Club getting ready for fourth Swimarathon in 2015

In 2014 Horsham Lions Club, with the support of over 20 teams from local schools, youth organisations, local clubs of able bodied as well disabled people and local businesses raised £5000 for The Kent Surrey & Sussex Air Ambulance Night Flying Appeal. This amount went towards the pledge made by the Lions Clubs of Kent Surrey & Sussex, (District 105SE), to raise £250,000 which would provide equipment and training of helicopter pilots to fly the air ambulance during the hours of darkness. This increased service, is estimated will save another 400 lives each year, in addition to 1500 already saved during day light hours. That Appeal is now entering its final stages.
Lions SwimarathonLions Swimarathon
Lions Swimarathon

Over the past three years of the Swimarathon the Horsham Lions Club , with the help of local people have been able to donate almost £14000, of which almost £10,000 went to The Air Ambulance Appeal and the remainder went to purchase 4 portable defibrillators for 3 local senior schools and the QE II School for handicapped children. In 2015 Horsham Lions will be raising funds for The Horsham Springboard Project Centre in Hurst Road Horsham, who need to replace all the equipment in their “Soft Play Area”, at a cost of £4000.

The reason Horsham Lions Club have decided to support this local charity is because:

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The Springboard Project started in Horsham in 1992 but they moved into their existing property in Hurst Road Horsham in 1997. Springboard Projects have now sprung up in Crawley, Sutton Worthing and Mid Sussex, for the benefit of their communities.

The Springboard Project Mission Statement is as follows: “Springboard Project is a community based charity that increases the life chances of children and young people with disabilities and also families with young children irrespective of ability or status by providing safe inclusive recreational play and leisure opportunities with parenting support and information services.”

There are 2 streams or groups that use this Horsham Centre facility, namely Family Groups and Groups with Disabilities.

The annual visits by Horsham based family groups to the Centre is 23,000 families. This group have 280 families are registered and they attend mainly between Mondays to Fridays during working hours, including school holidays and inset days.

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There is 100 plus Horsham families registered with children with disabilities. The majority of this group attend “Special Needs Schools” during the week, but they use this centre in the evening, weekends and during school holidays

Those that use the facilities have age ranges between birth and 18 years. Those of teenage years have “Buddies Groups”.

The disabilities managed at The Horsham Centre include: Wheelchair bound children, those diagnosed with Autism, Epilepsy, Blindness, Deafness, Sensory Deficit and other physical and mental disabilities

During the summer holidays the centre provides a variety of activities for all age and ability ranges that cost on average £500 per day to put on.

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Enter your team today by e-mailing Lion Tom Osborne for an order form by e-mailing:[email protected] or ring 01403 241167 for an Entry Form and Information Pack.

Alternatively you may visit Horsham Lions Website: www.horshamlions.freeuk.com.