Soroptimist International Hoylake & West Kirby was Chartered on 6th October 1946
A celebratory dinner was held on 19th October 1946 in the Municipal Golf House, Hoylake, where the Guest Speaker was Mr Selwyn Lloyd MP for Wirral. The first President was Mrs Dorothy Higginbottom, Social Editor of the local newspaper and the two Vice Presidents were Miss Hudson, Head Mistress of the girls’ high school and Mrs Stainton. The first meeting of the Club was actually held on 4 March 1946 at the Marigold Cafe in West Kirby with some 32 ladies present including Miss Elizabeth Dobie, Hon Secretary of the Birkenhead Soroptimists Club (our mother club) and former President of the Federation of Soroptimist Clubs. Among the membership were a doctor, masseuse, chiropodist, hairdresser, beautician, credit trader, tobacconist, concert artist, florist.
Their regular meetings took place at the Marigold cafe, West Kirby, where guest speakers included Dr Goodacre, Appeal Officer of the Liverpool Radium Institute, Mr P Herbert of the Ministry of Information, and Miss J Bryant a teacher and Soroptimist from Wichita, Kansas, USA.
Amongst the Club’s leisure activities was a coach trip to Llandudno and an outing to Hilbre Island by pony-trap for afternoon tea and a historical talk about the island.”
Celebrating 70 years
Soroptimist International Hoylake & West Kirby were delighted to celebrate their 70th anniversary in 2016 with a special lunch for 60 guests held on Saturday 1 October in the Royal Liverpool Golf Club, Hoylake, where their guest of honour was Dame Lorna Muirhead, DBE, Lord Lieutenant of Merseyside. Also attending were Soroptimist International Regional President Jean Pentecost and the Presidents and members of other Soroptimist Clubs from Wirral, Liverpool, Cheshire and North Wales.
Sadly after 72 wonderful years Soroptimist International Hoylake & West Kirby made the decision to close the club at the Annual General Meeting April 2019
Soroptimist Centenary 2021
In 2021 to celebrate 100 years of Soroptimist International, the Region created an embroidered banner representing every club that has been part of our history. Jenny Wilson from SI Heswall created the banner for SI Hoylake & West Kirby – please click here S I Hoylake
