South-East Essex Design Competition was formed from unpaid volunteers forming a charity which has run for over 35 years for the benefit of local schoolchildren to encourage innovation and creativity in the creative Arts and Design and Technology throughout the curriculum in schools from reception to post 16.   Their website is www.southeastessexdesigncompetition.org.uk

An invitation is sent to all schools with a request for an idea of entry numbers by beginning of February to allow time to organise the appropriate number of judges.  All the entries can be any technology/creative arts projects and should show development from the initial ideas to the finished products.  Primary schools usually enter whole school/year/class/club entries. Secondary schools are encouraged to enter individual/club/group entries and need to bring their notebooks when judged.  Gold, Silver and Bronze certificates are awarded and a small monetary prize.

Leigh on Sea Lions Club were happy to sponsor the competition this year to carry on a wonderful tradition.

Lion President Deb Jones, handed over £100 to Club 50+ Chairman Tony Harrison of the Club50+ Committee; on her right is Ricky Bindahnee, Trustees Chairman, along with other Committee members and volunteers.

We had a really great (if tiring)  day fund raising for BBC Children In Need on Friday 18th November. Thank you to the commuters at Chalkwell and Leigh stations, who kindly donated £430.23 to the cause.

In the evening, we ran our 4th Charity Grand Quiz at Leigh Community Centre, raising a further £192 with our raffle, so thanks to the competitors for digging deep – and to Jan for donating some handsome prizes.

Everyone seemed to enjoy the challenging quiz, and the winners were team Norwegian Blue, taking away a cheque for   £1000 for the Essex Horse and Pony Protection Society. The second prize of £500 was won by U3A for the charity Headway Essex.  We decided to give a bonus prize of £100 to the team (and charity) The Art Ministry, who were few in number – and struggled with questions on the early space missions. Evidently they were all too young……!!

Essex Horse and Pony Protection Society receiving their £1000 prize money

U3A receiving £500 on behalf of Headway Essex

The Art Ministry saying thank you for their £100 bonus prize

Amelia is 11 years old.  She has profound and multiple learning difficulties and goes to Kingsdown School.

At home she has a Bear Snooze bed that is enclosed that she is unable to get out of and harm herself provided by the local authority.

To enable the family to have a holiday together Donna Slattery, her mother, found a “Safety Sleeper” that fits on to any single bed and completely encloses it so the child inside cannot harm themselves or get out of bed.  This folds down into a suitcase so can easily be transported, even on to a plane.   It costs £2,995.

Leigh Lions bought the Safety Sleeper for Amelia to use for holidays and they have in fact taken their first family holiday abroad to Spain.  It is available for use by any of the children in Kingsdown School to go on holiday.  Another boy has used it to go on holiday with his parents to Scotland.