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.

Crosby’s Soroptimists’ summer social meeting was a-buzz with activity. Simon and John, founders of Eshe Honey, gave a fascinating account of their enterprise. Starting with a hobby they now have a fully-fledged local business, creating a wide variety of British honey and bee-related products. Beekeeping, they say, is a slow farming process and their key principle is to work sustainably. The Soroptimists learned about life in the honey bee colony. The workers (all female) initially take on roles such as housekeeping or guard duty in the hive. They then spend about two weeks foraging for nectar and pollen. Anything up to three miles is their range. On return, the workers ‘waggledance’ to communicate the direction, distance and quality of their source to other bees. And after about 28 days working, they die. The queen of the hive has a longer lifespan – maybe up to

Once again Crosby’s Soroptimists have been on hand to help at Lunt Meadows. Soroptimists helped with crafts and staffed the refreshment tent at a day-long ‘bioblitz’. This beginner-friendly public event was organised by the Wildlife Trust for Lancashire, Manchester and North Merseyside (LWT). The aim? To record as many plants and creatures on the nature reserve as possible in one day. Members took the opportunity to learn about moths when the overnight traps were examined; while some had a go at sweep netting for invertebrates. They also looked at the 'bee-friendly' wildflower area that SI Crosby planted out in 2022 – it is flourishing! The focus of crafting was the creation of pinecone bees. Rough-and-ready the bees may have been, but the children enjoyed making them (and talking about honey). SI Crosby has a long-term partnership with LWT at Lunt Meadows. Members are able to

Summertime – and once again it’s time for local organisations to call on help from Crosby’s Soroptimists. The annual Open Garden day at Crosby Hall attracted, as usual, large crowds. This is a major fundraising event for Crosby Hall Educational Trust (CHET) – a local institution that the Soroptimists have supported since its foundation. Visitors are always ready for refreshments so members of SI Crosby staffed the pop-up café throughout the day. The CHET team know the work is in safe hands. Thankfully, dealing with the cows was not part of the job! Sefton Women’s and Children’s Aid (SWACA) is a longstanding focus of the Soroptimists’ practical service. To support the charity’s fundraising efforts, members helped prepare and serve the annual Strawberry Tea. Showers and sunshine greeted visitors to the summer Garden Party at St Joseph’s Hospice, Thornton. Once again, Soroptimists were on hand in

Crosby Soroptimists travelled to Keighley to help celebrate a milestone anniversary. The Keighley and Crosby clubs have a friendship link, keeping in touch and meeting up whenever possible. SI Keighley is 90 years young - hence a special lunch with entertainment and a guest speaker. Local vocalist Mela Busby chose a theme of 'women's voices over 90 years’. Her medley of songs was a delightful backdrop to the day. The speaker was Michelle Hands. The founder of She Who Dares Wins, she aims to ‘connect, support, and inspire women to carve their own extraordinary paths’. Michelle's regular podcasts feature women trailblazers. These interviews, and her uncompromising approach to tackling challenges, are gaining much attention. Club member Yvonne Atkinson co-ordinates SI Crosby’s several friendship links with clubs worldwide: “Our Keighley sisters made us very welcome and I am delighted we were able to join them to

Mindful of Helen Reddy's words, Crosby’s Soroptimists were at the heart of the recent regional conference ‘Rise Up and Roar’. Sandy Taylor and Pat Williams were part of the conference team for SI South Lancashire’s biennial event. For many months they helped plan everything including speakers, venue and hospitality. Crucially, women-centred themes were at the heart of the Conference Programme 2024. Health and wellness, education, gender equality and human rights - all came under scrutiny on the day. Pat shared the registration desk with Debra Curtis, of SI Liverpool.  Hard work - but time for relaxation before the pre-conference dinner. Sandy was the conference chair. Keeping everything to time - even wrestling with IT - needed tact, patience and humour. Thanks to her skill and experience, the day progressed successfully. SI Crosby's own Steph Stephenson (HR Director, Jaguar Land Rover) gave a lively session on