Soroptimists Come Together  Soroptimists from around the country and beyond came together at the National Memorial Arboretum on Saturday 18th September to mark the unveiling of a new memorial representing our Federation, Soroptimist International of Great Britain & Ireland (SIGBI). SIGBI has 6000 members in 18 countries that as well as Britain and Ireland include clubs from Asia, The Caribbean and Malta. Members from SI Cannock & District were happy to be a part of the unveiling. SIGBI have had a plot at the Arboretum since 2002 but recently funds were raised by Soroptimists to install a sculpture by Graeme Mitcheson made of circles of blue glass formed to depict the SIGBI logo; a dynamic S. It sits on a pillar that shows the diverse membership SIGBI boasts, with all women portrayed standing shoulder to shoulder. As the annual conference has been cancelled for the

Soroptimist International is celebrating its centenary year – the first club was formed in Oakland, California, USA in 1921; clubs worldwide are involved in the celebrations.  And that includes SI Cannock & District – they will be holding a special event on Friday 15th October taking a look back at the last 100 years.  Each decade will get its moment: the fashions, music, inventions, the big news items – all will be included! The evening was the idea of President Jackie Prince who has instigated many centenary projects including 100 Acts of Kindness and the planting of 100 trees. The team involved in the preparation of this event are promising an evening of fun and nostalgia – and, no doubt, lots of comments of “I didn’t realise that had been around for so long!”. The Centenary Celebration will be held at St Mary’s Community Centre

SI Cannock & District went back to nature for their third wellbeing event! They visited the Stadium Allotments, Cannock where they were shown around allotments maintained by the community for the community. Gez Hill of Inspiring Healthy Lifestyles (IHL) told how groups attend the allotments each week to plant and tend fruit and vegetables.  Inspiring Healthy Lifestyles (IHL), are a charity which, on behalf of Cannock Chase Council offers a wide range of activities to the community to improve their health and wellbeing. The amount of work that had been done at the site was very impressive! After the tour, the Soroptimists made a bug hotel for the site and planted some vegetables including onions, lettuce and radish, they were promised the pick of the crop when they were harvested!  President Jackie Prince said “It’s so good to be part of community projects such as

SI Cannock & District went back to nature for their third wellbeing event! They visited the Stadium Allotments, Cannock where they were shown around allotments maintained by the community for the community. Gez Hill of Inspiring Healthy Lifestyles (IHL) told how groups attend the allotments each week to plant and tend fruit and vegetables.  Inspiring Healthy Lifestyles (IHL), are a charity which, on behalf of Cannock Chase Council offers a wide range of activities to the community to improve their health and wellbeing. The amount of work that had been done at the site was very impressive! After the tour, the Soroptimists made a bug hotel for the site and planted some vegetables including onions, lettuce and radish, they were promised the pick of the crop when they were harvested!  President Jackie Prince said “It’s so good to be part of community projects such as

Each year SI Cannock and District hold a Summer Celebration with members, family and friends. Until last year of course – when because of Covid-19, no-one was able to meet in such circumstances. So this year was even more of a celebration when, in line with guidelines, 30 members and family were able to meet and enjoy each others’ company and a meal together. And this at the splendid Tutbury Castle, where the sun shone to help things along even more. SI Cannock & District President Jackie Prince said how thrilled she was to welcome everyone to the first formal occasion the club had been able to hold since February 2020 – 17 months ago!! The conversation and the smiles didn’t stop: everyone was so excited to be able to go out and to meet again. And the afternoon was completed by a visit from

Each year SI Cannock and District hold a Summer Celebration with members, family and friends. Until last year of course – when because of Covid-19, no-one was able to meet in such circumstances. So this year was even more of a celebration when, in line with guidelines, 30 members and family were able to meet and enjoy each others’ company and a meal together. And this at the splendid Tutbury Castle, where the sun shone to help things along even more. SI Cannock & District President Jackie Prince said how thrilled she was to welcome everyone to the first formal occasion the club had been able to hold since February 2020 – 17 months ago!! The conversation and the smiles didn’t stop: everyone was so excited to be able to go out and to meet again. And the afternoon was completed by a visit from

Despite the delay to the relaxing of restrictions, SI Cannock and District members were determined to get together safely with the added advantage of taking some exercise on our beautiful Cannock Chase! Last Tuesday (21st June), many members enjoyed a guided walk in our local Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. One even brought her dogs along! This was the first of the wellbeing events that have been arranged in collaboration with Inspiring Healthy Lifestyles (IHL), a charity which, on behalf of Cannock Chase Council offers a wide range of activities to the community to improve their health and wellbeing. Just 30 minutes of exercise per day have huge physical and mental health benefits They were blessed with perfect weather conditions, ideal for a walk with friends, some of whom hadn’t met face to face for months. They were given a challenge; to take two photographs,

Cannock and District Soroptimists again supported Cannock Friends of St Giles by taking part in the St Giles Summer Solstice walk. This year St Giles Hospice organised “Summer Solstice – Your Way” a 5K walk which could be done anywhere on any day during June. Soroptimists chose to walk on the Saturday nearest to the Summer Solstice and to do the walk suggested by St Giles at Marquis Drive on Cannock Chase. Nine club members and two dogs met to enjoy each other’s company and the beautiful views – and were ready for a coffee from the Visitor Centre Café when they finished the walk. They each wore this year’s Summer Solstice logo where they had written the names of those they were walking for and remembering and were delighted to meet others along the way also walking for St Giles Hospice. Those who walked

Cannock and District Soroptimists were delighted to take advantage of the easing of lockdown and meet together in the garden of Soroptimist June Bould to mark Membership month and enjoy coffee, cake and friendship.  Everyone enjoyed the chance to actually talk to each other at long last! Newest member Jill Mason; one of the club’s longer serving members Carole Holdcroft (a member for 34 years) and Club President Jackie Prince all spoke of their reasons for joining Soroptimist International and what it is that they enjoy about their membership.  They each said that they had been drawn by what Cannock & District Soroptimists actually DO, certainly the things they do to help locally but also the work nationally and internationally to enable, educate and empower women and girls. Each of them likes to help others and recognises the strength of people working together to channel