Region Meeting – Climate Change

Inspiring Guest Speakers at our Regional Meeting

A very informative and interesting Regional Meeting was held at the Imperial Hotel Llandudno on Saturday 21^st May.

Leading on from the Climate Change Conference in February the theme was continued with 2 excellent guest speakers at the meeting.  The first speaker, James Espley, Waste Manager at Conwy County Borough Council provided us with an interesting and educational insight into how the council dealt with recycling….what could have been a dull subject was presented with just the right level of detail, facts, figures and humour!  It was encouraging to learn that the council’s recycling process has value and what happens to the individual components e.g. food waste is processed into bio-gas and fertiliser, garden waste into compost.   He answered the many questions with patience and enthusiasm.   Need to know more visit: www. https://www.conwy.gov.uk/en/Resident/Recycling-and-Waste/Recycling-and-Waste.aspx

The second Guest Speaker was the well known TV Presenter, Meteorologist and Author Clare Nasir who gave an inspiring presentation on Weather –v- Climate Change.  Clare is also an Advisor on the UN International Fund for Agricultural Development.  Her enthusiasm for her subject was evident as she focused on forest fires (1,600 in all) in British Columbia which completely destroyed the town of Lytton in June 2021when temperatures rose to 49.6c and many lives lost.  She also mentioned the importance of monsoons for a quarter of the world’s population and how drought is causing extreme poverty and starvation.   The  interesting and thought provoking presentation reminded us again about the destruction and loss of life caused by climate change.  We all left the meeting knowing that we must do something, albeit small, to help ‘save our planet’ for future generations.

Money Raised for Mental Health Charities

 The ‘BIG’ raffle at our Regional Conference in February raised £2,175 to be donated to 3 Mental Health charities representing our Region of Cheshire, North Wales and Wirral.

At our Regional Meeting on Saturday cheques for £725 were presented to each charity by Regional President Yvonne Johns and were very well received by representatives of the three charities:

Cheshire Project: Flynn’s Port in a Storm Crises Centre & Café, Ellesmere Port

A highly successful centre run by volunteers aimed at improving mental health and care outcomes, reducing hospitalisations and prevention of social isolation.  The now registered charity was set up by 2  Soroptimist members of Ellesmere Port Cub,  who recognised that people desperately needed help during the COVID pandemic lock-down.  The centre has grown from strength to strength offering professional counselling, therapeutic services, training, arts and craft classes plus outdoor activities.  Over 400 are in the system currently being helped and supported most of which are referrals.  The donation will be spent on specific areas including volunteer training and a contribution to the proposed sensory room.   Volunteers are always welcome:

Regional President Yvonne presenting a cheque to Geraldine Goodwin of SI Ellesmere Port on behalf of the Flynn’s Port in a Storm Charity

 

CAIS now part of Adferiad/Recovery

This a pan-Wales organisation which is a registered charity and leading voluntary sector provider of personal support services in Wales.  The charity supports people with addictions, mental health and personal development.  Services include residential treatment, rehabilitation, counselling, mentoring and assisting people back into work or education. The donation raised by the raffle will be spent on the provision of therapeutic activities including arts and craft equipment in North Wales. For more information click on: www.adferiad.org

 

Wirral MIND

Wirral MIND is a local independent mental health charity established in 1967 aimed at helping and supporting people in the community to live better and healthier lives. The Resource Centre (The Fountain Project) offers a wide range of services including counselling, telephone help lines, supported living, self-harm and suicide lived experience network, mental health first aid  and MH in the workplace training and referrals to third sector community connector plus volunteer opportunities which were highlighted very effectively during the Zoom presentation evening.  The donation raised by the raffle will be spent on the ‘Mums Matter’ project a perinatal service for women at risk of suffering from postnatal depression.  For more information click on: www.wirralmind.org.uk

 

Esther Roberts, Team Communications