Locals who drop by the Lions op shop for a browse now also have the chance to vote in a competition, launched last Saturday, for their preference out of six community groups that help keep Raglan safe.
The volunteers running these organisations are “heroes”, Lions committee member Stephen Sandwell reckons. “We want to promote what they do in our community.”
He hopes the three-week competition will, in turn, up the profile of the Lions Club op shop which has suffered several setbacks during the past year. First the shop was forced to vacate its popular long-held premises in Wallis St and, more recently, it was unable to trade from the Coastguard shed because of a nearby pathway closure.
Compounding that are the smaller premises and – tucked away in Raglan Club’s car park – the lesser foot traffic.
“It’s been a struggle,” club president Bernice Richards admits. The loss of business is hindering its decades-long support of individuals and other volunteer groups in the community, she says.
“Don’t ask me how much money we’ve given out over the years, but it’s a lot,” she adds. “We help whoever needs help in our community.”
Now the service club is asking the whole community to get behind six largely volunteer organisations: the Surf Life Saving Club, Coastguard, Fire Brigade, Community Patrol run by the police, the Health Shuttle Service run by the community house and Hato Hone St John Raglan.
The Lions are encouraging people to drop by the op shop – which until now has used proceeds from the sale of its second-hand goods entirely for the benefit of others – and vote for their preferred group. “Please use our shop,” they plead, “so we can continue to support the community.”
Raglan Lions have $500 to distribute among the groups, based on the percentage of votes each gets. There are also spot prizes for voters including coffee vouchers, smoke detectors and a year’s subscription to St John.
by Edith Symes
