The Lions Club of Orange Canobolas and a local scrap metal recycler have partnered for an ongoing campaign to raise funds in support of premature and sick babies.

Long-time Lions Club member Pat Kilby has organised numerous ‘battery drive’ fundraisers over the past 15 years, calling for donations of old batteries from the public that are then sold to be recycled.

After the Premi-Babes Association of Orange visited a meeting earlier this year, Pat immediately began organising another ‘battery drive’ to help them support premature and sick babies at Orange Hospital.

“We just finished doing that in June, and we raised four thousand dollars for the Premi-Babes,” Pat said.

“They really appreciated it because the hospital didn't have the  money to send two nurses away to be retrained for premi babies. So the money was very gratefully received to help them to go away to do it.”

But rather than wait until the next ‘battery drive’, Orange Copper Recycling suggested it become an ongoing fundraiser, volunteering to act as a collection point for anyone who wants to drop off an old battery.

“We have always bought the batteries off Pat and looked after him with the price and donated a bit ourselves as a company, and I just thought, well, why not make it where they can drop it off here and save double handling?” Kym Wenban of Orange Copper Recycling said.

“They just have to bring it down, let me know that it's for the Lions Club, I’ll weigh it up, take their name, let them know how much it's worth and when Pat's ready, he comes and gets it and it goes to the Premi-Babes Association of Orange.”

And it’s not only batteries, Kym said they can pass on the money from any donated scrap metal.

“It can be steel, copper, brass, aluminium, stainless steel, unwanted cars… the only thing I can't take is gas bottles and anything that's been under pressure.

“While ever the Lions Club wants it to continue, then that's fine with us… the community gets something out of it, and that's what it's all about.”

Got an old battery to donate? Orange Copper Recycling is located at 73 William Street, Orange.