“For some recently-joined members, this may be their first opportunity to attend a regional gathering and to meet Soroptimists from other clubs,” said Margaret Davies, Membership Officer for South Lancashire, who organised the event. “It’s always a very friendly occasion, though with an ‘edge’ of suspense about the regional awards.” 

President Jenny presented the trophies for 2011. In bowls, SI Liverpool triumphed in the team competition so, once again, took home silverware. Hilda McAllen of SI Bootle won the Tricia Fahey Cup in the singles competition. 

South Lancashire’s Programme Action trophy is a crystal globe held in a crystal hand – representative of our worldwide organisation. The Region’s PA Officer, Eileen Griffiths, had looked closely at clubs’ report forms when judging the year’s work. “It was really a tough call again this year. I chose Oldham because, despite the level of their membership, they have worked hard in the area of PAC – which is not always easy with small numbers.” SI Oldham & District had devised and hosted a highly successful community ‘Caring and Sharing’ Day, a project that had involved all club members. 

The final trophy was the crystal Rose Bowl, awarded for the President’s annual challenge. This year clubs were challenged to grow their own ‘nest egg’, in aid of the Multiple Sclerosis Society. (MS is a condition that affects women disproportionately more than men.) Judith Grocott, President of North West England & the Isle of Man Region, judged the entries. Her criteria included club members’ involvement, planning, publicity efforts, presentation of entry and income earned. The club that comprehensively met the challenge was SI Widnes. 

The challenge raised total of £1,800. On receiving the cheque Ken Johnson, Chairman of the MS National Council for England, promised that the money would be used by the Society in the North West. 

The after-lunch speaker was Sameem Ali. Initially in verse, and then in prose, she touched on her own experiences of overcoming adversity. Taking questions, she then ranged widely over issues surrounding forced marriage, cultural challenges and community cohesion. President Elect Denise Baldwin thanked Sameem for such a thought-provoking address.

Clubs set up displays to showcase their community service – both locally and internationally. SI Stockport, for example, put up information on the Sanctuary Room which they funded at Stockport Police Station; and Bury’s members illustrated how they support a schoolgirl and her classmates at Watamu in Kenya. SI Ormskirk brought the beautiful Sri Lankan banner made by one village as a “thank you” for the club’s efforts – they funded a new community centre following the devastating tsunami. On one stand a poignant array of tiny hand-knitted clothes and “angel pockets” made by Widnes’ Soroptimists demonstrated how the club has liaised with the local hospital to support parents of premature babies that do not survive.

Linda Redhead, the Region’s Organisational Development Officer, co-ordinated the event. “It was impressive  to see such a wide selection of Soroptimist activity on display. Several of our visitors expressed an interest in finding out more, so may well visit local clubs and meet more members. I know they will be welcomed in traditional  Soroptimist fashion – in friendship.”

Soroptimist International is developing a working relationship with the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS), to the benefit of both organisations. Soroptimists and Girl Guides feel strongly about the same sort of issues and want to give something back to the community. Both worldwide organisations seek to make the world a better place for women and girls.

Many Soroptimist Clubs are planning collaborative projects with their local Guiding network. Soroptimists’ experience in skills such as presentation and interview techniques, for example, could be utilised to mutual advantage.

South Lancashire has the advantage of a specific contact with Guiding through Eileen Griffiths, Programme Action Officer for the region, who has longstanding connections with Guiding. She will be putting this experience to good use, on behalf of Soroptimist International, as the UK Programme Action Committee’s link with GirlGuiding UK.

WAGGGS is the largest voluntary movement dedicated to girls and young women in the world. GirlGuiding UK is the United Kingdom’s largest voluntary organisation for girls and young women: its strapline is “Girls in the lead”. Soroptimist International is the world’s largest classified service organisation for women. It is committed to a world where women and girls together achieve their individual and collective potential, realise aspirations and have an equal voice in creating strong, peaceful communities worldwide. Both international organisations have formal links with the United Nations, to promote the needs and interests of women and girls.

On behalf of South Lancashire’s Soroptimists, the region’s Programme Action Officer – Eileen Griffiths – welcomed Clare Shaw from Target Tuberculosis as their guest speaker at the summer meeting.

Clare’s initial quiz highlighted how little is generally known about TB – how it is transmitted from person to person – how prevalent it is worldwide – and how ‘active’ TB is rightly feared as a killer disease, particularly in poorer communities.

TB is the biggest infectious killer of young women in the world today. Through cultural restrictions, poverty, lack of understanding, or other barriers, women tend to present later and therefore have a lesser chance of receiving successful treatment. Yet testing and treatment are generally free.

TB is a global crisis; however there is relatively little modern investment in diagnosis and treatment. A full course of antibiotics still takes 6-9 months to complete, otherwise there is the risk of developing drug-resistant TB, which is far costlier to detect and treat.

Working with communities to ensure effective testing and treatment is a challenge. Target Tuberculosis actively tackles this challenge by organising frontline health and education projects. It gives funding, support and advice to local partner organisations in Southern Africa and South Asia that work directly with impoverished communities affected by TB.

The conference took as its theme “Equality – are we there yet?” – an examination of SI’s ‘grass-roots’ principle. Speakers looked at equality from a variety of angles, challenging delegates to abandon preconceptions and think again about what exactly “equality” means to them.

Professor Pat Thane, Emeritus Professor of the University of London gave the keynote address. Other distinguished speakers included Marie Staunton, Chief Executive of the charity Plan UK, solicitor Ellie Foster, and university lecturers Dr Steven Dempster (Lancaster) and Jo Grady (Leicester). Susan Biggs (Chair, UKPAC) outlined plans for the forthcoming long-term project on education and leadership, and involved delegates in workshops. Federation President, Liz Morgan-Lewis, was principal guest. Jo Darbyshire, a member of SI Blackpool & District, and a former Federation President, chaired the two-day conference.

An innovation was a short set of simple exercises. Causing much amusement, these ensured that delegates were ready and alert for the post-lunch conference session. Even delegates staffing clubs’ sales’ stalls entered into the spirit of the session!

On Friday, an entertaining after-dinner session from Sarah Rhodes of “Get Ahead Hats” gave everyone – including the Federation President – the chance to indulge in elegant (and expensive) millinery. On Saturday, the Mayor and Mayoress of Blackpool, Councillor Don Clapham and Mrs Gill Clapham, attended the conference’s black-and-white-themed gala dinner, and enjoyed a performance by Blackpool’s all-women close-harmony singing group “Soundwaves”.

South Lancashire’s President, Jenny Stanistreet, chaired the day’s proceedings. Many Soroptimists from both regions acted as stewards, assisted in directing members of the public to the venue, and generally were available to talk about aspects of Soroptimism.

The first speaker was Dr Fred Nye, Secretary of the Waterloo Partnership. He outlined the achievements of this local charity – a collaboration between people in Waterloo and Crosby (near Liverpool) and their namesake community near Freetown.  This initiative was started after a visit to Sierra Leone by the (then) MP for Crosby – and member of Soroptimist International – Claire Curtis-Thomas.

Anne MacDonald, Quadrennial Project Liaison Officer, then gave a presentation on Project SIerra and showed the project’s film.

The keynote speaker was Professor Tunde Zack-Williams, Professor of Sociology at Central Lancashire University, a member of the Sierra Leone Association Merseyside (SLAM), and also a trustee of Hope and Homes for Children.  Professor Zack-Williams gave a fascinating talk on the history of Sierra Leone during the fifty years since independence and this generated a number of questions and interesting discussion.

Dr Nye and Anne MacDonald repeated their earlier presentations. An extra feature was a short session by three local school students who had recently visited Sierra Leone on an exchange, facilitated by the Waterloo Partnership and the British Council. They each described their visit from a different perspective.

The Museum supplied a BSL interpreter throughout the day, and also provided refreshments. The event was well attended and, during breaks between presentations, there was opportunity for people to view the displays and talk to the speakers and Soroptimists present.

Access to education is denied to millions of women and girls through their lack of literacy. Clubs’ help at the local level – listening to children read, for example - can do much to reinforce teaching and ensure a good grounding for later life. In the wider world, Soroptimists’ support for charities such as Plan UK’s “Because I’m a Girl” campaign and Book Aid International contributes towards the aim of ensuring that women and girls enjoy equality and have access to education.

Helen also explored the link between food and education. Organisations such as Mary’s Meals combine lunch with learning – for a hungry child cannot take full advantage of school.

The United Nations undertakes a vast amount of work in the educational field. The UN Girls’ Education Initiative is a partnership of organisations committed, for example, to narrowing the gender gap in primary and secondary education. Similarly SIGBI and UNICEF are in alliance to provide, in the short-term, aid and trauma management for the victims of the floods in Pakistan and, in the long-term, specific projects on education.

A woman who cannot read for herself can only listen – her ability to make an informed choice, based on her own understanding, is restricted. An unschooled woman is likely to be trapped in a life defined by poverty and exploitation. Soroptimists believe that female education is society’s foundation for development and economic growth.

In keeping with the theme of economic growth, the region then celebrated Fairtrade Fortnight – with bunting. Galvanised by Wendy Ross-Barker (SI Widnes) members each decorated a piece of Fairtrade cotton bunting. The pieces are going to the Fairtrade Foundation as part of the attempt to break the world record for the longest continual piece of bunting. The Foundation hopes this will publicise Fairtrade cotton and put pressure on decision-makers to make trade fairer for cotton farmers in West Africa.

Ken Johnson, Regional Chair of the Multiple Sclerosis Society, spoke at South Lancashire’s winter Programme Action meeting. Opening with a quick-fire quiz he checked members’ basic understanding of MS, and was impressed with the result. He then outlined the condition itself, dispelled a few of the myths that surround it and highlighted some of the ongoing research that the Society funds. He also explained how the MS Society works both locally and nationally. In conclusion he demonstrated – very accurately and to everyone’s great amusement – some of the ‘encounters’ he has had when wielding a collecting tin outside shops.

Several members took the opportunity to ask questions generated by their own contact with people who have MS. On behalf of the Region, Eileen Griffiths (Programme Action Chair) then thanked Ken for braving the atrocious weather and addressing the meeting.

Multiple Sclerosis affects more women than men: the ratio is about 2:1 and MS is most frequently diagnosed in pre-menopausal women. Regional President Jenny has nominated the Multiple Sclerosis Society as the recipient of any proceeds generated by clubs taking part in this year’s Rose Bowl Competition (the ‘nest egg’ challenge).

Over 1400 women from around the world to the Manchester Central Convention Centre – for the 76th Conference of Soroptimist International of Great Britain and Ireland. Federation President Jackie Mosedale hosted the event: her theme was “Accept the Challenge – Secure the Future”.

The two-day Conference attracted several high-profile speakers. Lesley Abdela, the political journalist, gave a call to all women to strive for equality in global decision making, based on the UN Resolution 1325; and Satish Kumar re-energised delegates on the quest for global peace. Other highlights included broadcaster Bill Turnbull on the Bees for Development Trust, which promotes sustainable beekeeping in developing countries and Dr Ian Oliver, a UN consultant on narcotics, who spoke about the global issue of “drug affliction”.

Allan Beswick of BBC Radio Manchester interviewed Incoming Federation President Liz Morgan-Lewis on his morning show prior just to Conference. This in turn has led to a further interview with the BBC, which is scheduled to be broadcast on Radio 4 in January 2011.

Soroptimists from South Lancashire Region were involved in planning and administration, assisting the Conference Committee with local liaison and media contact, as well as many other tasks. On the opening night both Regional President Sriya Kulupana and the President of SI Manchester, Sophie Kennedy, had the pleasure of welcoming delegates to the north-west. Many South Lancashire members (wearing red roses, of course) acted as stewards, in particular for delegates with special needs; and several local Clubs set up stalls to publicise their Programme Action work. These were SI Ramsbottom, who were selling toilet rolls in aid of “Loos for Lynn”, SI St Helens selling Sunflower Seeds, SI Ashton-under-Lyne selling Knitted Poppies for the British Legion Appeal and SI Crosby selling handbag holders.

This was the first time the Federation Conference has been held in Manchester and it has proved to be a resounding success.

The Theme of the Conference which was held at The Daresbury Park Hotel was “Victory over Adversity” and the Conference opened with a Sri Lankan lamp lighting ceremony on the Saturday morning, which was followed by an inspiriational address by Federation President Jackie Mosedale.

During the day Judge Bernstein told of her childhood in Vienna prior to 1939 and her subsequent escape to Britain from the Nazi regime. Anushya Kulupana, President Sriya’s daughter, spoke of her work with TARA (Trafficking Awareness Raising Alliance) in Glasgow, follwed by Eleanor Maddocks who went from being a victim of domestic abuse to running a women’s refuge. The final speaker of the day bein Carolyn Wolstenholme who work with the charity “Friends of Chernobyl’s Children”.
On Saturday Evening, a Gala Dinner was held with everyone in their finery, with many chosing the optional extra of wearing a Sari. A prize was given the to the best sari wearer after a fashion parade.

On Sunday morning Dr Alex McMinn gave and entertaining talk on the well being in later life, followed by Programme Action Presentations from both regions.
At the close of the conference Sriya gave a prctical demonstration of Mindfulness techinque that can help ease the stresses odf modern life.