Urunga Lions host Need For Feed en route to Lismore Coffs Coast Highlight Section Nambucca Valley by News Of The Area - Modern Media - March 11, 2022 Urunga Lions members Councillor Jo Brotherton and Ben Flynn from BP North Urunga join President Peter Brotherton as he presents a cheque for $1,000 to Lion Graham Cockerel, coordinator from Need For Feed. Photo: Peter Lister. URUNGA Lions hosted the truck drivers of a Need For Feed convoy en route from Victoria to the flood-devastated Northern Rivers last Saturday, 5 March. Emily Struik from Urunga Lions Club was contacted the previous week by Darren from the Lions Club of Victoria’s Need for Feed charity to ask if it would be possible to organise a night-time stopover for members of the club who were responding to an urgent request for assistance to provide fodder for farmers who have been devastated by the flooding in Lismore and the surrounding areas. Initially it was thought there would be about seven vehicles but by the time the convoy left Victoria there were thirteen vehicles. “The drivers are all volunteers and the use of the vehicles, and the fodder are donated to the Need for Feed organisation,” Lion Emily Struik told News Of The Area. “Fuel for the vehicles is purchased from monies donated so that this great service can continue wherever and whenever it is required.” Looking for somewhere to put up the convoy drivers overnight, Urunga Lion Jo Brotherton contacted Ben Flynn from BP North Urunga who agreed to help the club with space to park the vehicles and to organise facilities for the drivers to shower and freshen up. The convoy arrived in Urunga at about 6:30pm to a very warm welcome from members of the local Lions Club who had prepared a hearty meal for them. During the evening Urunga Lions President Peter Brotherton presented Graham Cockerel, President of the Lions Club of Berwick, with a cheque for $1,000.00 to help cover the cost of fuel. Graham thanked the club for the cheque and for the great meal that they had provided. He also thanked Ben Flynn for his hospitality and generosity in agreeing to provide breakfast and coffee for the drivers before they were to head off on the final leg of their journey. To quote Peter Lister (photographer) who joined the Urunga gathering, this is truly a case of “Aussies helping Aussies”. “These men and women truly uphold the Lions motto ‘We serve’,” said Emily. Lion Graham advised that another convoy will be coming through Coffs Harbour next weekend (a long weekend in Victoria) and again on the Anzac Day weekend. If you would like to donate to these convoys, details are on both the Facebook and web pages. To learn more about the work of Lions Club Need For Feed see https://www.facebook.com/NeedForFeedAustralia/ or their website www.needforfeed.org. By Andrea FERRARI Urunga Lions Club members catered for the drivers on Saturday night. Photo: Peter Lister. The fodder laden trucks pull out of their overnight stop at Urunga on their way to Lismore. Photo: Peter Lister. Pink sky morning for the Victorian truck drivers as they set off from their overnight stop at BP North Urunga. Photo: Peter Lister. A heartening sight – the trucks underway from Urunga en route to flooded Lismore and surrounds. Photo: Peter Lister.
