We had two lovely ladies from the Winchester Hospice speak to us just before Christmas and join us for supper. Donna Coombs, Clinical Matron and Alison Warren gave us a splendid presentation on the Hospice now in its third year. Members from SI Winchester were keen to get involved when the Hospice first began and have since enhanced the garden with Soroptimist roses in ports and a garden bench to enjoy outdoors. Donna said how over the three years they have hardly been empty, with all beds being taken and numbers have reached over 600 in this period. At Winchester Hospice they provide specialist palliative and end of life care to adults with life-limiting illness, who live in Winchester and surrounding villages. This dedicated team within the hospice work to ensure that every patient is able to liver their life as full as possible in

Members of SI Winchester enjoyed a Christmas meal together and sent and received seasonal wishes from Friendship Links :   SI Grange over Sands – Many thanks for your good wishes from SI Winchester.  I remember with great pleasure your 60th Charter celebrations last year, it was so good to see everyone again. On behalf of SI Grange-over-Sands, we wish all your members a Happy and Peaceful Christmas and best wishes for the New Year. SI Kisumu – Thank you so much for your email and lovely Christmas wishes. I have conveyed the message to my Sisters in SI Club of Kisumu. We wish you a wonderful 2024. I  will be in touch with you in the course of this week about the Smiling School. Happy 2024! We even had a lovely photo of them, and the school we support through their club. A very healthy

It’s always good to hear that members have additional strings to their bow, whether through work or volunteering and using their skills to enhance what they do and also promote Soroptimism at the same time. A team from a Winchester charity was among a delegation of care providers attending a reception at No 10 Downing Street. The reception was to recognise and thank representatives from across the care sector for the work that they do. Brendoncare chief executive officer Marianne Wanstall invited Petya Koeva, housekeeper at Brendoncare Park Road and John Debil, nurse at Brendoncare Otterbourne Hill, and Annie Burisky, general manager of Brendoncare Stildon to join her at the reception, hosted by Helen Whateley MP, Minister for Social Care. SI Winchester member Marianne added: “We had the opportunity to meet Helen Whateley and discuss topical issues, in particular the challenges regarding local authority funding levels

Winchester Soroptimists held their Harvest Supper and quiz for Solar Aid on 30 September at Littleton memorial Hall. The event was one of many which we hold to support our different charities. 35 people took  part and the quiz was superbly run by members Ellie and Helen. A cash bar and raffle were also held which proved popular. As we support the Winnall Community Pantry, guests were invited to bring donations for distribution after the event. This was very well supported and will be delivered to the pantry this week. The food on offer mid-quiz was a ‘Posh Ploughmans’ and members supplied cold meats and cheeses, salads, bread and magnificent desserts. Richard Turner from Solar Aid had come to speak to the club recently and gave an update on their lighting progress. Starting off with individual solar lamps, which are supplied to low income families

Momentum is gathering for the Harvest Quiz. A fun way to create funds for one of our charities, the event is on Saturday 30 September 7pm and all are welcome. You don’t have to be in a team as we can allocate spaces on the day. There will be a ploughman’s supper with dessert and a cash bar along with the usual raffle prizes. The ticket price is £16 per person. The location is Littleton Memorial Hall which has plenty of parking and easy access. Please use the Eventbrite link where possible  but it is also possible to buy a ticket directly by contacting the club on winchestersoroptimists@gmail.com We have supported Solar Aid for many years and by growing their work they are now planning to light a whole village with their solar lights. In addition to this you are invited to bring a tin

It’s always an honour to mention members who have been rewarded for their actions. Winchester member Marianne Wanstall was awarded the Order of Mercy on 28 July 2023 for  35 years of volunteering with the charity Across. The Order is awarded by the League of Mercy, a charity that seeks to encourage and recognise voluntary work within areas of care including the sick, disabled, young people at risk, the homeless, elderly and dying. Each year the Trustees of the League choose around 25 volunteers from a range of nominations made by charities and other recognised organisations; volunteers receive the Badge of the Order of Mercy (as shown in the attached photo). www.leagueofmercy.co.uk Marianne said,  ‘I was very honoured to receive this award; I have been volunteering for Across since the age of 18 and it has always been a joy and a privilege; I am

The Friendship Link visit from nine Soroptimist members (and one husband) from SI Kisumu finally happened on 31 July. This had been almost a year in the planning when their club decided that after attending the Soroptimist International Convention in Dublin in July 2023, they would travel on to visit us in Winchester. The Friendship Link started when SI Winchester helped fund a nursery in Kisumu over 10 years ago. Over the years the nursery has grown to include a Primary and Secondary school. SI Winchester has helped with projects over time and more recently funded a new kitchen with more environmentally and safer ovens. This means the children can have nutritional meals at school whereas they may not have the same at home. In this way it helps the less ell of families in the community. The school was named the SI Winchester Smiling

The widow of Bill Edwardes, Jean, is a member of SI Winchester. Bill served in the 43rd Wessex Division in the war and also formed the 43rd Division Association. On a sunny day in May 2023 the rededication of the Division Arboretum and the memorial plaque was made at Longleat House. We are delighted that Jean was able to play a part in this rededication. The last two known survivors of the Division were joined by Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh, (who as Earl of Wessex was Patron of the 43rd Wessex Division), Lord Lieutenant Mrs Sarah Troughton, the High Sheriff Mr Pradeep Bhardwaj and Lord and Lady Bath. The exhortation was read by 98 year old Ken Hay of the Dorsetshire Regment and the Kohima Epitaph was read by 99 year old Cecil Newton of the 4th/7th Dragoon Guards. The Duke of Edinburgh went

Soroptimists of Winchester have had a great start to the summer, with three events over the last few weeks. Starting off in June with the picnic for the families and children of the local Refuge, members donated tasty picnic food, laid out in the shade next to the play area in St Swithuns School. As always students help us and play games with the children. Thanks go to the school chaplain Paul Wallington, the students and the school for their support. At the end of June fundraising started with a car boot sale in the Cattle Market car park in Winchester. It’s a great opportunity to meet people, talk about what the charity does, which is support Women and Girls, and raise funds in the process. Myra, Helen, Julie and Eleanor  helped at the tables. The funds raised go towards the local charities we support

Filiz Celik is a former Turkish refugee and came to the UK over 20 years ago. She spoke to us at our meeting on 17 July and told us her story. Back in 1999 she was a graduate student from a Turkish University. She was unable to take up a post in Turkey because of views expressed at an international conference. She admits she was fortunate that her family were able to help her, provide a passport and ensure she reached the UK. She took a position as an au pair in Hampshire, which is how Winchester member Gina came to know her. She was looking after two young boys for the vicar and living in the Rectory. She then sought asylum. She succeeded through various refugee support agencies in getting support to do a PhD in the UK and now holds two posts. One

On 19 June we took our supper meeting at the Winnall Community Pantry, known locally as the foodbank for the area. Like other foodbanks in this social climate they have seen an increase in their clients and families coming for help. It started in covid helping single parent families. As part of our attendance at the pantry club members brought donations for the stores. Winchester Community Food Pantry enables members to “get more for less”. The pantry aims to help and encourage families that need a little bit of support to manage and budget through these tough times. Anyone is welcome to shop at the pantry once a week – there are no criteria for becoming a member. The Pantry is part of a community space which also houses a space for arts, dance and support. Each client becomes a member and they pay £5

Starting in 2017, the aim of this project is to provide an independent review across England of how Specialist Domestic Abuse Courts should be improved for victims of abuse, the majority of whom are women. The project has been carried out by Soroptimists across England and involved c4,000 hours of volunteer time in observations and in excess of 1,000 questionnaires were submitted in relation to observations made at over 30 courts. Members from SI Winchester together with SI Solent East covered Basingtoke and Portsmouth courts. The final report (of four) is now available and the collective reports together come very close to being a comprehensive report on the way in which the Specialist Domestic Abuse Courts are working on a national basis. Soroptimists stand up as advocates for all women, especially for those who have no voice. We have worked as independent observers to give the public confidence

Once again Winchester Soroptimists provided a picnic for the families of the local Refuge. As always members donated tasty picnic food, which we laid out in the shade next to the play area in St Swithuns School. The day had threatened rain but we were blessed with a beautiful warm sunny day and the children from the Refuge enjoyed time with their mothers and playing with the toys in the grounds. Two of the students Juliet Lowe and Jasmine Scott helped with the meet and greet of the families and joined in with the ball games on the sports pitch. It is hoped this continues to be an annual event and our thanks go to the school chaplain the Reverend Paul Wallington, the students and St Swithuns for their organisation and support, and allowing the use of the school for this event. The children and

Soroptimist International of Winchester held a coffee morning at Rick Stein Restaurant in Winchester on 16 May. The event was to introduce the Winchester club’s activities and to chat about membership and what it means to be a Soroptimist. May is membership month. We were joined by the Mayor of Winchester, Cllr Angela Clear, who has been a longstanding supporter of our club and we were delighted to welcome her back in her third (by default) sitting as Mayor. She said, ‘the Soroptimists do great work in the community and I support them whole heartedly’. She is joined by Susanna Edwards from the School of Creative Wellness and Sharon Foulston who is interested in Domestic Abuse projects. It is hoped the club hears more from them in the future. As it was a lovely morning we were also joined by passers by who were happy

Soroptimist International of Winchester was delighted to dedicate the garden bench to the Winchester Hospice last week. The hospice has been in the process of developing an outdoor garden space with a room for families and relatives to reflect and enjoy time with their loved ones. Following on from the Chelsea Flower Show in 2021, the Bible Society rebuilt their garden in the grounds of the Hospice. The area has a lovely outdoor room and patio both in sunshine and shade for residents. Jo and Julie from Winchester club visited to dedicate the bench with a plaque and were delighted to meet the team who were so enthusiastic and confirmed the bench was put to good use. They were delighted to see the water feature in full flow and the Soroptimist roses doing well which had been donated by the club last summer. Donna Coombs,

Helen Porter, one of our members, attended CSW67 in New York in March. Here she gives her blog on Widows’ Rights which was published during CSW and which had a great impact as a side event. It has given thoughts to starting a Microfinancing campaign as a support to Widow’s Rights. This was a fascinating side event of CSW67. I learnt about the intersectionality of widowhood and how the toxic triad of discrimination, disinheritance and harmful practices (such as forced remarriage to an in-law) disadvantages so many widows globally and deprives them of their rights. Many widows suffer from poverty, food insecurity, a lack of decent work and violence. They are unable to access the sustainable development goals (SDGs), advocacy, justice and representation. There are structural barriers to accessing capital including no collateral and no male to co-sign a loan or act as a guarantor.

What a lively evening this was. Alan Matlock from the Spitfire Makers charity really took us to new heights with his enthusiasm for the mighty Spitfire. He began with the early days of the Supermarine and the Itchen and Woolston works on the river. The Supermarine company specialised in flying boats but are of course best known for the dazzling Spitfire designed by RJ Mitchell and his team. In 1940 it was apparent that the German Luftwaffe had these works on their radar and bombed the factories. The company then set about splitting up the various components of the aircraft and sub contracting smaller companies in the area to complete them. The main sites for this enterprise covered 30 locations in Southampton and further sites in the surrounding Hampshire countryside. The completed parts were then shipped to Eastleigh airport where the aircraft would be built.

We have had interest recently from a lady in Winchester who may decide to join us in the future. She has attended a few meetings and would like to donate to the club funds. She has regularly donated her hair for wigs, growing to a suitable length and then cutting it to send on for this purpose. In doing so friends, family and supporters have donated money for this good cause.  The club is delighted to say that so far in two weeks the donations total £95. Well done and thank you Lynda, we hope to see you again soon.

We zoomed with our Friendship Links SI Grange over Sands and SI Kisumu on 4 March as part of our International Women’s Day where we can share our projects. Sabine from SI Essen was on her way to CSW67 and hopes to meet up with our member Helen. Members of SI Grange over Sands are busy knitting a required 3,000 squares for baby blankets. Our club decided this would be a worthwhile project for our prolific knitters. They also support the Barrow Women’s Refuge by donating clothes. Their project with making chocolate in Ghana won a Best Practice Award at the last conference in Belfast. The project involves supporting workshops in Ghana for the daughters of Ghanaian cocoa farmers, hopefully to sell in UK eventually. Locally they help to maintain the Sensory Garden in Park Road Gardens. They have also sent a Shelter Box to

At a recent club meeting, member Helen Porter told us about her experiences of volunteering in Cambodia in Oct/Nov 2022. As a former teacher/lecturer she was part of an education team which went out to train the teachers in Cambodia. They were based at a place called Happy Village and they volunteered at 2 of the 3 schools run by Serve Cambodia. Their mission was to encourage the teachers to educate imaginatively and they brought many fun ways to help this along. Glove puppets and other toys. The children loved singing so this was a great way to educate the children. As can be seen from her presentation below, there are different levels of H&S and also a lack of risk assessments, but at least the children were happy and enjoying their education. Housing also has its downfalls, with slum housing by our standards, and

SI Winchester put forward a team of four members plus one ‘Soroptimister ‘support for the Mayor’s charity quiz held at the Winchester Rugby Club recently. This formed the Winoptimists team. As a club we support two of three charities, namely the Trinity Centre and Winchester Hospice. The third charity was the British Heart Foundation. The evening was hosted by ‘Egghead’ Kevin Ashman and former Mayor Cllr Dominic Hiscock presented the evening. A delicious curry was served shortly after starting and the quiz consisted of 5 rounds. The final round being ‘challenge the Egghead’ who was asked questions by the top 5 quiz teams. He managed to answer four of the five questions put to him correctly. It was an excellent turnout with 17 teams competing for the champagne prize. There was also a raffle which contributed £455 to the evening. The Winoptimists came a credible

SI Winchester has offered support to the Winchester Women’s Refuge over many years and consequently has forged close links with them. From time to time other groups or individuals would like to offer the Refuge support and find the most direct way is to do this via our dedicated contact. As a result of this we are delighted to accept a donation of £250 to pass on to the Refuge, as part of this year’s charity donation by The Worthy Players, a local amateur dramatics society who are this celebrating their 50th anniversary. One of our Winchester members (Gina Bird, seen here on the far left) on stage) is involved with the Players and is able to give them an insight to our work.                                          

SI Winchester and SI Solent East were delighted with the response and awareness created by our joint Orange campaign over the 16 days of Activisim. Joining with partners was key and we had a lot of support from the Stop Domestic Abuse agency, whose walks we joined in Gosport, Portsmouth and Winchester. We were also invited to their AGM on 9 December which had some interesting projects. They are fundraising to build their own refuge in South East Hampshire. The meeting also had some case studies and videos from women they have helped. The statistics still make shocking reading: in 2021/22 a total of 9660 referrals and worked with a total of 3744 adults and 1477 children and young adults. Demand for community, refuge and perpetrator services is growing. SI Winchester was able to take the charity chalet at the Winchester Cathedral Christmas Fair on

Part of the 60th Diamond anniversary celebrations involved partnering with the Blue Diamond Bambridge Garden Centre who kindly donated spring bulbs for us to plant up. Visiting the garden centre to choose a selection of hyacinths, tulips and narcissi to sell at the Winchester Christmas Fair, members then spent a very busy two days planting up in one of our member’s gardens and over 35 pots were made ready for the Fair. Taking the charity stand at the Fair coincided with White Ribbon Day on 25 November, and was the first day of the Orange campaign and 16 days of activism. Steve Brine MP for Winchester was invited to take part as he was passing and was happy to do so. We also sold Christmas decorations made from ring pulls which was our contribution to the charity PCF (formerly the Purple Community Fund) who made

A call was put out for volunteers to help with bucket donations at the Christmas concert of G4. The event was held at Winchester Cathedral and the partner charity was Missing People. Five members of SI Winchester responded and reported for volunteer duty on 15 November. The G4 group of young men are classically oriented and the concert included Christmas songs as well as light hearted sing-a-long tunes. Before the audience arrived, we met the singers in their hospitality area and then went on to the cathedral. After escorting people to their seats and selling programmes, we were free to watch the concert, which was very well attended. At the end we were given our buckets to collect monies from the departing visitors. We have been thanked by the charity for collecting over £500 for the charity.  

The Soroptimist International club of Winchester celebrated its 60th Diamond anniversary in the city last weekend. From 30 September to 2nd October there was an event every day. On the Friday evening the Mayor of Winchester, Cllr Derek Green, hosted a lively reception in Abbey House which finished with a tour of the rooms. We were able to show our projects, both current and archive stories and gave us a great opportunity to inform the Mayor of our activities. Members provided delicious canapés with the wine.  Afterwards we walked next door to the Mercure Wessex Hotel where we had an informal dinner. The Mayor was delighted to join us. The following morning, one of the city’s guides took us on a specific tour which for we had asked; a tour of ‘Women of Winchester’ which lasted just over an hour. There were horror stories as well

The club has been discussing how to support the new Winchester Hospice over the last few months. The Hospice has been in the process of developing an outdoor garden space with a room for families and relatives to reflect and enjoy time with their loved ones. Following on from the Chelsea Flower Show last year, the Bible Society rebuilt their garden in the grounds of the Hospice. This had led to the building of the outdoor room and patio area in both sunshine and shade for the residents. SI Winchester and District thought a donation of the Soroptimist roses in pots and a bench for the seating area would be just right. This was enthusiastically agreed to by Simon Cramp of the Hospice. We sourced and bought the roses through SI Thames Valley and recently we took delivery of the roses and, given the heat

Making the most of the July weather, 8 members stayed at 63 (Soroptimist Residential Club in Bayswater) on 30 July. Barbara Jeremiah, leader of our textile project group had organised a fabulous weekend of visits and dining for the 2 days. Given the recent rail issues, we arrived in two cars and parked in reserved spaces behind 63 for the 2 days. All went to plan and after meeting up we went to the V&A Museum. We enjoyed lunch outdoors in the Garden Café of the John Madejski Garden in the centre of the Museum. It has a shallow pool, so is very popular with families and for a short paddle for aching feet. Afterwards we followed Barbara as she highlighted some amazing textiles to look at. These were spectacular pieces ranging from large wall hangings to small intricate bead work on baskets.  The works

We are very lucky that our Friendship Link co-ordinator Jennifer Laute has links with Kenya, as she was able to visit our link SI Kisumu on a recent family holiday. Her husband Upkar wanted to visit Kenya again where he was born,  the last time was in August 2000. Here is Jennifer’s account. We flew with my sister in law to meet up with Upkar’s brother in Nairobi. The route was Nairobi, Mombasa and Makindu. Then we flew to Nairobi in June 2022 and also took the new modern railway to Mombasa, built by the Chinese. The visit to Kisumu had not been planned as we wanted to understand the logistics and realised it was a reasonable domestic flight from Nairobi. It is located in the west, on Lake Victoria. I made contact with Christine Achola whilst in Mombasa and she was delighted we could

At our supper meeting on 18 July we listened to Richard Turner, Director of fundraising for Solar Aid. It is a charity we have supported for some time, along with a similar charity Little Sun. The aim is to provide light in developing countries which have no access to electricity. As suggested the power comes from the sun. Over recent years the individual solar powered lights have gone from small personal units to enabling whole rooms and clinics to have light in the darkness. Richard tells us how and what they are doing. Richard has spent over 30 years in the voluntary sector, previously with Oxfam and Action Aid, before moving to Solar Aid where he has been for 11 years. Their programmes concentrate in sub-Saharan Africa, principally Malawi and Zambia. These represent some of the poorest countries. ‘Countries like these’, he says, ‘have no

This is how I became a close friend of Sylvia’s. I first met Sylvia at Sparsholt College in 1988 when we were on a 1 term evening class for chaining chairs.  In 1989 we met again when Sylvia was with a colleague of mine selling raffle tickets for a mini car in aid of Parkinson’s uk.  As a result of these meetings, my colleague asked me to join the local branch of Parkinson’s as I was about to retire.  It was not long before I was involved with Parkinson’s and, as Sylvia and I got to know each other more, she introduced me to the Winchester branch of Soroptimist International and I became a member in 1991.  In 1996 Sylvia retired as Chairman of Winchester Parkinson’s branch and I was elected to take over from her.  In 2012, after many committee meetings to which Sylvia belonged, and unknown to me,

The SI Winchester Textiles Team recently got together to package up all the wonderful donations we have been given to the ‘The Pillowcase Project’ and ‘Fish ‘n’ Chip project’ during Covid-19 when parcels haven’t been able to be sent. The ambulance convoy going out to The Gambia will transport them to Banjol for distribution. 9 boxes were packed in total including: 334 Newborn baby Knitted Sets, 10 extra hats and 4 small blankets. 88 Pillowcase Dresses, 16 Shorts for boys and 20 pairs of pants. Thank you to all the knitters and tailors who have given their time to help improve the lives of babies and children in the Gambia.

The Trinity Centre in Winchester has created a wonderful garden for residents this year. The premises run alongside the river Itchen and borders on open woodland which gives a waterside aspect which feels very calming. Remarkably the centre is in the centre of town. We are delighted to contribute to their garden. We arranged the delivery of two apple trees which were planted straightaway. Of course these will take time to grow and fruit but the location is further enhanced by their planting and patio area.              The Trinity centre at Bradbury View gives 12 people a place to call home. This is for people who are repeatedly rough-sleeping. Personal support progammes are offered as residents giving support to help get their lives back on track. The UnderOneRoof team provides a full range of health information and therapies, along with educational

Winchester Soroptimists enjoyed a Christmas meal out just before social changes in the Covid pandemic rules. Fortunately we were able to have our meal in a separate room. Crackers and party hats were provided. The club has used the Golden Lion pub in Winchester for many years and even though management has changed, the food has always been good. It was an opportunity to get together and have some social time, which we have missed over the past months. Four of our newest members also attended and we were able to arrange further smaller meetings to help them with their understanding of Soroptimism and the club.

For the second time this year, Winchester Soroptimists took a stand at the Sunday Cattle Market car boot sale in Winchester. Winchester City Council made the offer at short notice. It was good to add this to our calendar on 24 October. As the registered charity for the event, we were able to collect the rents from those taking a stand. We also had our own stand. This car boot sale is very successful. Members from the Winchester club brought a good selection of items to be sold. We did the same event in June when we had lovely weather. It wasn’t as warm at this time of year but it was dry and there was a good turnout of sellers and buyers. Winchester City Council grants a different charity each week the right to collect rents from the vendors at the car boot sale.

A great evening supper fundraising for our Solar Lamp projects in Africa. An opportunity to raise our candles to celebrate the SI centenary in style. As usual Soroptimist food was exceptional.

Last week (12 October) Soroptimist International of Winchester & District took advantage of the charity offer from the Rick Stein restaurant in Winchester. This offers an opportunity for charities to invite volunteers and supporters to enjoy coffee and cake in a friendly atmosphere. Treasurer Julie Blackwell said, ‘It’s a great opportunity for the club members to talk to visitors about our projects and create awareness of what we do, the more members we have, the more good we can do.’ The club took the opportunity to promote its awareness and advertised locally for ladies to visit and meet the members to show their projects. The club supports the women’s Refuge in Winchester and also the Trinity Centre, along with lobbying Government for women’s rights and improvements to the Domestic Abuse Bill and many other projects in the UK and overseas, transforming the lives of women

For several years SI Winchester has organised a picnic in June for the families at the local refuge. As a consequence of Covid restrictions, early in the year, the 2021 picnic was held in September. As always members donated tasty picnic food, which was set out in the shade since we were blessed with a beautiful sunny day. Four residents and nine children spent a splendid afternoon chatting and getting involved in a variety of activities.  Indeed when it came time to go back, everyone was reluctant to leave. Once again huge thanks go to the chaplain and girls of St Swithuns School for their organisation and support.  We were delighted afterward to receive a communication from the Refuge saying how much all the families had appreciated the afternoon.

Members of Soroptimist International of Winchester would like to invite like-minded women for coffee, cake and a chat for FREE at Rick Stein Restaurant in Winchester on Tuesday 12 October 0930-1130. The Winchester club is looking to expand its membership particularly in the local area and would like to meet with women – working/retired – with an interest in making a difference to the lives of women and girls. Soroptimist International strives to transform the lives of women and girls as part of the global organisation, but also very much in the local area. There are many projects we support at present, the Trinity Centre, the women’s refuge, the Winchester Hospice Garden.  We are also very quick to lobby local Government and MPs to assist with Parliamentary bills, this year we worked hard on the Domestic Abuse Bill. Come and meet us and find out

Soroptimist International of Winchester took part in the Hat Fair from 2-4 July. This year was very different with 5 sessions of ticketed slots from Friday evening to Sunday evening. This took place at the North Walls Recreation ground and the School of Art in Winchester. As part of a recruitment and membership strategy, it’s good to create awareness of what the club does do, and to be more a part of the Winchester community. We were also delighted to receive a development grant from SI Southern England region to support the registration. Julie Blackwell, member of SIW said, ‘We were able to talk to several interested ladies and pass on our information. Most people had not heard of the organisation so we want to address this going forward, especially in this our centennial year. We felt it would be good to be part of