Page 27 - Lion Oct Nov 2016

Pestalozzi International Village
community
Lions Club International came to the rescue of Pestalozzi International Village Trust after sending out a ‘Buy a Brick’ appeal which aimed to raise money for the Pestalozzi Centre build. This appeal received lots of interest from Lions Clubs throughout the country and generated an amazing £4,200, with donations still coming in.
Pestalozzi is a UK-based charity with more than 50 years’ experience of offering life-changing opportunities to young people from disadvantaged communities around the world. Their vision is to inspire young people to make a difference in the world. The charities mission is to produce globally conscious young leaders by supporting their further education in a multi- cultural, multi-faith environment. The charity awards two-year scholarships to exceptional 16-19 year olds who are academically gifted but have limited educational prospects in their home countries. The common theme for these young people is that they have all demonstrated their enthusiasm for helping to make a difference in their communities.
The Pestalozzi Centre was officially opened by HRH The Duke of Gloucester in April of this year, who praised the building saying, “I hope in years to come as people use the Pestalozzi Centre, it will become a vibrant part of not only your community but also the wider community, and I’d like to congratulate the designers, the builders and all those who made
it possible.”
In total, the Pestalozzi Centre cost £1.6 million. This included the build itself, demolition of the older buildings, landscaping and professional fees. The building will provide a high-quality meeting learning and teaching space for our students. When not in use by students, Pestalozzi will encourage other charities and local organisations to make use of the space.
Following a recent visit to Pestalozzi Village, Graham Parish, Secretary of
the Eastbourne Lions Club, said, “We are delighted to have donated a pallet of bricks for the new Centre and therefore become part of Pestalozzi Village history. We were challenged by our International President, Dr. Jitsuhiro Yamada, to connect with our community with a Centennial Community Legacy Project during our Centennial Celebration. Our club members concurred that this project which enables international students to live in a multi-faith, multi-cultural community in East Sussex, Pestalozzi achieves this objective locally, nationally and internationally.”
Pestalozzi has more recently received direct support from Eastbourne, Hailsham, NPS, Rottingdean and Saltdean, Ruislip, Selby, Brixham, Highworth and District, Worthing, Hastings, Calne, Babbacombe and St Marychurch, Billingshurst and District and Lewes Lions Clubs, who have all contributed to the construction of the new Pestalozzi Centre by purchasing a
pallet or more of bricks. Fundraising Officer, James Bacon, in response to this says, “We are immensely grateful for this positive response but we still have some way to go to ensure that the Centre is equipped to a standard that will make it a valuable asset for Pestalozzi students and local community groups. We are still looking for £250,000 for the shortfall and to equip the centre with appropriate furniture and equipment.”
If you believe in the Pestalozzi mission and would like to donate towards the new Pestalozzi Centre crowdfunding campaign, ‘Fit for the Future’, please contact Fundraising Officer, James Bacon, on James.Bacon@Pestalozzi.org.uk or 01424 871 905. Alternately, you may prefer to donate towards the unique Pestalozzi scholarship programme.
Find out more about Pestalozzi on their website: www.pestalozzi.org.uk
www.lionsclubs.co
October/November 2016
27