We were honoured to have no less than three SI presidents at our recent AGM. Our new club president Julie Clarke received her chain of office for this year in the presence of Yorkshire president and fellow Wakefield and District club member Sally Westwood, plus we were also honoured by a visit from  national president Ruth Healey! The theme of the evening was orange in support of the UN campaign to end violence against women. Find out more at  https://www.unwomen.org/en/what-we-do/ending-violence-against-women/unite/orange-the-world

Wakefield and District Soroptimists celebrated the 90th anniversary of their founding in 1934 recently. The celebration event was a luncheon hosted at Wakefield Town Hall on Saturday 2nd March 2024.  Soroptimism in Wakefield was celebrated with guests from across the region, Ruth Healey SIGBI president, Susie Westwood Yorkshire president, the Mayor and Mayoress of Wakefield and guest speaker and star of Great British Bake Off Karen Wright. Congratulations to Cynthia, Marjorie and Susie who all received recognition certificates for long service to soroptimism.

Soroptimists from Wakefield and district club volunteered together to help with the tree planting effort at Bullcliffe Wood on the 21st February 2024. Soroptimists planted 60 trees between them on the day as part of a much bigger project to plant the White Rose Forest across West and North Yorkshire over the next few years. Anyone can volunteer as part of this winter’s tree planting programme, further information can be found at https://www.wakefield.gov.uk/woodland

Members of Soroptimist International Wakefield and District met at the Spring Cafe, Barnsley Road on Thursday 25th January for an orange afternoon tea to show solidarity against and  raise awareness of domestic violence and its impact on the lives of women and girls.

This week thanks to eager knitters from SI Wakefield and district,  18 knitted blankets were donated at Pinderfields hospital for use on wards across Wakefield, Pontefract and Dewsbury wards via MY hospitals charity. Members knitted hundreds of squares which were then stitched together to form the blankets. Thank you to all members who lent their creativity and passion to this project.

Members of Soroptimist International Wakefield and District along with our very own Yorkshire President Susie gathered to share a Christmas meal with our partners – Soropti-misters and friends to round off the year. The White Horse-Sharlston did us proud with a delicious festive feast and our annual Christmas quiz also proved a hit. Wishing everyone a peaceful and Happy Christmas and a prosperous 2024.

As part of the international UN campaign 16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence Wakefield and District Soroptimists have been highlighting the campaign by painting the town orange in Ossett. Our Soroptimist sisters created a Christmas tree in orange as part of a local Christmas tree festival and also held a market stall in the precinct highlighting the campaign and the wider work of Soroptimists in improving the lives of women and girls all year round.

Members visited the Wilberforce exhibition on anti-slavery at Wakefield One customer service point on the 14th November. Members were disappointed by the location of the exhibition which was squirrelled away at the back of the customer service point and poorly signposted, but found the content extremely eye opening and inspiring in advance of the forthcoming 16 days of action campaign. #OrangeTheWorld #25Nov #IDEVAW Modern Slavery can affect children and adults irrespective of age, ethnicity, gender, religion or background. Uncovering Modern Slavery is an exhibition created in partnership with the Humber Modern Slavery Partnership and the Wilberforce Institute, University of Hull. Modern Slavery in the UK can take many forms including sexual exploitation, labour exploitation, criminal exploitation, domestic servitude and organ harvesting. This exhibition highlights how criminal exploitation is a growing form of Modern Slavery in the UK.

Wakefield and District Soroptimists joined by friends including members from SI Garforth Elmet enjoyed a Brilliant Breakfast in aid of Princes Trust work with girls and young women at Queen’s Mill Tea Rooms on Saturday 14th October. The Brilliant Breakfast is an annual, nationwide event raising funds for The Prince’s Trust. Whether it’s a simple tea and toast at home with family and friends, or a workplace breakfast with a difference, A Brilliant Breakfast fundraising event proceeds goes to help disadvantaged young women get into work, education or training and turn their lives around. To find out more about the work of this fantastic charity visit https://www.thebrilliantbreakfast.co.uk/

Following a recent presentation to our Club by Elizabeth Smith of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission she invited us to join them at an Open Day at Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery.  This cemetery, begun in 1914, is the resting place for over 1,000 servicemen who died during the First and Second World Wars.  The cemeteries are financed by six countries: United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Africa, New Zealand and India, who share the cost and maintenance of the Commission’s work proportionately to the number of their graves.  There are over 23,000 locations in more than 150 countries and territories around the world. Each headstone is inscribed with the details of the individual, including name, rank, awards, service number, religious emblem.  There is no discrimination between ranks, race or religion, everyone is treated equally. We spent several hours at the cemetery where volunteer tour guides recounted the stories of