Lions Australia is celebrating 100 years of work and the Lions Club of Newcastle - itself just 63 years young, will be joining in the celebrations.
The Newcastle branch is celebrating their achievements including buying white goods for women's refuge Jenny's Place, raising nearly $9,000 dollars for family refuge Respuctus and their legacy project is underway establishing changing room facilities for people with a disability throughout Newcastle.
"Getting people on the ground and helping in a real tangible way - we contribute around $50,000 a year to HMRI for diabetes research, we've just been involved with a partnership with Respectus to help refurbish and build a pretty large refuge in Newcastle," said Lions Club of Newcastle president Peter Graham.
Lions are a worldwide organisation who have been on the frontline for disaster and emergency relief since June 7th 1917. The organisation was started in Chicago by Melvin Jones and now boasts 1.6 million members worldwide, with Newcastle the 54th club to be chartered in Australia.
Peter Graham is proud to be a part of the largest service club organisation in the world.
"What it means to me is that I'm actually contributing to society in a real tangible way really helping people that don't live quite as well as you or I do. I've just been gobsmacked by the whole thing about domestic violence. At first I didn't think much of it at all but just talking with the people and working with the people doing the work we are only just scratching the surface," said Peter Graham.
