he common thing about the communities we represent is that they each have an abundance of amazing volunteers, and none more so than Lions volunteers. I too thank the member for Blacktown for bringing this very important motion to the House. He is a member of the NSW Parliamentary Lions. We all get in there together, and I am very pleased about that. I put the call out today for all members who have spoken on this motion to join the Parliamentary Friends of Lions and to encourage their neighbours in the halls of levels 10 and 12, and throughout Parliament House, to lend their support as well. We need you. We are hosting a barbeque soon—and we will raise some money too.

We are a proper Lions Club, the NSW Parliamentary Lions. I thank the member for Riverstone. He is quite right. Wherever there is a community event, the Lions are there. I have been to a few this year. On National Tree Day, I joined in with the Budgewoi Beach Dunecare group to plant 900 trees. Who was there to cook us breakfast? It was the North Lakes Lions Club. When our community held its big Australia Day event in Mannering Park, who was there to cook the barbecue breakfast for the thousands who turned out? Again, it was the local Lions club. And who was there as part of the community celebration at Chain Valley Bay? It was the Lions club. Wherever there is community, there is a Lions club. The Lions values align with my Labor values, and that is why I cannot support them enough.

I give a particular shout‑out to the Gwandalan Lioness Club, which I have a lot to do with. Its members are at the Gwandalan Community Hall every Saturday morning making sure that there is recycled and second‑hand stuff for people from across the community. All the money raised goes to very good causes, but the club holds two particular events that I would like to highlight. One is the annual arts and craft expo, which will be held within the next few weeks. I have had the great fortune of opening it since I have been the member for Swansea. The expo raises funds for the Lions Childhood Cancer Research Foundation, and every cent goes to deserving organisations. In addition, the club raises an enormous amount of money for the local school. The school could not be more thankful. As a result, the kids at Gwandalan and Summerland Point have a close relationship with Lions club volunteers. Again, isn't that the foundation of the communities we represent? We are so fortunate.

Another event is Elsie's Retreat. The member for Terrigal has mentioned Elsie's Retreat previously in relation to Central Coast palliative care units. Lions clubs across the Central Coast participated in that retreat. My colleagues representing the electorates of the Entrance, Gosford and Wyong have all played key roles in supporting our Lions clubs to ensure they have the right frameworks to get that very important service up and running. Again, the Lions backed it in. The clubs spent so much time raising the funds, and we now have a valuable asset for our communities, which comes with such love. The Lions Club of Belmont and District has partnered with the Gateway Church in the Swansea electorate to establish and run a mobile shower and laundry service. The list goes on—I do not have time to name every initiative. But I conclude by saying that the Lions in New South Wales are fantastic, as they are right across the world.