Social & Charity Events
3rd May 2009
A beautiful spring Sunday saw many members with family and friends attend the Cricket Club for our Annual Charity Lunch. Members provide the food, & plentiful it was, mostly home made. Barbara and Stella co-ordinate and serve the food whilst our guests sit back and enjoy the company and the conversation – some even watch the cricket match!
The bottle tombola is a great attraction with people taking home anything from a bottle of sauce to a flagon of whisky - some even have both! Many raffle prizes are donated by members and the proceeds boost the takings which go into the Charity Fund. A donation is made to the Ramsbottom Cricket Club Youth Team in appreciation of the room they allow us to use for our meetings.
This year we raised £1,122.
12th May 2009
This evening was our first Business Meeting of the new year. It coincided with the ninetieth birt
hday of Founder Member Mona Hall. Maureen Sampson offered to have a party for Mona prior to the meeting. Maureen lives close to the Nursing Home, therefore it was easy to transport Mona to her home. She was delighted to be received with so much love and friendship from all the current members, many of whom she did not know as, unfortunately, she has not been able to attend meetings recently. But, as true Soroptimists, all spoke to Mona welcoming her and wishing her a ‘Happy Birthday’. A beautiful bouquet with a 90th balloon were presented to Mona. She later sent the balloon to a family friend in New Zealand who was also cerebrating her 90th birthday.
This was a friendly, delightful event – a fitting celebration especially as later in the year, on 6th September, we were sorry to be told that Mona had passed away. Members attended her funeral and celebrated her life. Soroptimist International of Ramsbottom celebrates the life and death of members in the true spirit of friendship.
16th June 2009
President Lesley decided that Soroptimists occasionally need some retail therapy so she arranged a trip to the Lowry Outlet Centre. To add a little culture the visit also included a showing of the film ‘South Pacific’ . A social event like this helps to cement friendships between members – an essential component of Soroptimist membership.
28th July 2009
Our summer ou
ting was a trip on the canal from Foulridge to Barrowford. The boat plies the canal regularly with private parties and individuals. Unfortunately the weather was dreadful, it had rained all day and we were hopeful that it would clear but it didn’t and the windows steamed up so that the view was not very clear. However the conversation on the boat was lively and noisy as is usual with any Soroptimist gathering. We also had food, another staple of Soroptimist events. The potato pie with mushy peas was excellent with plenty for second helpings.
23rd November 2009
Madam President had enjoyed an evening for Charity at the Metro Fish Bar in Whitefield. She made enquiries that resulted in the club having a similiar event. The proprietor of the restaurant donated the food. The evening resulted in a profit of £692.
8th December 2009
We had booked very early for our Winter Outing to see the show ‘White Christmas’ with Aled Jones at The Lowry Theatre in Salford. After gathering at a member’s house for canapes, we had a coach to take us to the Theatre. A wonderful, feel good show, everyone came out smiling. The coach was waiting to take us back to Holcombe Brook. On the way back we enjoyed mince pies thanks to the generosity of Madam President. A truly friendly event.
9th March 2010 Presentation Evening – representatives of the main charities we have supported during this year attended aand were presented with cheques. A good and interesting evening.
17th April 2010
Race Night at Ramsbottom Cricket Club. This was a great fun night which raised £750 for our Charity Funds. Members, friends and family bought, bet and raced the horses.
2010/2011
19th May 2010
A group of members attended at the new Bury Police Station where we were shown around the still emply but complete building. It was an enlighting tour, especially the custody suite and the cell block – we hope no members ever visit these for real !! The offices used for interviewing women and children who are victims of domestic abuse was of special interest to members. This area of work has been the subject of projects within the club in the past.
25th May 2010
Volunteers who work for Bury Pipleline, the Spoken Newspaper for the Borough, came to speak to members about the history and development of the organisation. This is lifeline for many partially and blind people who want to stay up to datre with events and news within the town, which included Ramsbottom. Cassette tapes have been replaced with CDs and changes in technology has caused funding needs. We agreed a donation would be later in the year from our Charity account.
June 5th 2010
We held a Coffee Morning and Afternoon Tea at President Glennys’ home raising £273.30 to support a young woman from Ramsbottom who is going to Moldova to help refurbish a Church into a Community Centre and Classrooms. We had stalls selling cards, books and home made produce and a good raffle and tombola. We also supported the work Marie Curie Cancer Care from the proceeds.
June 27th 2010
We enjoyed our Annual Sponsored Cricket Match and Buffet Lunch at Ramsbottom Cricket Club on a glorious day. We hold this in aid of some of our charities, it was very well attended and lunch was enjoyed by over one hundred guests. A bottle tombola and a raffle with many prizes boosted the takings with most taking away at least one bottle
During June and into July, Soroptimist will be busy delivering `Strawberry Teas’ to offices, factories and shops around Ramsbottom, this activity brings greater awareness of our work to the people of Ramsbottom an also raises funds for our chosen charities.
26th July
On Monday, we had an Afternoon Tea at Falshaw’ Farm Shop, Rowlands Road, Bury. Tickets cost £10-00 each and included plenty of sandwiches, scones and cakes. Members and friends also had the opportunity to buy home produce.
15th August 2010
During the summ
er months we try to have a summer outing. This year we took our picnics, via coach travel, to Stirk House Hotel, near Clitheroe, and an outdoot production of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. there was no wet shirt but was great fun, with only six axtors taking all parts including women as men and men as women. The production was superb, the weather was fine, it was had a beautiful evening culminating with bacon muffins to send us on our way home.
8th September 2010
Our first event in the sutumn saw us at the Cricket Club for a coffee morning to raise fund for Book Aid International and Mary’s Meals. Friends and family, as usual, supported our event.
25th September 2010
Soroptimis
t International of Great Britain and Ireland (SIGBI) have a garden at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire and on this day there was to be a planting of three more trees in memory of past members. One was to include a dedication to Lynn Dunning, Past International President and a member of SI Ramsbottom. We were invited to go along to the service of dedication and the following ceremony, Brian, Lynn widower came with us and we were all pleased to be present on this occasion.
The Arboretum is well worth a visit and needs a full day to do it justice. The memorials are very moving and the gardens are beautifully tended.
On Friday 1st and Saturday 2″ October we are Celebrating with a “Last Night of the Proms” at the Theatre Royal in Ramsbottom, this is a traditional ‘Last Night’ culminating with Land of Hope and Glory, Jerusalem and the National Anthem.
At the end of November and into December you will again see Soroptimist out and about around Ramsbottom and District delivering “Christmas Treats” to shops, offices and factories.
The Theatre Royal will be opening its doors to Soroptimist International of Ramsbottom for a charity night on Friday 14th January 2011. The title of the play is “Hay Fever” by Noel Coward, it is described as a cross between high farce and a comedy of manners set in the 1920′s, and will be just the thing to chase away the winter blues.
So you will see we have something to offer for everyone within the environs of Ramsbottom.
Do these events interest you? Would you like to come to a social event to learn more obout our organisation in Ramsbottom? Please contact Barbara on 07814055155