On International Women’s Day Soroptimists all over the world continue to do all that they can to improve the lives of women – whether that be to provide them with education, with clean water, with skills to provide food for their family, to look after their health needs or to help them out of or avoid forced marriage, exploitation, trafficking or the ravages of FGM. Before that work can be done however, Soroptimists need to raise their own awareness and that is what Soroptimists within Midland Chase Region did on Saturday 7th March. The morning session was entitled Modern Day Slavery and Detective Constable Michelle Lane of the Sex Offences Team spoke about the things they face each and every day, of some of the difficulties of prosecuting the perpetrators and of the successes when women are taken from the life of slavery, drug abuse

During their Diamond Anniversary year Janis Lomas, President of SI Cannock & District has been looking at famous women throughout the last six decades and the role of women throughout that time. She continued the theme at their February business meeting when she considered the 80s – the decade of big hair and shoulder pads!, 1980 Lesley Abdela formed the 300 Group to push for equal representation of women in the House of Commons. 35 years later there are still only 142 women MPs elected; in 1981 Baroness Young became the first woman leader of the House of Lords though it appears she opposed most of the women’s rights legislation that was brought before the house. In 1982, 30,000 women gathered at Greenham Common Peace Camp – the camp remained open for 19 years during which time thousands of female protesters visited or lived in

SI Cannock &Districts glittering Diamond anniversary celebration at Rodbaston Hall was attended by 120 members, past members and friends including Soroptimists from other Clubs in the Midland Chase Region. The evening marked the 60th Anniversary of the Club’s charter which was presented at a dinner at Eaton Lodge Hotel, Rugeley on February 10th 1955. The theme of diamonds ran through all of the decorations and embellishments, guests made sure they wore something that glittered! President Dr Janis Lomas and club members were delighted to welcome everyone to this special event and were particularly pleased that so many Past Presidents were able to join them. Margaret Lyons, President 1984 – 1985 gave the toast to Soroptimist International Cannock & District, remembering with fondness members and activities of the past and telling current members of her pride in all of the work they are still carrying out,

Last Saturday members and friends of SI Cannock & District spent an afternoon at Tutbury Castle where they enjoyed lunch followed by a talk from Lesley Smith, Curator of the Castle. Lesley is an historian, specializing in Tudor history as well as other areas; she is also an excellent speaker. On this occasion Lesley wore a Tudor costume made of velvet and with embroidery detail which would have been worn by a woman of the middle class – the costume itself weighs around 3 and a half stone! – and she spoke with her wonderful enthusiasm and wit about the life of a Tudor Housewife. We learned that many marriages were arranged with the average of age for marriage being 22 or 23 for women and 25 or 26 for men. They would have many children, though the average number to survive would be 4.

SI Cannock & District member Jenny Holmes held a Friendship coffee morning with a Bring and Buy stall to raise funds for the Club’s chosen charities for this, their Diamond Anniversary year. Many club members and friends went along and as well as enjoying coffee and home made cakes and pastries they raised a little over £120.00 for the Pathway Project and Staffordshire Women’s Aid. This will be added to funds raised throughout the year and cheques will be presented nearer to the AGM in April. At the end of January some members will be spending time at South Staffordshire College, Cannock Campus to raise awareness about many issues which affect women and girls. Amongst the issues being raised will be Domestic Violence –there will be information available from both organisations mentioned above. They will also be highlighting the symptoms of endometriosis and will have

SI Cannock & District invited two speakers to their first meeting of 2015: Roz Randall, Specialist Education Safeguarding Trainer, Staffordshire County Council and SI Midland Chase Region President, Carol Bailey. President of SI Cannock & District Janis Lomas was delighted to welcome both speakers and the many guests who had joined them, many of them from other Soroptimist Clubs in the Region. Roz began by outlining the many aspects of her role. Amongst those she trains within the wide safeguarding umbrella are school staff; School Governors; horse riding schools; dentist staff; newly qualified teachers; Fire Service staff; children’s care home staff. Child sexual exploitation is the priority area this year, not just for the Staffordshire Safeguarding Children’s Board but for Staffordshire Police too – working with health, education and social services. Roz stressed the importance of agencies sharing information as this is how those at

The two main charities being supported by SI Cannock & District in this, their Diamond Anniversary year, are the Pathway Project and Staffordshire Women’s Aid. Both organisations provide support and refuges for women victims of domestic violence and their children. There are numerous families resident at these Refuges at any one time; most families stay there for around 6 months. Part of the resettlement is around enabling the children to regain confidence and self esteem and also to reintroduce them to the idea of having fun. Children are traumatised when they enter the Refuge and find socialising difficult. They also need an outlet for their feelings and the opportunity to share time with other children who understand what they are going through. Trips and visits are an important part of this programme, though the organisations do not always have the funding available. The club recently

Each year on Human Rights Day, December 10th, the Soroptimist International President launches her President’s Appeal, inviting Soroptimists worldwide to join efforts to support an initiative she feels is of the utmost importance to women and girls. International President Ann Garvie’s Appeal, “See Solar, Cook Solar” will raise money for projects that educate women about renewable energy, while empowering and enabling opportunities for them by providing solar lanterns and cookers. It has become a tradition at SI Cannock & District for members to support this appeal by making donations in lieu of sending Christmas cards to other club members and this year was no exception. At the December meeting, when members were entertained b club member Shirley Brown and were visited by Father Christmas, a sum of £145 was donated and has been sent to the appeal which has continued from December 2013 as it

Each Christmas, SI of Cannock and District get involved in several projects to support others locally at Christmas. One of these is the Christmas Lunch at the Warming Welcome Soup Kitchen, at Mill Street Church. A number of ladies from the church run the soup kitchen on a weekly basis throughout the year, providing a hot meal for those who otherwise wouldn’t have one. At the beginning of December club members, led by Soroptimist Carole Holdcroft, join them to provide a three course Christmas Lunch and tea and mince pies which is partly funded by the Soroptimist club. This year was no exception – Carole and several other club members prepared, cooked and served a meal, complete with crackers and all the trimmings, to over 50 people. If the plates at the end were anything to go by, everyone thoroughly enjoyed their meal! < Photo