News

June 2005

News of some Tsunami relief funding for the Batticaloa area

Even though this is not directly related to St. John’s Orphanage project, I am delighted to say that approximately £52,900 is going to be donated for various projects in the Batticaloa area.

Immediately after the Tsunami, the Lion’s clubs in the District from Cheshire to Shropshire comprising of 66 clubs set up Disaster committee and asked me to head this committee. The committee decided that all the clubs in the District will be encouraged to take part in fund raising activities and the donations will be used for projects in one community and in one country.

The decision was to focus on Sri Lanka and a specific community in the Batticaloa area, where the St. John’s Orphanage is. A child care centre will be completely funded by the District and will be built in Kaluwanchikudy, near Batticaloa. In addition eighteen boats with all the necessary equipment and six sets of carpentry tools will also be made available through the Batticaloa Lion’s club for some communities in the Dutch bar area.

The boats are going to be named after the counties in the District. The 11 counties are:

1. Cheshire
2. Shropshire
3. Staffordshire
4. Wirral
5. Wrexham
6. Flintshire
7. Denbighshire
8. Conwy
9. Gwynedd
10. Anglesey
11. Powys

In addition three of the boats will be named after three clubs who have contributed more than £5,000 each.
These are:

1. Shrewsbury
2. Burton-on-Trent
3. Cheadle

In total a sum of nearly £67,000 has been donated to areas in and around Batticaloa over the last three years. Once again, a massive thanks to all those who have contributed to the various projects.