THE Lions Club in Lowestoft has been sponsoring a life-saving project in the town for some time, working in partnership with Orwell Housing Association which is helping to raise awareness of the project for its tenants.

THE Lions Club in Lowestoft has been sponsoring a life-saving project in the town for some time, working in partnership with Orwell Housing Association which is helping to raise awareness of the project for its tenants.

'Message in a Bottle' is designed to encourage people, especially those living on their own or the elderly, to keep their basic personal and medical details in a common location where they can be found in an emergency.

Glyn Page, president of Lowestoft Lions, said: 'As the name suggests, individual's personal and medical information is kept in a small plastic bottle which is then stored in the fridge. In the event of emergency services being called to your home, this is where they will expect to find the bottle.

'They will also be alerted to membership of the scheme by two 'green cross' labels, one fixed to the inside of the home's front door and the second attached to the outside of the fridge door. In the case of a fire, the fridge is often the last thing to burn, allowing the contents of the bottle to remain safe and accessible.'

It is recommended that the type of details stored within the bottle should be information such as: personal details, next of kin or a relative's contact details, allergies, regular medications, name of doctor and any other useful medical information.

Stephen Javes, chief executive of Orwell Housing Association, said: 'Although the scheme is focused on the more vulnerable in our community, anyone at any time can have an accident at home, so this scheme would benefit everyone, young or old. I was delighted to be asked to help promote and further this campaign with the Lowestoft Lions Club, and it has already been promoted to our tenants. For what is such a simple concept, it could potentially be a life saver.'

The bottles can be obtained from Lowestoft Lions Club (0845 833 2804) or the Orwell Housing offices in Lowestoft, 22 Gordon Road. If you are not an Orwell tenant you are still more than welcome to collect a bottle from their offices.