The Lions Club Nicosia New Generation, a special club focusing on childhood cancer of the undistricted northern part of Cyprus, has become the only Turkish Cypriot and undistricted Lions club among the 30 clubs worldwide to receive the Kindness Matters Service Award (KMSA).
GAT Europe and New Voices Coordinator PID Elisabeth Haderer and GAT CA4 Area Leader PID José Maria R. Gorgulho visited the northern part of Cyprus to deliver the prestigious award directly to the club.
Nicosia New Generation organised an award ceremony on the evening of June 3, where all Lions clubs on the northern side of Cyprus were invited. In the organisation where the undistricted northern part of Cyprus hosted such high-level European Lions leaders for the first time, PID Elisabeth Haderer of Netherlands and PID José Maria R. Gorgulho of Portugal had the chance to meet the representatives of Lions clubs in the north of Cyprus.
PID Elisabeth Haderer and PID José Maria R. Gorgulho also presented the GAT Medal of the President to Fikret Şendil, a member of the Mağusa Mesarya and the Specialty Club Coordinator of the undistricted area of Cyprus.
Fikret Şendil and Anıl Meryem Altuğ Bilir, the club president of the Nicosia New Generation Lions accompanied the past international directors between 2-5 June during their visit to Cyprus. The European Lions Leaders had the chance to visit historical and touristic places in Kyrenia, Nicosia and Famagusta while they also enjoyed the delicious Mediterranean Cuisine of Cyprus.
Lions Clubs in the north of Cyprus, which began being established in 1997 with the name and address of Istanbul, have re-chartered as Cyprus clubs by changing their name and address in 2004. Even though the International Association of Lions Clubs acknowledges the northern part of Cyprus as an undistricted area, the north of Cyprus is not being accepted as a separate geographical area from the rest of Cyprus.
There are currently 15 Lions Clubs and more than 500 registered Lions in the undistricted northern area of Cyprus.
Although Lions International is the world’s largest non-political service organisation, the area is not allowed to be a zone or a region, a clear violation of the Lions Clubs International Constitution and By-Laws due to the existence of the Cyprus dispute and the political status of Northern Cyprus.
Lions Club Press Release