The Knaresborough Lions have recently been delivering a 'Message in a Bottle' to Knaresborough residents. This is a service we have been providing for some years, but in recent weeks we have been helped by the community service organisation Knaresborough Connectors, who have linked us up with people who would like one.
No, Message in a Bottle isn't a rescue plea from someone stuck on a desert island; it's a simple idea for keeping your key personal and medical details in a standard location - the fridge!
The Message in a Bottle kit includes a form on which you can write information about yourself that may be important to communicate quickly in a medical emergency. You place the form in the distinctive bottle, which you then keep in the fridge. Two stickers are provided: one to put on the outside of the fridge door and the other to put inside the main entrance to your home.
Paramedics, police and fire fighters support this life-saving Lions initiative and in an emergency they know to look in your fridge if they see the Message in a Bottle stickers. This can save valuable time: not only does it confirm your identity, but it can tell them your important health conditions, medications and allergies. You can also write down your next of kin or emergency contacts. Message in a Bottle can give peace of mind not only to the person using it but also to their loved ones.
More than 5 million Message in a Bottle kits have been given out by Lions Clubs British Isles in recent years. Thanks to generous donations from the public and businesses, the Lions are able to give them out free of charge. You can usually pick one up at your GP surgery, but please get in touch with the Knaresborough Lions if you are in our area and would like us to deliver one to you.
