Crosby Soroptimists once again joined Santa and his reindeer float to raise money for local charities. With collecting tins at the ready the Soroptimists greeted shoppers in the foyer at Waitrose, Formby. No cash? No problem. There was a handheld card-reader for cashless payments. Techno-Santa indeed. Thanks to generous shoppers the Soroptimists collected over £500 on the day. A grand sum!

A new cookery book has been launched – the result of collaboration between two Soroptimist Clubs in Italy and Crosby. SI Jesi devised the project and asked SI Crosby members for a selection of recipes that could be included. The two clubs are 'friendship links'. Proceeds from the sale of the book are to support a dedicated safe room that the Italian Soroptimists have opened in the local Carabinieri (Police station) HQ. Known as ‘A Room for You’ it is for women who have been victims of violence or abuse. It provides them with a suitable environment in which to report to the police. The Italian members have been collaborating locally with a professional institute of hotel hospitality, L'Istituto Professionale di Stato per L'Enogastonomia e L'Ospitalità Alberghiera. The students adopted this cook book as a project, planning to make and serve some of the recipes. The

Crosby’s Soroptimists have bought another toilet and are 'flushed' with success ! Club members presented a commemorative plaque to Matt, the manager of StoryHouse Café in Crosby at their monthly Orange Café session. The new ‘twin’ for StoryHouse is in the small village of Yalo, near the town of Bouna in north-eastern Ivory Coast. Toilet twinning is one of the club’s long-term projects. Good sanitation is essential for personal, public and environmental health. The provision of safe toilets is one of the targets of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals – ‘Ensure access to clean water and sanitation for all’. The Crosby event coincided with Day 1 of ‘16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence’. This campaign, co-ordinated by UNWomen, starts on 25th November (International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women) and ends on 10th December (Human Rights Day). It highlights that violence

It can take just 5 minutes for someone to bleed to death. A rapid response ambulance often takes 7 minutes to arrive at the scene. Crosby’s Soroptimists welcomed Mr Nikhil Misra, Consultant Trauma Surgeon at Aintree Hospital and founder of the charity Knifesavers, as guest speaker. Mr Misra gave a comprehensive overview of knife crime, which encompasses all bladed or pointed articles. He also explained the mechanism of bleeding, life-saving techniques available and the work of his charity. In partnership with medical staff, Knifesavers have developed Bleed Control Kits which contain the necessary items to use in an emergency. Kits (and wall-mounted cabinets) are being provided throughout Merseyside. Crosby Soroptimists have funded a cabinet, ready for installation at the Learning Centre at Lunt Meadows Nature Reserve. Through education in the basics of bleed control, the charity is reaching hundreds of people – in schools, at

President Sharon and members of Soroptimist International Crosby attended the Remembrance Service at Five-Lamps memorial in Waterloo. This is always a poignant occasion as the poppy wreaths pile up at the foot of the memorial. The statue is of ‘winged victory’, holding a laurel wreath and palm branch, and standing on a globe. It was unveiled in 1921 as the memorial for Waterloo and Seaforth.

Ten Soroptimists from Crosby attended the Federation Conference in Edinburgh. This, the 90th annual conference of Soroptimist International (Great Britain & Ireland), was held in the elegant surroundings of the Assembly Rooms - chandeliers and all. The conference programme packed in sessions encompassing information, updates and challenges – all under the banner of ‘Educate – Empower – Enable’. Key speaker on the theme of empowerment was Floella Benjamin – Baroness Benjamin of Beckenham. In a stunning hour-long presentation she spoke about coming to UK at the age of 8, about discrimination and bullying because of the colour of her skin, and of her struggles to get to where she is today. Respected as a champion of children, Baroness Floella encourages girls to be resilient, to speak out and to be true to themselves. There was a standing ovation for this consummate performance, delivered with such passion.

Crosby Soroptimists learned about about the beneficial power of music in the lives of people with dementia, their families and carers. Dean McShane is a mental health specialist and a volunteer speaker for ‘Playlist for Life’.  This charity is dedicated to spreading the word on how a personalised playlist can improve the quality of life for people with dementia. Music that is personally meaningful has many psychological benefits. It can, for example, help reduce anxiety; it may evoke memories that help people connect with each other. Songs – both words and tunes – can flood back into the mind. That ‘flashback feeling’ is so important. Dean explained some of the science, gleaned from decades of research. It’s known that, even if parts of the brain are damaged, music can still reach other parts. For so many people, therefore, it can be beneficial in diminishing distress

A group of Crosby’s Soroptimists spent a morning building hotels … for bugs. Into wooden boxes the Soroptimists packed twigs, bark, pinecones, drilled logs and grass stems. Rosemary sprigs went into crevices. There was much hammering as everything was made secure and ready for new occupants. SI Crosby is aiming to ‘bee friendly for bees’. Mason bees and other solitary varieties – as well as ladybirds, butterflies, woodlice, etc -  must find a warm, dry space in which to build their nests and hibernate over the winter. Therefor bug hotels are a valuable addition to anyone’s garden or open space. The event was set up by Soroptimists Vesna Levi and Chris Smith. Vesna said: “The Friends of Victoria Park, Crosby, generously hosted the session in their pavilion. We are also most grateful to Chris’s husband (‘Mr Chris’) for scavenging wood and preparing all the boxes.

Over forty women recently attended Crosby Soroptimists’ heart health awareness event. This free session was held in partnership with Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (LHCH). The Trust’s team aim to ’spread the word’ in the community about women’s heart health, including risk factors, lifestyle choices and treatments available. Soroptimists dealt with advance bookings and were on hand to register all attendees. Simple red ‘heart’ brooches made club members very visible and proved a talking point. Refreshments helped everyone relax and there was a buzz of conversation in the hall. The programme opened with LHCH’s presentation. Signs and symptoms of heart problems, gender inequalities, the menopause and genetic factors were all touched on, prompting much interest and many follow-on questions. The women could then choose to have a short one-to-one session with a health practitioner, covering weight, blood pressure and other measures. This, again,

Crosby Soroptimists have another new member. President Sharon was delighted to enrol Ann Hughes as SI Crosby’s newest member. Ann thanked everyone for the warm welcome she had received initially as a visitor – one factor in her decision to join. She is looking forward to taking an active part in the club’s practical service and fundraising activities. Soroptimist Val Dunning, Ann’s mentor, is also her neighbour and longstanding friend, and will be on hand as Ann settles in to club life.