At the first speaker meeting of 2026, members for Soroptimists International of Cannock and District heard from a volunteer for Staffordshire Women’s Aid.  Soroptimists have for many years supported Women’s Aid and Pathway in numerous ways, such as raising funds and donating goods to enable women to start afresh when they leave to set up home to start a new life of safety. The club were given facts and figures about the charity and then the personal story of the volunteer who had found herself needing the safety of the charity, before over time finding the strength to support others in a similar position. Her personal story brought home to members just how much their support helps so many survivors of domestic abuse making the efforts of the club essential on all levels. After making a donation to the charity President Carole and all members applauded the

Lead Team President Carole Holdcroft presenting the cheque to Gary Fear In November 2025 Gary Fear was a guest speaker of Soroptimist International, Cannock and District, speaking about his numerous self-funding visits to the Ukraine. Although Gary had no connection with the country, he decided to make a visit in 2022 taking much needed aid to this war-torn country.  Gary has continued since then to raise funds (£152,000 to date) to take out and buy local supplies which then helps their economy. At the first meeting of Cannock Rotary in 2026, six members of S.I. Cannock and District attended to hear Gary give an update on his trips. They presented Gary with a cheque for £380 which will buy a generator.  Rotary also donated the funds for three generators. Gary continues to keep members updated. The visit at the end of January saw him battle

Lead Team President Carole Holdcroft and Programme Action Lead Tracey Stokes with staff from the Maternity and Neonatal department at New Cross Hospital Each Christmas SI Cannock give gifts to a group of women who deserve our support and thanks. This year, together with SI Wolverhampton and SI Bilston they have chosen the staff who work in the postnatal and antenatal wards at the Maternity and Neonatal department in New Cross Hospital. This Christmas, to thank the hardworking staff who support our local mothers and babies, they delivered 90 gifts of a multicoloured pen and hand cream for each of the midwives and staff who work on the wards . They also gave tubs of sweets to the Delivery Unit and the Athena Group (formerly known as the Vulnerable Women’s Unit). SI Cannock’s Lead Team President Carole Holdcroft and Programme Action Lead Tracey Stokes played

Gary Fear with Soroptimist Cresta Garner At their last meeting SI Cannock welcomed the inspirational Gary Fear who since the outbreak of war in Ukraine has made 12 trips to the country to deliver aid to its civilians. Following a fund-raising visit to Ukraine in 2018 where he found the people so friendly and generous, on the outbreak of the war in 2022, estate agent Gary felt he needed to do something to help its people. After raising £6,500, in February 2022, he embarked on his first trip to distribute aid and has continued to raise money to take desperately needed supplies to beleaguered villages, towns and cities across the country. In addition to food, toiletries and household items Gary has sourced much needed medical supplies, generators and power banks; in fact, whatever the people need, he finds a way to get it! To date

Rotary Books4Home founder Beverley Ricketts with SI Cannock’s Books4Home Team At their last meeting SI Cannock celebrated that their donations of pre-loved children’s books to the Rotary Books4Home charity had reached, and passed, 50,000. Beverley Ricketts – Founder of the charity – joined the club to celebrate this achievement. One in five children aged between 5 – 8 do not have a book of their own at home. However, children who do have books at home are six times more likely to read above the level expected for their age. To date, through local schools, Books4Home have supplied over 214,000 books to be given to children to take home, read and swap or keep forever if they want to. They have recently started to take books into local prisons so that inmates can read to their children during visits and during phone calls, giving the

  Lead Team President Carole Holdcroft with speaker Dr Charlene Makita & Soroptimist Adie Hewitt Cannock Soroptimists held their annual International Evening recently- the event when they celebrate the international aspect of Soroptimist International, lighting candles for the members and clubs in all 5 of the Federations: South East Asia Pacific, the Americas, Africa, Europe, and Great Britain and Ireland to honour the work that is done to support women and girls across the world. Members and guests met at the Barns to enjoy a meal in each other’s’ company They were joined by Dr Charlene Makita who gave a presentation called ‘The Flesh that Weeps’ that explored the impact of hair discrimination and workplace grooming policies. Studies show that black women are 3.5 times more likely to be perceived as unprofessional because of their hairstyle and 80% more likely to change their natural hair

l to r: Jacky Gange MBE; Soroptimists Val Jones and Alison Murray   Jacky Gange, MBE was introduced as the speaker at the last Cannock Soroptimist meeting by Soroptimist Alison Murray who chaired the meeting. Jacky was awarded the MBE in the 23/24 King’s New Year Honours List for services to the community in Cannock and her tireless work over 40 years at the Cannock Chase Advice Centre. She told members how the Centre originally was set up by the TUC in the time of the Miners’ strike – when it closed, people missed it and so it opened again but this time to cater for everyone and no longer under the auspices of the TUC. Jacky was keen to point out that she is a member of a team – a team of volunteers, currently managed by volunteers.  She has been involved from the

Two new blue plaques are to be unveiled in Cannock Town Centre – they are ‘alternative Blue Plaques’, otherwise known as ‘Rosie’s Plaques’. But what are Rosie’s Plaques? They began as a guerrilla art project staged by women of The Common Lot in Norwich. They realised that the majority of Blue Plaques in the country recognise men, whilst women, who have also done things for the good of our communities and our country, were largely forgotten. In 2019 just 14% of blue plaques celebrated the achievements of women. Soroptimist clubs of Midland Chase Region decided to get involved and last year Cannock club, made their Rosie’s Plaques. One of them recognises a woman without whom there would be no hospital in Cannock: Ethell Powell. Whilst she received an MBE in recognition of her work and is recognised within the hospital itself, it seemed appropriate to

  Research shows that reading for pleasure can do many things: promote better health and wellbeing, help to build social connections and relationships with others and of course, aid learning. Children’s reading for pleasure is threatened … as many children do not have books of their own; there are many reasons for this. For the last 5 years Cannock Soroptimists have been actively supporting Rotary Books4Home. This is a project run by Rotary Alumni 1210 working throughout Staffordshire, Shropshire and The Black Country. Rotary Books4Home works with schools to gift pre-read books to children. The youngsters choose a book, take it home, read it, enjoy sharing with their family and friends and many for the first time, get to keep a book of their very own forever. From time to time, the Soroptimists run a community campaign in order to boost the stock held by

  Photo attached Soroptimist Caryn Hewitt with Joan and Rosie   Who knew that finding a hedgehog called Spike would lead to 23 years of dedication and a hedgehog charity for Joan Lockley! Joan spoke to members of S.I. Cannock and District recently explaining how her charity ‘West Midlands Hedgehog Rescue’ which started in her back garden, now continues with volunteers from around Staffordshire and the West Midlands helping to continue the amazing work this lady does. Members now know what to do should they find a hedgehog or hoglets out during the day as they are nocturnal. They also know not to give them milk but make sure fresh water is available especially during hot weather. Everyone was thrilled to meet Rosie, Joan’s blind hedgehog who can never be released into the wild unlike the approximately 800 Joan hopes will be released after lots