The long-established friendship between Blackpool’s Windmill Youth Development Group and Blackpool & District Soroptimists continued over a brew last week ahead of Windmill’s final Duke of Edinburgh Gold Challenge to be held later in the year. Soroptimist Treasurer Helen Thompson presented a cheque to Windmill’s Stuart Sykes MBE, to swell funds for the final planning stages of this cumulative and prestigious award undertaken by local young people. Photo shows, from back left: Helen T, Stuart, Pat, front: Helen D, Wendy. If you are interested to know more about Blackpool Soroptimists who work locally, nationally and internationally with women and their families, Email us at SIBlackpoolsec@hotmail.com  or find more on our website www.sigbi.org/Blackpool-and-district  

            On Tuesday 1st March members of SI Blackpool & District, together with volunteers from the friends of Anchorsholme Park, planted 10 Cordyline Australis palms, which the club have purchased in celebration of 100 years of Soroptimist International and 60 years of SI Blackpool & District. Although it was a cold day, the sun shone on all their efforts.

Held at Singleton Lodge on 9th December our members enjoyed fun and friendship with good food.

Soroptimists call for a collective global effort on International Day of Elimination of Violence Against Women, 25th November. Each day followed a different theme and ended on Human Rights Day10th December, the anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) is a milestone document in the history of human rights. SI Blackpool & District shared all the visual images on their Social Media accounts – Facebook, Twitter, Linked In and What’s App  

AFTERNOON TEA Our first social event since March 2020 was and Afternoon Tea at Trinity Hospice on Sunday 3rd October to celebrate 3 special events: Soroptimist International Centenary SI Blackpool & District 60th Anniversary and President Christine’s 60th Birthday   It was a very pleasant afternoon of food, fun and friendship which are the essentials in any Soroptimist’s life. Christine was presented a bouquet of flowers from the club, along with many other cards, gifts and cake. The catering by the Hospice was excellent and plentiful and a good time was had by all who attended.

SI Blackpool & District are very proud to have been awarded not 1 but 2 Trophies at our Regional Meeting this morning, Saturday 12th June 2021 The club was announced the winners of the Carnforth Trophy, which is for a long standing Programme Action project for the all work they have done with “Talking News” over many years. Even during the Pandemic over the last 14 months our members have been making recordings from home to pass on to Queen Alexandra Care Home, South Shore.     It was then announced that SI Blackpool & District had also won the Haslingden Shield, which is for Membership, SI Blackpool & District having recruited 3 new members and also retaining them, despite the difficulties of no face to face meetings since March 2020. Our new members have excelled themselves during the pandemic, working hard to raise funds

4 Story Sacks ready to go to The Pre School Play Group in Wesham Goldilicks & The 3 Bears Little Red Riding Hood The Gruffalo’s Child The Hungry Caterpillar

Like many other clubs our meetings have been held via Zoom for the last 12 months. Here are our happy members from this month’s meeting.