LionAid Events

Oliver Timms yesterday, alongside his dad, Matthew, completed his challenge to trek 26 miles over a tough terrain to raise money for his beloved lions.

This would be awesome by any standards but add in the fact that this young man is just 13 years old and autistic. And what an inspiring young man he is!

We were eagerly waiting for him at the finish point, atop Beachy Head with big congratulatory smiles and a soft toy lion to mark the occasion.

He cuddled that lion constantly from the moment we gave it to him, and all the time quizzing us about lions and showing off his already extensive knowledge of this iconic species.

Oliver dearly wants to go to Africa to see the lions for himself but unless we pay very close attention, there will be no lions left in the wild for him to see. Oliver, at his tender age, already knows this and is doing everything in his power to make a difference.

He truly is an example to us all.

We are very proud of Oliver and the enormous effort he has made to raise money to save lions. We need more people like him who understand that to save lions will take rather more than just talking about it and expressing dismay.

Actions speak louder than words so come on everybody, what can you do to help?

View Oliver's photo gallery here

Inspired by Oliver? You can still donate to Oliver's Saving the Lion page here 

 Look no further! 

We are delighted to announce that Discover Adventure is offering an open challenge to Tanzania, called the Rift Valley Masai Trek.

It is an 11 day, 10 night challenge and is described as a moderate challenge in their literature.

There are two opportunities to take part in this challenge in 2013:

From the 11th July  to the  21st  July 2013  or from the 3rd October to the 13th October 2013.

And in 2014, the dates are:

From the 10th July  to the  20th July  2014 or from the 2nd October to the 12th October 2014.

Discover Adventure say that:

“This challenging trek has it all: wild, remote African scenery, amazing wildlife and the fascinating culture of the Masai!. The trek goes through the Crater Highland and Rift Valley landscapes of Tanzania, witnessing the traditional Masai way of life as the tribesmen tend their cattle in this spectacular region, most of which is a conservation area. The scenery is magnificent, with rolling green grasslands and acacia forests surrounded by jagged volcanic peaks. We trek up close to impressive volcanoes and look down into crater lakes, home to many birds. A safari in Lake Manyara National Park celebrates our achievement, where we can see wildlife such as lion, zebra, giraffe and elephant”

Click here to see photographs of the Rift Valley Masai Trek.

If you would like to take part in this challenge, then you need to pay a registration fee of £449 to book. If you sign up for the Fundraising Option, you pledge to raise the Minimum Fundraising Target (£3,600) 10 weeks before departure. Having achieved this, most of the remaining costs of your trip are covered (see DiscoverAdventure for details). Alternatively you can choose the Self Payment Option where you are responsible for all the costs of your trip and you can choose your own Fundraising Target for LionAid.

Do you have a sense of humour and a sense of adventure?

Would you like to help us make a real difference by raising urgently needed funds for our on-going lion conservation work?

Then click here for all details and we look forward to working with you to attract the Minimum Fundraising Target to make this amazing challenging trek a reality.

If this challenge is not to your taste, DiscoverAdventure a huge choice of alternative challenges, all of which you can choose to participate in for the benefit of LionAid.

So, c'mon... what are you waiting for? Join our growing band of fundraisers today and have yourself a great time along the way! 

Monte Carlo or Bust is an event designed for those with a strong sense of fun and adventure.   Our fun-filled journey through spectacular settings provides the ideal setting to raise money for LionAid's work to conserve lions.

The Rally starts in Saint Quentin in France on Friday 12th July and finishes on Sunday 14th July in Monte Carlo.

The teams taking part should preferably be driving a banger costing less than £250.

We are looking to gather a Pride of Lion cars taking part and plan to travel in convoy from Dover, across the Channel on the ferry to Calais and on to Saint Quentin on the Thursday afternoon, the 11th July to complete registration.

If you would like to join us on this wonderful weekend, the price to enter is £200 per team but we may be able to offer you a discount (email us on info@lionaid.org for details).

The more of you that join in, the more we can do. We have great plans and may even be able to provide the bangers if we get enough support! We will also have people on hand to provide essential car maintenance if the need arises!!

So come on, everyone, this a GREAT chance to show your support for lions and have lots of fun along the way.

We wil be there and we want to see a HUGE Pride of lion cars taking part!

Get your friends, family and local businesses to sponsor you. We will help you promote your team! 

THE FIGHT IS ON FOR LIONS!!!

John Loizides, a great supporter, is running the Torbay Half Marathon on June 24th to raise funds for LionAid.

We are very grateful to John and wish him every success in this race.

Please support John in this wonderful effort by sponsoring him and pledging your donation to help our work to conserve lions.

PLEASE BE AS GENEROUS AS YOU CAN!!

Contact us on info@lionaid.org to  add your sponsorship pledge or to simply make a donation in support of John.

Click here to read about LionAid's work with the African lion range States to initiate regional and pan-African conservation measures to halt current catastrophic population declines in the iconic lion.

PLEASE GIVE GENEROUSLY TO HELP THE CAUSE

On Sunday May 13th at Ipplepen Athletics Football Club, Moor Road Playing Fields, Ipplepen, Newton Abbot TQ12 5TT, John Loizides is organising a Five-A-Side Football Tournament in aid of LionAid.

There will be ten teams competing against each other from every branch in the South West of Anglian Home Improvements. Staff from their Depot will also be taking part.

There will be a prize for the winning team and it will be a fun day out for the region.

All are welcome - bring along your family and friends! There will be a barbeque and bar available.

Entry is £5 per person and all proceeds will go to LionAid.

Please support this wonderful event if you live in the region. Please contact us on info@lionaid.org for further details.

Click here to read about LionAid's work with the African lion range States to initiate regional and pan-African conservation measures to halt current catastrophic population declines in the iconic lion.

PLEASE GIVE GENEROUSLY TO HELP THE CAUSE

Jo and Alan Burn are raising funds to help finance our ongoing campaign to bring about a ban on the importation of lion trophies into the EU. The auction will take place on Twitter, Ebay and Facebook.

The auction lots are listed here. 

Jo says

 "This page isn't about me, it's about saving the lion from becoming extinct. I am trying to raise money for a charity called LION AID who are doing wonderful work...
... {On the dedicated LionAid Facebook Fundraising Page} I will be detailing ways you can help raise money for this wonderful charity starting with an auction which will take place {on Facebook}, on Ebay and on Twitter. To follow updates on Twitter my user name is jolouburn. I will update you on the Ebay details when I have linked {the Facebook}page and Ebay together.

Please support this wonderful effort from Jo and Alan. They are still looking for more auction lots to add into this Grand Auction.

Can YOU donate something? Or do you know someone who can?

And remember, Christmas is coming. We all need to buy presents. Have a look at the Auction Lots and purchase something from there.

A gift for a loved one is then also a gift for lions! What could be better than that!!

PLEASE SUPPORT!!

LionAid is a charity dedicated to the conservation of the wild Lion populations in Africa. African lions are increasingly threatened and endangered with over 90% decline in the past 50 years and continuing. Despite the efforts of traditional charity programmes this decline is continuing and so LionAid was established to deliver more relevant and urgently required international Lion conservation programmes and action to save all the lion populations worldwide.

Recently LionAid have managed to have 2 questions tabled in the European parliament strongly supported by 7 MEPs and 28 Mps. These questions are to help support LionAid and its current campaigns in stopping the importation of Lion trophies into the EU, and a ban in Lion trophy hunting world wide.

In the past few months, volunteers at LionAid have organized a darts tournament in the local Dover area. 10 pubs in all have participated, and we are now at the point where it is time for these 10 finalists to battle it out in the Grand Final. The event will be hosted at the Bull Inn, Dover, on Thursday 15th September starting at 18:30, where the winner will take home a £100 prize and the runner up a £50 prize.

We do ask for a small donation from you as it is a fund raising event. If you need any more information, or would like to donate money to the charity but can't make the event on Thursday, then please visit our website, www.lionaid.org or email info@lionaid.org.

Please leave a space free on your calender and support lion conservation and the LionAid darts finalists!

On Sunday 24th July between 11am and 4pm, the Best Western Abbots Barton Hotel, New Dover road, Canterbury, Kent, CT1 3GB will host a Charity Car Show.

Half of the proceeds of this Show will come to LionAid so I do hope we will see as many of you as possible supporting this event.

You will have the chance to see Lamborghinis, Rally Cross Racing Cars, Ford Fiesta Racing Card, Classics and many more!

PLUS there will be plenty of shopping for the ladies, raffle prizes and a silent auction.

This event has free entry and free parking!

PLEASE do come along.

You will find us there where we will be delighted to tell you more about the plight of the African Lion, and about our ongoing campain to bring about a ban on the importation of lion trophies into the UK and indeed the EU!

A pub darts competition where local darts players compete to become their pub representative, culminating in a Final Darts Tournament per town or city. The winner will hold the title of LionAid Darts Champion for that town or city.

Dover is the first town to host this competition with great enthusiasm and success so far and we know that this will be an annual event.

We have had the first five heats:

At THE SPORTSMAN on Thursday the 26th May. Sixteen people took part including the Landlord and Landlady, Dan and Dawn Gear! Good for them!!  A great night it was, with a pub full of people cheering on the contenders. Thanks to Dan and Dawn for being super hosts. Congrats to KIERAN DODD who will go on to represent the Sportsman in the Dover Final and congrats also to Dave Pollock and Dave Harris who both scored a perfect 180!

At THE SIR JOHN FALSTAFF on Saturday the 28th May. Eighteen people took part including a couple of darts players who also competed at the Sportsman! Great to see them again! I was also delighted to see quite a few ladies joining in too, giving the guys a run for their money!!  Thanks to Rachel Roberts for doing an amazing job with the raffle. She persuaded everyone to buy a ticket and helped raise some much needed funds for the lions! Well done Rachel! Big thanks to Terry and Kim, our hosts, for making the evening go with a swing and for providing some amazing food for everyone to enjoy. Congrats to JAMIE BREEDEN who will go on to represent the Sir John Falstaff in the Dover Final and congrats too to Ben Baldwin who also scored a perfect 180!

Congratulations to WAYNE VENES who won the heat at THE CROWN AND SCEPTRE on the 28th May. He will go on to represent this pub in the Final.

-Congratulations to SIMON WHATMORE who wins the heat at THE EAGLE INN and will represent the pub at the Dover Darts Tournament Final.

- After a fiercely fought contest, TAFF wins the day at THE BOAR'S HEAD. Congratulations to him on a job well done.

Jill, the Landlady did a splendid job scoring during the competition and our thanks to all those generous people who put some money in our collecting bucket during the evening!

A great night was had at THE CINQUE PORT ARMS where 8 people battled it out to become the darts representative for this beautifully renovated pub. Andy and Kat, the Landlord and Landlady made us all very welcome and were the first to congratulate JASON, our latest heat winner in this Darts Tournament.

A great night was had at THE WORKING MENS CLUB on the 16th June. Our worthy winner was CALLUM CRUTCHFIELD who will go forward into the final event. Congratulations Callum!

On the 20th June, we all watched in delight as the competition got under way at THE BULL. Congratulations to NICK DOWLEY who won the heat and will go on to represent The Bull in the Final event.

THE DIAMOND held its heat on the 29th June. An enjoyable evening was had by all and after a closely fought contest, LUKE BLYTHE won the heat and will go on to represent The Diamond in the Final event.

On Friday 30th June, the final heat took place at THE CARRIERS ARMS. Such was the popularity of this final heat with 20 people taking part, the event had to be continued the following day to allow everyone enough time to complete their games. So, on the Saturday afternoon, TYLER MORRIS won the heat and will go on to represent The Carriers Arms in the Final event.

Go to the GALLERIES section to view the photographs taken at these 10 heats!

 We are delighted to announce that the long awaited LionAid Dover Darts Final for 2011 will take place at The Bull Inn on the 15th September from 6.30pm.

Please come along and support this Darts extravaganza.

 LionAid conducted a campaign called “Where have all the lions gone?” ™ during the month of March 2010 to raise awareness of the plight of the lions.
 
The campaign consisted of a simple but effective strategy to engage public and media attention. The larger cities in the UK all have statues of lions in public places, and we covered a selection of them up with black cloth, one day per city.

The press  did us proud and the trustees, together with several mayors, city council chiefs, the Lord Provost in Glasgow and even one delightful deputy sheriff were photographed next to the shrouded lions, the trustees wearing black sweatshirts with the inscription “Where have all the lions gone?” ™ to bring the message home.

This powerful message is that extinction is forever, and that as we lose the wild lions, so might we need to lose the many representations of lions we encounter in daily life. This would mean no lions on heraldry, no lion statues, no lions on the England football and cricket team badges, no lions depicted on coins, and the word “lion” eliminated from pub and hotel signs.

It was a successful campaign,across the UK, shrouding lions in major cities with a culminating event in Trafalgar Square where we shrouded one of the best known lions in the UK.

The Campaign launched in Glasgow on the 2nd March; it went on to Blantyre, Blackpool, Manchester, Liverpool, Nottingham, Norwich, Birmingham, Bath, Isle of Wight, Portsmouth and finally culminated in Trafalgar Square, London.

The "Where have all the Lions gone?” Campaign attracted good media interest through the press, radio and local television. Many local BBC Radio Stations featured our very own Dr. Pieter Kat on their radio programmes, mostly during the early morning show which meant an early start for all of us in most cities!

It proved to be a unique way to bring attention to the plight of the magnificent African Lion.

We conducted this campaign with the full cooperation and generous assistance from the city councils, National Trust in Blantyre, Scotland and Trafalgar Square Management in London. We were also given all our hotel accommodation free in each city from Premier Inns, Hilton, Holiday Inn, Q Hotels, Crowne Plaza, Mercure and De Vere Hotels.

We offer our grateful thanks to every one of you. We couldn't have done it without you.