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

Cannock Soroptimists and friends got themselves into the Christmas spirit by visiting Trentham Gardens for a Christmas meal and a demonstration of tree decorating and how to make a seasonal door wreath. The meal and the friendship was an excellent start to the evening and everyone had fun considering how they might decorate their own tree at home. The door wreath inspired many to ‘have a go’ using items they may well find in their own gardens. Afterwards they enjoyed the opportunity for an exclusive shopping experience. As well as enjoying Christmas themselves, Soroptimists will be doing all that they can to enable others to enjoy Christmas too. They will be providing gifts for women and children at Pathway: there will be many women victims of domestic violence and their children spending Christmas at a Women’s Refuge run by Pathway or Women’s Aid. These women

The meeting on 11.11.14 was presided over by other club members who stood in for President Janis, who was attending the launch of her book in Worcester: “The Home Front in Britain” which she co-edited with Professor Maggie Andrews. The friendship candle, surrounded by rosemary and poppies, was lit by Shirley Brown on this Remembrance Day, remembering all those people who had served their country over the last 100 years in conflict and acknowledging our responsibility to work for the peace they fought for. The speaker this evening was one of only 14 Professional lady Toastmasters in the country. Marion Canning explained that a Toastmaster is typically charged with the organisation of civic events, banquets, organisation meetings, product launches and high profile dinners. Then she outlined her progression from hopeful young woman wishing to join the select company of toastmasters to eventually gaining a most

Kate Young became the youngest member of Cannock Soroptimists when President Janis Lomas inducted her into the organisation at the September business meeting.   Kate is 36 and having worked for 12 years in local government as a Senior HR manager, she decided to change career after experiencing health issues and now is self employed as a success and wellbeing coach, helping people overcome the things that are preventing them from living a life they love!   Kate read about SI Cannock & District in the local press and felt this was the organisation she was looking for as she had always wanted to do something more to support women suffering from issues such as FGM and domestic violence but was never really sure how she could make a difference herself.   She told members that she has always been passionate about women’s equality both locally

S.I.’s new President Elect is Lynne Tuckley. Lynne was given the chain of office by President Janis Lomas at a recent meeting; she will take over as President from Janis at the AGM next April.  Lynne has been a Soroptimist for 15 Years and has been involved with activities and events at all levels: club, Region, Federation and International. In her working life Lynne was a Court Usher at Cannock Magistrate’s Court for many years before becoming Manager of the Victim/Witness Support Service based at the Court.  Since her retirement she has continued to work for the community in voluntary roles at Cannock Hospital and with the Fire Service. Lynne’s main hobby is embroidery – with another club member she designed and embroidered a cloth to commemorate the club’s 50th year and this year she has designed and embroidered a picture to commemorate the Diamond

Cannock Soroptimists learned about life in the Back to Back Houses in Birmingham recently from their speaker Mac Joseph.  Mac was born and lived in one of the back to backs and he is now a guide with the National Trust properties in Birmingham. These houses were one room deep, built back to back around a courtyard. One side of the houses had their front doors on the street, the other had the door onto the courtyard.  They were built in the 1840’s to provide homes for the many families who moved to Birmingham to work – Birmingham was a thriving work place and many skills and trades were needed. There were usually 11 houses around a courtyard with one wash house and one toilet per 4 houses; 20,000 courtyards were provided and there were usually around 10 people living in each house.  People were

Members of Cannock Soroptimists attended Cannock College Freshers’ Week to talk to new students about Endometriosis, a condition suffered by many women and teenage girls. It often goes undiagnosed for years so it is essential that girls are given information about symptoms which should never be seen as ‘normal’. Should they then suffer from these symptoms they will be able to pursue a diagnosis and so get treatment. Signs and symptoms which could indicate Endometriosis are: Pain before and during periods; Pain with sex; Infertility; Fatigue; Painful urination during periods; Painful bowel movements during periods; Other Gastrointestinal upsets such as diarrhoea, constipation, nausea; Problems with the immune system such as asthma or allergies; and anyone suffering from these should see their Doctor. The event proved a great success and Soroptimists have been invited back to the College to make the information available to all students.

If You Can’t Stand the Heat, Get Out of the Kitchen was the title of the talk given by Cas Bailey, a former Staffordshire Police Officer.  Cas spoke to SI Cannock &District at their September speaker meeting about her life in the Police Force in the 1970s, when being a white male was really the only thing to be! She told of her time as a Police Cadet in Walsall when she wasn’t allowed to do the College course as she was already over qualified for the job and when being the only female Cadet made PT sessions something of a trial! When she became a Police Officer in Walsall she was the only woman on the shift, the same was almost true when she became Sergeant and was moved to Wolverhampton. Her tales of life at this time were akin to the TV programme