A Timaru teenager has won the Lions Club's Young Speechmaker of the Year competition for the first time.

Pleasant Point's William Struthers, 18, has won a trip to the United States and Canada to visit Lions clubs, talk about New Zealand, and present his winning speech.

Chilton St James School students know how to count to 38,600 – that’s how many aluminium drink can tabs they have.

According to his doctors, Andrew Walklin should have been dead about six years ago.

Cystic fibrosis claimed the life of his older brother and has left the Wellington man on kidney dialysis and a daily cocktail of pills to stay alive.

The rain stayed away and, with only a slight southerly breeze, conditions were ideal for Howick Lions Club’s annual midwinter fun plunge and swim.

Those useless coins that have been in your drawer since your last overseas trip may finally be useful - to send needy children on the adventure of a lifetime.

Leading young public speakers  came the length and the breadth of the country to compete in the National Finals of the NZ Lions Clubs 2010 Young Speechmaker Contest held at Tamatea High School on Saturday.

A $116 million fortune sitting idle in New Zealand homes could re-enter the economy for a good cause.

"It's a significant amount of money that could be put to use for a good purpose," Reserve Bank head of currency Alan Boaden said.

Now Lions Clubs New Zealand is calling for all that old currency to be given to help its work supporting youth programmes.