SI Bangor and District held a Christmas coffee morning in Penrhyn Hall. We raised over £300 for the President’s two charities, Dementia Care in Ysbyty Gwynedd and UMEED. Christmas creative goods made by members were particularly popular as were the bags and Christmas decorations made from can ring pulls sold for the Purple Community Fund who fund projects for disadvantaged groups. We also used this opportunity to promote the 16 days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence Campaign.

The work of the North Wales Women’s Centre in Rhyl, Miriam Kisby 20/11/18 The speaker was Miriam Kisby from North Wales Women’s Centre in Rhyl, who gave an overview of the activities and services the centre offers to women. This is a unique and inspiring centre and members hope to visit it in the future.

Sian and Andy supported the ‘Love Your Liver’ campaign, with its informative mobile van and free liver screening service, which visited Bangor on Monday 19th November. We had to explain to onlookers and passers by what was on offer. Many people took advantage of this excellent opportunity.

In Memory of Muriel Pritchard MBE Our oldest and much-loved member, Muriel Pritchard, MBE, died, after a short illness, on 12 November 2018, aged 99. Muriel was a committed and passionate Soroptimist . She was Club President from 1976-78, Club Secretary for many years and when she was no longer able to attend meetings, she continued to follow and support Soroptimist activities closely. She was awarded the MBE in 2001 in recognition of her tireless ‘services to the community in Bangor’ and was very proud to be awarded Honorary Membership of SI Bangor and District in 1994. The Club tribute to Muriel on her 90th birthday was titled ‘A Soroptimist Timepiece’ and finished with these words: ‘Some people are like a good watch, open faced, pure gold, quietly busy and full of good works’. She will be missed greatly.

President Andy, Mavis Evans and Joan Wynne attended the Civic Remembrance Sunday service at Bangor cathedral and were proud to lay a wreath in remembrance at the cenotaph from SI Bangor and District.

The Reverend Cathy Jones, Dean of Bangor Cathedral explained her connection as a club Soroptimist previously. She thanked members for their part in adding 500 + poppies  to the over 24,000 knitted poppies which had formed an amazing installation at Bangor Cathedral. Poppies had been received from all over the world and created a great impact in many ways such as bringing the community together, encouraging emotional responses and as an artistic work addressing mental health and outreaching into society.  

Food for thought! Last year at Conference in Cardiff a group of members from SI Bangor and District collected unwanted packed lunches on Friday and Saturday.These were distributed to the homeless on the streets and city centre on Friday. On Saturday they were taken to the Salvation Army Hostel and given to the residents at the hostel. We were thrilled to think that five parcels of sandwiches and approximately 75 packed lunches that would have been thrown away were given to people in need. This year we hoped unwanted packed lunches would have been distributed to the homeless in the city during the Liverpool Conference. Sadly not so! So again members from SI Bangor delivered four large boxes full of unwanted packed lunches to the Salvation Army hostel. They were delighted to receive them as they were used to feed the 38 residents. When our

Sian, Andy and Gwen and Gwen’s grandson and their dog completed a 6 mile circular walk around Llanberis to raise funds for UMEED, an charity that provides support for children and women in Pakistan.

Sian Owen Kent has set us all a “plastic challenge”. Members will have a “plastic awareness day” – preferably on a day when we are going shopping – and make a point of trying to avoid buying products in plastic. Even with Sian’s inspiring guidance, we are finding it difficult but persevering! President Elect Eirian gave an entertaining “job talk” about her years in catering, working in both Vaynol and Penrhyn Castle. However, for the past nine years she has been farming in partnership with her son, who has been nominated for an award of “Sheep Farmer of the Year” this year. .

Members and guest, Jenie Dean, enjoyed a fascinating talk by Dr. Shaun Russell, who talked about his early married life in South Africa, focusing on the flora of the region. Now Director of Treborth Botanic Gardens, he spoke about the diversity of species specific to the Cape and the number of plants from that region that have become familiar in the gardens of Britain.