can count towards the Duke of Edinburgh Award, Welsh Baccalaureate and Pony Club badges.  Their website is www.ridinginwales.com, and the umbrella organisation is www.rda.org.uk

Pentre Farm is a family run small holding at Old Radnor, and they have all sorts of animals - the picture on their flyer is of a donkey and some goats.  Lots of opportunities to help to look after the animals there.  They also run Forest School activities and take animals to care homes and schools.  Their website doesn't seem to be up and running yet, but they can be contacted at sam@pentrefarm.co.uk and via Facebook.

Another lady had her therapy dog with her (and what a sweetie!).  She runs The Animalwise Therapy Foundation, and is a qualified Play Therapist, Filial Therapist and Animal Assisted Play Therapist who has just started working for herself, though she still does work for the organisation she had been working for full time.  Her website is www.theanimalwisetherapyfoundation.org and she's based in one of the offices over the British Legion Club in Hay.

PAVO were there as well, of course, since they've been active in Powys for many years as a sort of umbrella body for volunteer organisations.

I had the longest conversation of the evening with the lady from the Bronllys Well Being Park, but I'll talk about that in my next post.

Lions Food Bank

 The Black Mountain Lions are setting up a food bank in Hay as a satellite of the Brecon Food Bank, and they need help to run it.  It's going to be housed at the Sports Pavilion.  

This isn't the first food bank in Hay, of course - the original initiative, run from the Council Chambers, was taken over by Brecon.  This new venture is going to keep the links with Brecon rather than be a separate venture.

Volunteers will be given training by the Brecon Food Bank, and the email to contact for application forms is volunteers@brecon.foodbank.org.uk.

The Lions are also looking for volunteers to help with car parking opposite the Festival site this year.  For more information about that, or about the Lions generally, contact ChrissyHallett621960@gmail.com

Black Mountains Lions

 I hadn't really taken much notice of the local Lions Club before, but it seems I've been missing out on a group that does good work for the local community.

After a chat with their new President, Chrissy, I found a booklet in the Launderette that gives a lot of information about them.  For instance, I'd always thought they were a British thing, but the first Lions Club was actually set up in Chicago in 1917, and spread to the UK after the Second World War.  There are Lions Clubs in 200 countries worldwide, and the set up is very flexible, so they can do more or less whatever they choose to do to help their local community.  They can also work together with other Lions Clubs to help internationally.  

Here in Hay, they have sponsored a guide dog, planted trees at the Doctors' Surgery, have helped with the provision of defibrillators, and they're responsible for collecting old spectacles from drop off points like the Opticians in Backfold to send out to Medico France and Unite For Sight, to be re-used around the world.

They've also got a new initiative in association with Brecon Food Bank.  They have funding to provide £10 vouchers for people who need to use the food bank, which can be spent at a variety of local shops.  The vouchers can be used for general groceries, meat, veg, and pet food, and also go towards things like heating fuel, shoes and socks, and children's clothes - and it's benefitting local businesses, rather than big supermarkets.  The Brecon Food Bank already offer £10 vouchers for Spar to people who need to use their services.

There's a lot of hidden poverty in this area - visitors get the impression that Hay is a prosperous town, and it is, but there are also a lot of low-paid jobs, and it can be very difficult for families on benefits (which includes families with adults who have jobs).  The British Legion also started collecting food to help those locally who are in need when the lockdowns started.

Their website is at Black Mountains Lions Club - Lions e-Clubhouse