At their July business meeting President Janis Lomas was delighted to welcome new member Val Burdon as a member of SI Cannock & District. Val got in touch with the Club after reading articles about them in the local paper; she felt that she would like to join them in working to enable, empower and educate women and girls both locally and worldwide. Val has already been involved with the club in some of the work they do to support Pathway and Women’s Aid and the BIG – Birthing in the Gambia – project, and told members that she is looking forward to working with them in the future as well as enjoying their friendship.
This is Cannock Soroptimists’ Diamond year, the first meeting was held in 1954 at the Gas Showrooms in Cannock. Throughout this year President Janis, an historian, is telling club members about famous women during the last 60 years and at the last meeting she concentrated on the 1970s. This was the decade of ‘firsts’ – the first meeting of the Women’s Liberation group; the first woman jockey to win a horse race; women in Switzerland were given the vote for the first time; the first women’s refuge was set up by Erin Pizzey – it was called a home for battered wives by the press!; in 1975 Margaret Thatcher became the first woman to lead a political party in the UK when she became leader of the Conservative Party and four years later the first woman Prime Minister; it was in the 70s that women finally got the right to equal pay with men and could no longer be given the sack if they became pregnant. It truly was a decade of change when women were really making their mark.
As well as being the Cannock Club’s 60th year this is the Great Britain and Ireland Federation’s 80th year. In 1934 and in 1954 life was very different to now although Soroptimists continues to work to enable all women to have self esteem and to be valued members of their society.
Photo attached: President Janis Lomas with new member Val Burdon