Monthly Mailing August 2026
I received about 50-50 in favour of the old way of sending the mailing and just sending a link
To keep everyone happy I will send it both ways for now
Regards Peter
MD105 British Isles Officer Vacancy
We still have a vacancy at MD Level for a Young Ambassador Officer
If you would like to apply for this post, please request an application form by email to brigitte@lionsclubs.co.uk, the closing date for applications will be September 25th 2026
Council and Vice Council will consider all the applications and will advise you shortly after the closing date of their decision
This role will form part of the MD Youth Portfolio and report to the MD Youth Co-Ordinator, PDG Lion Sue Wilding.
The successful candidate will be supported by Sue, the current Council and the team at Lions Clubs National HQ, who will provide guidance and assistance throughout their term of office.
Dear Lions
I am sure you are aware that it has become customary for the International President to have designated Weeks of Service. These are three separate weeks when Lions around the world are asked to undertake service activities linked to three of our global themes.
IP Mark Lyon has chosen Vision, Youth and Environment as his three. The flyer that accompanies this letter informs you when the weeks are. If your club decides to undertake an activity that coincides, then please record your service on the portal, and indeed all club service, and take photos.
If you have any questions
Lion Ann Huntley
September 2026
Dear Fellow Lions in District 105SC
I hope that you are all enjoying the Summer and that you have not been badly affected by the devasting forest fires that have hit the UK and Europe.
I make no apologies for concentrating on this issue in this month's Newsletter and yes, you probably have most of it before!
After the Flames: How We Can Help Britain's Wild Landscapes Recover
Wildfires can leave an extraordinary landscape of blackened vegetation, damaged soils and displaced wildlife. It is easy to look at the aftermath and feel that there is little an ordinary person can do.
But there is.
The recovery of our countryside isn't simply about putting out fires or planting replacement trees. It is about restoring healthy ecosystems - peatlands, heathlands, grasslands, wetlands and native woodland - and making those landscapes more resilient to the increasingly extreme weather we are experiencing.
And each of us can play a part.
Start by preventing the next wildfire
Perhaps the most important contribution we can make is to stop fires happening in the first place.
When visiting the countryside during dry periods, avoid lighting fires or using disposable barbecues unless they are specifically permitted. Never leave a fire unattended, don't discard cigarettes, take glass and rubbish home, and follow local fire-risk warnings and restrictions.
It is also worth talking to friends and family about wildfire risks. A little awareness can go a long way.
If you see a wildfire, don't put yourself at risk trying to tackle it. Move away from the fire and contact the emergency services.
Volunteer your time
Money is valuable, but so is practical help.
Across the South of England there are conservation organisations looking for volunteers to help restore habitats, monitor wildlife and manage land.
In Dorset, for example, Nature Recovery Dorset brings together individuals, community groups, farmers, landowners and organisations working to make nature "bigger, better and more joined up." Individuals can join the network free of charge and find ways to become involved in local nature recovery.
This kind of volunteering can be remarkably rewarding. You aren't simply donating money—you are actually getting your hands dirty helping the landscape recover.
Think beyond tree planting
One of the biggest misconceptions about environmental restoration is that every damaged landscape needs trees.
It doesn't.
Some of the UK's most valuable landscapes are open heathland, grassland, wetland and peatland. Planting trees in the wrong place can actually damage these ecosystems.
Peatlands are particularly important. Healthy peatlands store carbon, hold water, support specialist wildlife and can help landscapes become more resilient to drought, flooding and fire.
So when considering a donation or volunteering opportunity, ask a simple question:
"What habitat actually belongs here?"
Restoration should be about rebuilding a functioning ecosystem—not simply making a burned landscape green again as quickly as possible.
Make your own garden part of the recovery
You don't need to own a huge piece of countryside to help nature.
A garden, allotment, balcony or even a few pots can provide food and shelter for insects, birds and other wildlife.
Consider planting native or wildlife-friendly flowers and shrubs, reducing pesticide use, leaving part of your lawn longer, providing water and creating shelter for insects and small animals.
Dorset Council's nature-recovery guidance, for example, encourages individuals to create more species-rich habitats, reduce pesticides and fertilisers, and increase the diversity of vegetation in gardens and other spaces.
Small areas become much more valuable when they are connected to other areas of habitat.
Support organisations doing the work
If you can't volunteer, a regular donation can still make a difference.
Rather than simply choosing a campaign because it has an appealing photograph, look for organisations undertaking evidence-based habitat restoration, wildfire prevention and ecological monitoring.
And consider making your contribution regular. Even a small monthly donation provides organisations with more predictable income than an occasional gift.
Become a wildlife observer
Nature recovery needs evidence.
If you enjoy walking, learn to recognise some of the plants, birds, butterflies, insects and other wildlife in your area. Recording what you see can help conservationists understand how habitats are changing.
The South West Peatland Partnership, for instance, uses volunteers to monitor vegetation, birds, insects, butterflies, dragonflies and Sphagnum mosses. It also has citizen-science opportunities involving monitoring water levels and peat surfaces.
You don't have to be an expert. You can start by learning one species at a time.
Think about the landscape, not just the individual fire
A wildfire is dramatic and visible. But ecological recovery is often a much longer process.
A recent example illustrates this. Following the devastating 2025 Fylingdales wildfire in the North York Moors, the government announced up to £3.2 million for recovery work, including stabilising damaged slopes, restoring peatland species such as Sphagnum moss, repairing firebreaks and reinstating rights of way.
That tells us something important: restoring a wildfire-damaged landscape isn't a quick planting exercise. It can involve water management, erosion control, habitat restoration, monitoring and years of careful stewardship.
What can one person actually do?
You could make it very simple:
Every month
- Give £5 - £10 to a reputable conservation organisation.
- Spend a few hours volunteering locally.
- Record some of the wildlife you see.
Every countryside visit
- Leave no fire risk behind.
- Take your rubbish home.
- Follow local fire warnings.
- Encourage others to do the same.
At home
- Make your garden more wildlife-friendly.
- Reduce pesticide use.
- Grow plants that provide food and shelter for wildlife.
Once or twice a year
- Take part in a larger conservation project.
- Contact your local council or elected representatives and support properly funded nature recovery and wildfire-prevention programmes.
The message of hope
Perhaps the most encouraging thing is that damaged landscapes are not necessarily lost landscapes.
Nature is remarkably resilient when given the right conditions.
Our role isn't to force nature to recover according to our timetable. It is to remove the pressures that prevent recovery, restore the conditions ecosystems need, and then give nature the time and space to do what it has been doing for thousands of years.
We can all contribute.
One volunteer day - One donation - One wildlife-friendly garden - One prevented fire - One conversation that makes another person think twice before lighting a barbecue on dry grass.
Individually, these actions may seem small. Collectively, they can help create landscapes that are healthier, wetter, more biodiverse and better able to withstand the fires of the future.
Yes. The important thing is to think beyond simply "plant more trees". Wildfires can damage vegetation, wildlife, soil and - particularly importantly in the UK - peatlands. Some peatland damage can take centuries to recover, so the best individual actions combine supporting restoration, preventing further fires, and helping ecosystems become more resilient.
I would be interested in any feedback or comments and maybe news on what your Club is doing
Lion Paul Allaway,
District Environment Officer
Autumn Forum 105SC
Sunday 11th October
9.30 arrival for prompt 10.00 start
Aiming to finish by 16.00
Alton House Hotel
57 Normandy Street, Alton, Hampshire, GU34 1DW
All Lions welcome to attend this forum
A chance to network with other clubs, discuss membership, service, leadership and communication.
We will also be exploring various websites that are useful for clubs.
If there is anything that you would like the forum to focus on, please contact GLT
Bookings for a buffet lunch: www.lions105sc.org.uk/booking74
Our DBS officer will be available during the day to check forms.
Come and be inspired!
Membership Matters
District 105SC have been running Membership Matters for several months on the first Wednesday of each month at 19:30 by Zoom. The meeting lasts for a maximum of 1 hour.
Membership is key to the amount of service that Lions can provide and to the continued growth of Clubs.
The meeting is open to all members in our District, but we would particularly like Club Membership Officers and Presidents to attend as we are keen to have all Clubs represented.
The aim of the meeting is:
- To share ideas between Clubs in recruitment, retention and other matters relating to membership
- For Clubs who have had recent successes with their membership to share the strategies that they have employed
- To provide support for Clubs that are looking to grow their membership.
- To look at service and youth projects and how we can use them to assist on membership growth.
We also welcome ideas of topics which you would like to discuss at the meetings.
Our next meeting is on Wednesday 2nd September 2026 at 19:30. I hope that you will be able to join us.
Tim Hanton - District Governor 105SC
See Zoom details at www.lions105sc.org.uk/members/cabinetresources.html (Same as last month - you will need to login to see the password etc)
