Charity, Ringwood | Posted on January 9th, 2026 | return to news

Ringwood residents urged to take part in life-saving scheme

The ‘Message in a Bottle’ scheme is organised by Lions Clubs, and local people can take advantage of it at Ringwood Meeting House.

Ringwood and Fordingbridge Lions Club are participating in a scheme that could save your life.

‘Message in a Bottle’ is a simple but effective way for people to keep their personal and medical details in a place where they can be found in an emergency, on a standard form and in a common location: the fridge. Across the country, Message in a Bottle kits are available free of charge to anyone who needs one via local Lions Clubs, as well as pharmacies and doctors’ surgeries.

This scheme helps emergency services personnel (paramedics, police, firefighters and social services) save valuable time by identifying an individual very quickly, knowing if they have any allergies or take special medication, identifying who best to contact in the event of an emergency, and whether there are any household pets that will need care if their owner becomes unwell.

Ringwood and Fordingbridge Lions Club will be handing out these life-saving bottles free of charge at their open day at the Meeting House in central Ringwood on Saturday 31 January, between 10am and 12pm. Come along to collect your free bottle, find out more about how the scheme works, and learn what Ringwood and Fordingbridge Lions do.

Ringwood and Fordingbridge Lions Club promotes this scheme because they believe it gives older or vulnerable people more confidence about their treatment in an emergency. It also gives peace of mind to relatives and friends that essential information will be available in an emergency situation. To find out more about the scheme, contact them on 0345 833 5819 or via their website at randflions.org.uk.