SI Morpeth club members attended the thanksgiving and memorial service which is held each year on International Women’s Day .

SI Stockton on Tees

To celebrate International Womens’ Day, 12 Members of SI Stockton on Tees gave a morning of service to help raise funds for the Messerani Project.  This project began in 2004 when it transformed a local school in Tanzania from a set of collapsing shacks into a sound, modern building with furnished classrooms.  This process of rejuvenating schools continued but more recently the project has sponsored 54 pupils through their secondary education.  To enable the girls to participate fully in education, feminine hygiene is provided and taught.  To help with the project to provide opportunities, hope ambition and family pride S.I. Stockton on Tees ran a coffee morning where African handicrafts were also sold.  The event raised £722 in just 3 hours! It certainly fulfilled the President’s quotation, ‘alone we can do so little but together we can do so much’.

SI Penrith

Newcastle upon Tyne Soroptimist International Northern England is working in partnership with other women’s groups to showcase their work with women and girls on Tuesday 8th March from 10.00am – 2.00pm at The Turbine Hall, Castle Gate, Melbourne Street Newcastle upon Tyne. The theme is female education in the region and in developing countries particularly looking at Millennium Development Goal 2 – achieving universal Primary Education.

http://soroptimist-gbi.org/blog/2011/02/21/100th-international-womens-day-soroptimists-inspiring-action/

Speakers will include ‘Women of the Past’Marion Anderson a City Guide of 38 years, ‘Women of Today’Jane Clubley Director of Development Newcastle University as well as students of today giving their aspiration, attainment and achievements.

Closing date for booking is 21st April, contact your club secertary for a booking form and join us to see the future for women – where are we going.

Highly commended award went to SI Tynemouth Whitley Bay and District for their ‘Painting the Town Pink’ raising awareness of Breast Cancer and to SI Darlington for their project support for the visually impaired, which involves members working as guides for the visually impaired.

Programme action winners with President Dorothy Thompson

Those choosen were told their muster point and to be there at 13:00hrs . When we were checked off we were given a sticker to put on our coats , with our name on and the time we were to light our light.

 Afer lunch we were shown how to erect the gas lamps and light them also how to use the hand flares.

  Coaches then took us  to access point along the wall , were we waited for our equipment  ( rather a long wait in my cells case)

Then we walked to our lighting points.

All together there were 515 points of light along the wall.As the time came nearer to light up the excietment grew,

Gas lamps were lit first as they had a longer life, those who had flares had to wait till they could see the helicopter coming closer to them, then set their flares off.

 I will remember the moment forever ”it was  magic”

I wanted to do it in memory of  everybody who had lost their life to Breast Cancer.

Everyone suffering from Breast Cancer.

And all who had survived Breast Cancer

As a club we have been overwhelmed by the generosity shown by our organisation nationwide. President Maureen has been contacted far and wide by individuals and presidents at every level who have all been so kind and caring in many different ways. The love and friendship shown to us has been wonderful.

But this letter is sent particularly to the Region of Northern England, to the clubs and to individual members who gave such generous amounts of money, particularly at the Regional Council Meeting. You have made such an amazing contribution to what was initially a very small pot of money that we wanted to donate to the flood fund.

We have not yet made our donation because we were aware that the Flood Fund was well stocked and as a club we met and decided that we would really like at least some of the money to go directly to women and children, mainly those who were particularly stranded on the North side of the river where getting to a school, a doctor or a shop was a major problem every day.

So to date we have made links with the Food-bank and the Churches together group who are targeting the worst affected cases. Some of our members have been able to work practically with these groups doing some very active programme action.

Two days before Christmas we were able to give a generous donation to a grandmother who shares her home (which was flooded) with her own 4year old, her adult daughter and her baby. They had lost everything in the flood and whilst her basic needs were being met there was absolutely nothing to make Christmas special. Our donation allowed her to make the difference and she was tearful and grateful that she could now replace her child’s bike which had been washed away. The little one could not sleep because of the horror of losing a special toy. – Yes in the scheme of things a bike is a luxury elsewhere but you cannot explain that to a child in the U.K. who has lost everything it hold’s dear.

We plan to meet again shortly to see where else we can help both practically and financially and we want you all in Northern England to know that your money will be used wisely..

President Maureen and all the members of S.I. Cockermouth and District have been shown how wonderful this organisation is and we send our love and thanks to each and every one of you.

In friendship

Doreen

The water in the North Tyneside Council leisure pool turned pink on Saturday 24 October in support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

The pool is believed to be the first in the country to turn its water pink as part of the initiative.

 During the month of October members of SI Tynemouth and Whitley Bay helped turn the area “pink” for breast cancer awarness, events included;  St Mary’s Lighthouse in Whitley Bay beening illuminated pink by the council for the campaign, which encourages people to wear it pink and raise funds for Breast Cancer Campaign’s vital research.

 Cllr Glynis Barrie, North Tyneside Council’s Cabinet Member for Community Services, said: “We’re delighted to help raise awareness for such a good cause.

 “We hope turning the water pink at Waves really grabs people’s attention and helps raise funds. Certainly, we believe we’re the first council to do something like this for Breast Cancer Awareness Month.”

 Rebecca Guy, wear it pink Events Manager said: “This is the first time a swimming pool has turned pink for our charity! It’s a fantastic way to take part in wear it pink and we are very appreciative of the leisure pools efforts.

 “There is however a serious reason for wearing it pink during October. Some 46,000 are diagnosed with breast cancer every year and wear it pink helps to fund vital research into a disease which affects so many.”

 As well as turning the water pink, the reception area and café at Waves will be decorated pink. There will also be a raffle and collection on the day.

The initiative is one of a number of activities taking place in Whitley Bay in support of the Breast Cancer Campaign. The events have been supported or organised by Shirley Hallam, president of Soroptimist International Tynemouth, Whitley Bay and District.

 Runner up this year was SI Durham for the Knit One Save One Campaign.