A Sizzling Summer Celebration President Trish Smith extended a very warm welcome to fellow Soroptimists and their guests at SI Cannock & District annual Summer Celebration held at the Barns, Huntington on Tuesday 23rd July. On what was a very warm summer’s evening, everyone enjoyed a seasonal meal followed by entertainment from Lucy Follows & Adam Lacey who treated us all to a selection of songs from the shows. The newly engaged couple sang songs from Les Miserables, My Fair Lady & Oliver amongst others & invited everyone to join in. It was a perfect way to spend a balmy summer’s evening. For more information on the work of the club please visit the  Facebook page www.facebook.com/SICannock Photo from left to right: Adam Lacey, President Trish Smith & Lucy Follows.

The very successful anti-sexting project which Cannock Soroptimists have led in local High Schools has been filmed by the BBC! School Ambassadors, staff members and Soroptimists all went along to Cannock Chase High School to present a Your Body, Your Rules session to a group of Y8 students which was filmed for Midlands Today.  As well as filming the entire presentation, reporter Bob Hockenhull interviewed the Ambassadors, many of the year 8 students, staff members and Soroptimists about the project.  Everyone ‘performed’ magnificently!  Yet again, our Ambassadors showed their maturity, their knowledge of the topic, their ability to respond sensitively to anything put to them whilst school staff and Soroptimists were pleased to be able to say how the project has had such a positive impact within their schools: Cardinal Griffin Catholic College; Chase Terrace High School; Staffordshire University Academy and Cannock Chase High. These

Once again Cannock Soroptimists volunteered, both as bag packers and as race marshals, at the annual Staffordshire Ironman 70.3 race. Two days before the event, June Bould, Trish Mellor and Jackie Prince spent a day bag packing; they worked hard to ensure that all 2,500 competitors and those who marshal on the day of the event had everything they needed.  They learned a lot about the hard work and complex planning that goes on behind the scenes to prepare for an international event of this scale. Early on Sunday 9th June, 4 other members of Cannock Soroptimists: Val Jones, Jill Gooch, Dawn Pope and Olivia Lyons were in position near to Chasewater to marshal the first part of the bike ride section of the race. Competitors had already completed the 1.2 mile swim when they began the 56 mile bike ride on their way to

Cannock Soroptimists held their AGM in April.  One of the final tasks out-going President June Bould undertook was to acknowledge the years of service to Soroptimist International – and the Cannock & District club – that two members in particular have given. Lynne Tuckley joined the Club in 1999 and so has given 20 years of service to SI Cannock & District.  To mark the occasion President June presented her with a long service certificate. Lynne has held the role of President within the club and has often served as a member of the Club’s executive committee.  She is known now as the Club’s “Hospitality Hostess” as she looks after everyone’s meals and payments at each meeting at The Barns! Lynne is an accomplished embroiderer and has designed and made a beautiful cloth and a wall hanging to mark the Club’s 50th and 60th Anniversaries.

SI Cannock & District held its AGM at The Barns on 23rd April.  The meeting marked the end of a busy year with President June Bould at the helm.  President June said: “Just a year ago I said although we would be busy with Programme Action, our service work, it’s important to remember we are a voluntary organisation and must enjoy ourselves too. I believe we have achieved both during the year. Improving the lives of women and girls has been at the centre of our programme action projects. We have also had fun and friendship at events held during the year”. The year had seen some special events: a visit from Lesley Smith as Peggy Knight; an Open Garden weekend at the homes of the President and another Club member, a summer celebration lunch at Mitton Manor and Christmas celebrations at The Barns as

Your Body, Your Rules is the anti-sexting project launched by SI Cannock and District in 5 local high schools last September. The Ambassadors, Y12 and Y13 students, who completed the training have been delivering the project to Y8 pupils as well as advertising their presence throughout the rest of their schools. It has had tremendous success, resulting in students having a much greater understanding of the consequences, often emotional, of sexting, or sending nudes, as well as the legal aspects – it is illegal for anyone under the age of 18 to either request, send or distribute a nude photo. Schools report much more openness, youngsters in a position to refuse to take and send such a photo, even to ‘sexting’ now being a ‘dirty word’. Sue Arnold, Deputy Police Crime Commissioner has supported the project from the beginning and invited Soroptimists and school Ambassadors

Over 80 Cannock Soroptimists and their guests welcomed the return of Lesley Smith, the curator of Tutbury Castle who has entertained us many times with her enthralling re-enactments of characters in history. This time she brought to life a woman from more recent times; a true heroine of the Second World War, Peggy Knight. Peggy joined the Special Operations Executive, SOE, in 1944 having been recruited because of her ability to speak fluent French. Although brought up in England she had been born in Paris of an English father and a Polish mother, and both French and English were spoken at home. Peggy had a typical London childhood, which Lesley brought to life brilliantly. She then trained as a shorthand typist before being recruited into the SOE at the age of 24.  She was warned that she had only a 50% chance of surviving her

President June Bould welcomed 50 members and guests to their event to mark International Women’s Day 2019.  President June explained that after women gained the right to vote in Soviet Russia in 1917, March 8 became a national holiday there. In 1975 the UN began celebrating the day as a way of recognising women’s achievements and since then celebrations of IWD on March 8th each year have spread globally, becoming a rallying call for support for women’s participation in politics and economics. This year’s theme for International Women’s Day is Balance for Better and we can all work to build a gender-balanced world. Gender balance is essential for economies and communities to thrive; it is needed in boardrooms, in government, in wealth, sports – everywhere.  Everyone enjoyed striking the pose of #BalanceforBetter – an excellent way of reminding us of the need for balance. Soroptimist

Dickie James MBE, CEO of Staffordshire Women’s Aid was the guest of Cannock Soroptimists at their February Business Meeting.  She was invited along to update the club on new, exciting developments and projects within SWA. Dickie began by telling members and guests how much she loves being with women’s groups – seeing the evidence of women supporting each other to improve their lives and make the world a better place – the underlying aim of SWA. She told a little of their background – Staffordshire was one of the first Counties to provide a refuge for women, a safe place where those suffering Domestic Abuse could go. This was in the late 1970s and for over 40 years SWA has worked to build and provide services locally in Cannock, Stafford and South Staffs. There have been many cuts in resources over the last 10 years,

Cannock Soroptimists recently celebrated the 64th Anniversary of their Charter, the club was formed in 1955.  This year’s Annual Dinner was held at Brocton Hall Golf Club and was attended by members and friends from Cannock and from other clubs within the Midland Chase Region. President June Bould welcomed special guests Amanda Milling MP; Jan Gray, President SI Midland Chase Region and speaker for the evening Anna Turney, paralympic ski racer.  Amanda Milling MP made the toast to Soroptimist International; the organisation is almost 100 years old.  She praised the organisation for the work it does to improve and enhance the lives of women and had looked at all that women in Parliament have achieved in the last 100 years, from Nancy Astor, the first woman in Parliament in 1919, through to today when there are 208 women MPs and the second woman Prime Minister.