Archive

Club Meeting – 11 September 2017

Barbara Brown introduced our speaker, Tracy Freeman, CEO of First Stop (www.firststopdarlington.org.uk).

Tracy described the work undertaken by the charity which serves the Borough of Darlington. Although they have been severely affected by financial cuts, the staff provide practical and emotional support to the homeless, those at risk of becoming homeless, the socially excluded, and people with chaotic lifestyles and multiple complex needs. Dorothy Thomson gave the vote of thanks and Treasurer, Hilary Blease, presented Tracy with a cheque on behalf of the club.

We welcomed another new member: Alison Mannion, who was inducted by Alma Bailey and supported by her sponsors. A great start to our “new term”!

Summer 2017

Members took part in a guided walk along the River Skerne followed by supper at the home of Carole Sobkowiak. We had an excellent guided tour of St Cuthbert’s Church in Darlington town centre, and this was followed by another supper – this time in the Houndgate Townhouse. During the August break we met for three coffee mornings hosted by our members Elspeth Robinson, Gypsy Nichol and our newest member, Carol Hodgson.

Volunteer of the Year

Maureen Gorman has been named Volunteer of the Year by Darlington Talking Newspaper after her many years’ service – (she can’t remember how long!). Maureen produces the Pavement & Town Centre Report, which warns of hazards; she edits the magazine; she is also one of the readers, and she is involved with the despatch of the CDs and memory sticks. She has received congratulations from all over the world on our Facebook Page and we are proud of her.

Club Meeting – 23 May 2017

We were delighted that our speaker, Alison Holland, Language Support Co-ordinator with DAR was joined by their Chair, Fran Wood, and we were treated to a “double act”.  Fran began by describing how the impetus to set up DAR came from the shocking image of the little Syrian boy, Alan Kurdi, found washed up on a beach in 2015. “We had to do something. We couldn’t just watch.” Refugees have been brought to the UK under the Government’s Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme, and Darlington Borough Council agreed to start planning the process to bring families to our town. DAR works with DBC in partnership with other organisations such as Churches Together, which is unusual, as normally the local community is not involved. Alison then explained in detail how they had liaised with local schools to prepare welcome packs for our 11 families. She described all the work being undertaken to support the families since their arrival a year ago. Their over-arching aim is to achieve integration into the local community. Fran explained the difference between refugees and asylum-seekers; the latter are also receiving support from DAR members. The organisation got charitable status in January and has just been awarded a Best of Darlington Award for their contribution to the community. Fran and Alison answered many question from the floor, and then Margaret Reay gave the Vote of Thanks. We are going to liaise with DAR to see how our members can best help with their aims.

Club Meeting – 8 May 2017

The speaker was introduced by Barbara Brown. Aimée Nicholson, Development Officer of the Bright Water Landscape Project, gave an illustrated presentation of the project and made us all much more aware of the history and wildlife of our local River Skerne than we had been. Bright Water is a Heritage Lottery Fund supported project that aims to reveal, restore and celebrate the heritage of the river’s catchment area. Aimée spoke of the Skerne’s history, and of the deserted medieval villages and the original Prince Bishop’s castle, all of which will be surveyed within the project once the development stage is over and the “delivery” begins – (Jan 2018 till the end of 2021). The ancient wetlands, which had been drained and farmed, are now changing again because of climate change and because of rising ground water (from the closed coal-mines). Aimée told us about the wide range of birds which can now be seen in the area, and about the many walks which can be made with the help of a series of illustrated cards (as seen in the photo above.) Dorothy Thomson gave the vote of thanks.

Club Meeting – 25 April 2017

Maureen Gorman introduced the speaker, Helen Rogers, the area fundraising manager for the RNIB (Royal National Institute of Blind People). In her introduction, Helen described the difficulties some members of the public face in distinguishing between the RNIB, the RNLI and the RSPB. This can result in some amusing phone calls. She also told of her experiences wearing the RNIB’s Sooty costume, which is very hot, at fund-raising occasions. Helen gave a lively and informative talk about how the organisation supports those living with sight loss “to give people what they need to get on with enjoying life”. It gives practical and emotional support, and also campaigns to raise awareness among groups such as MPs and bus drivers. The RNIB launched Talking Books in 1935 and has its own recording studio in Camden, with another planned in Gateshead. The service is absolutely free to its users and fundraising is vital to cover the production costs of the books, which are available in different formats. Each adult book costs £2,500, and each children’s book costs £1,500. Only about 8% of blind people read Braille, and Talking Books are needed and valued. For example, they enable grandparents to share books with their grandchildren, and help prevent people with sight loss from feeling isolated. Helen was presented with a cheque for the RNIB at the end of her talk.

 

 Annual General Meeting – 10 April 2017

 

The AGM was held at the Holiday Inn, Darlington North, and was preceded by a meal. President Alma inducted Chrisy Dennis into the club and she was welcomed by all the members. Alma reported on a successful year during which her motto had been “Teamwork”. It had delighted her to see members working so well together. In her Vote of Thanks, Dorothy pointed out that a good team needed a good captain, and we certainly had one in Alma!  The club will again work as a team in the year 2017-2018, with the meetings being chaired by different members on a rota.

 

Club Meeting – 25 April 2017

Maureen Gorman introduced the speaker, Helen Rogers, the area fundraising manager for the RNIB (Royal National Institute of Blind People). In her introduction, Helen described the difficulties some members of the public face in distinguishing between the RNIB, the RNLI and the RSPB. This can result in some amusing phone calls. She also told of her experiences wearing the RNIB’s Sooty costume, which is very hot, at fund-raising occasions. Helen gave a lively and informative talk about how the organisation supports those living with sight loss “to give people what they need to get on with enjoying life”. It gives practical and emotional support, and also campaigns to raise awareness among groups such as MPs and bus drivers. The RNIB launched Talking Books in 1935 and has its own recording studio in Camden, with another planned in Gateshead. The service is absolutely free to its users and fundraising is vital to cover the production costs of the books, which are available in different formats. Each adult book costs £2,500, and each children’s book costs £1,500. Only about 8% of blind people read Braille, and Talking Books are needed and valued. For example, they enable grandparents to share books with their grandchildren, and help prevent people with sight loss from feeling isolated. Helen was presented with a cheque for the RNIB at the end of her talk.

 

 Annual General Meeting – 10 April 2017

 

The AGM was held at the Holiday Inn, Darlington North, and was preceded by a meal. President Alma inducted Chrisy Dennis into the club and she was welcomed by all the members. Alma reported on a successful year during which her motto had been “Teamwork”. It had delighted her to see members working so well together. In her Vote of Thanks, Dorothy pointed out that a good team needed a good captain, and we certainly had one in Alma!  The club will again work as a team in the year 2017-2018, with the meetings being chaired by different members on a rota.

 

Club Meeting – 28 March 2017

Steve Cooper, a volunteer with the Great North Air Ambulance Service, gave a presentation which updated us on the wonderful work done by this year’s President’s Charity. The charity is funded entirely by the public; it has no government funding whatsoever. Steve gave us statistics from the year 2015-2016 which showed that the majority of incident locations (43%) were in Cumbria, the rest being throughout the North East from North Yorkshire up to Northumberland. Most of the incidents were road traffic collisions and medical emergencies; other cases involved falls, sport and leisure, and industrial accidents, among other things. The helicopter currently based at Durham Tees Valley Airport is hoping to move to a purpose-built site at Urlay Nook. A second aircraft is based near Penrith and a third is used for spares. On board there is a pilot, a paramedic/navigator, a doctor and space for one patient. For the last 18 months blood has been on board, which has saved even more lives. There is also an amputation kit. The aircraft is “A & E plus a propeller”. We were shown the stories of survivors, many of whom would not have been here to tell the tale if there were no GNAA. Steve talked about their sources of income: the main one being donations. After questions and answers, President Alma presented Steve with a cheque for £2000, raised at various events during the last year.

 

Day of Service – 18 March 2017

Once again our tea party for the residents of Dalkeith House, where we hold our meetings, unfortunately clashed with the Regional Meeting. However, there were enough members to set up, serve and clear away afterwards.

The afternoon was thoroughly enjoyed by about 18 Dalkeith residents, many of whom came to individually thank us as they left.

Entertainment was provided by Locomotion (boys’ choir), Stockton Showstoppers (girls), and a barbershop group, superbly led by their musical directors, Nikki Lycett-Findlay and Ben Findlay. The singing was excellent and the residents were singing along without encouragement. At the end, before any of us could say anything, a resident stood up to give a vote of thanks.

There was more than enough food thanks to all the members. Unfortunately, despite our attempts, we were unable to persuade the choir to have something to eat/drink although they did take most of the bags of sweets!

Club Meeting – 13 March 2017

Our speaker was John Anderson, Assistant Director Planning & Economic Initiatives at Darlington Borough Council, who gave a presentation about the Darlington Local Plan 2016 – 2036. It is a legal requirement to plan in order to provide “certainty” and coordination of infrastructure: information needed by incomers and private businesses. 10,000 new houses are planned, with an aim of 40% being affordable housing. 6,000 extra jobs will deliver Darlington’s share of the Tees Valley economic ambitions. The vision came from workshops with local organisations such as Residents Associations, schools, Age UK and Darlington Association on Disability. We were told that in 2036 Darlington will have maintained its identity as a “cohesive historic market town”. (This statement led to questions about the market and Crown Street Library.) Mr Anderson described the proposals for an A66/A1M link: more public consultation is due before the case is put to the Government this autumn. Questions covered several topics including the former site of Blackwell Grange Golf Club, cooperation with other authorities and agencies, the proposed housing between Coniscliffe and Staindrop Roads, and the particular case of Middleton St George.
Alma reported that two starter boxes had been delivered to the Women’s Refuge, and two bags of clothing and other necessities filled for rescued trafficked women.

Concert – 4 March 2017

The choir Northern Voices gave us some wonderful entertainment on Saturday evening. Soroptimists, friends and family flocked to the United Reformed Church Darlington, renowned for its brilliant acoustics, to hear a brilliantly entertaining programme which began with Zadok the Priest and included music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, Fauré, Leonard Bernstein – to name but a few. There were also instrumental solos to delight the audience. Takings from ticket sales and the raffle swelled our funds – and raised £679 for the Great North Air Ambulance, President Alma’s charity.

 

Club Meeting – 28 February 2017

Dr Susan Antrobus, the Tees Valley Wild Green Places Manager, began her talk by asking us to remember our best childhood memories of nature. Sue’s work is concerned with improving these green places at such sites as Fairy Dell at Coulby Newham, and more locally at Drinkfield Marsh Nature Reserve in Darlington where wild flowers were planted. Sue went on to describe how Linthorpe Cemetery has been turned into a nature reserve as a special place for peaceful reflection. The philosophy of well-being is overriding, in bringing together Friends Groups that in turn develop and build community spirit.

Sue works tirelessly with children and their parents by dressing up and organising themed days on such topics as bumble bees and hedgehogs. The children are given take-home packs. Sue is teaching them to look, listen and respect the wild life around them. There have been many events that have made litter picking great fun. Therefore by targeting this young generation, who often now live in an electronic world, she is helping to form happy memories of the real world through nature that will remain for ever.

The vote of thanks was given by Jean Earle.

Interclub Meeting – 13 February 2017

We were joined by over forty guests at an Interclub Meeting at Dalkeith House on 13th February. Soroptimists from other clubs, and members of different organisations enjoyed a stimulating and informative talk, followed by questions from the floor and then refreshments and the chance to socialise.

The speaker was Professor Nicole Westmarland, Professor of Criminology in the School of Applied Social Sciences at Durham University, and Director of the university’s Centre for Research into Violence and Abuse. Speaking in her home town, Nicole described her rather unusual route to academia, then proceeded to talk about violence against women in all its forms, femicide, and the link between gender inequality and violence.

After the talk, there was a chance to buy signed copies of Nicole’s books and also to see the club’s display of recent activities. This display had been seen at the Volunteering Fair in Darlington’s Central Hall at the end of January. It illustrated the wide range of work undertaken by the club, which makes membership so interesting and worthwhile.

 

Darlington Volunteering Fair – 2 February 2017

Our stand at today’s Fair illustrated the range of work undertaken by the club. We included our support for Handicap International, the Purple Teardrop Campaign and the UN campaign to end violence against women & girls. We took the opportunity to remind people about the Message in the Bottle (which we introduced to Darlington over 10 years ago) and our Loves Me, Loves Me Not materials. We also showed some of our social events and what we do with the money raised. A selection of photos showed our most recent speakers at club meetings. We introduced a lot of people to Soroptimism, gave out leaflets, bookmarks and Message in a Bottle containers. We also made some useful contacts.

Club Meeting – 24 January 2017

The first speaker in 2017 was Mark Dillon, Senior Nurse at Low Newton Prison, near Durham. Paul worked as a registered nurse for 6 years before starting at Low Newton, which is a women’s prison, some 18 months ago. He found prison work to be very different from that in a hospital setting. Paul gave us a number of statistics about women prisoners, including the facts that women generally have shorter sentences than men, are mainly in for non-violent crimes such as theft and burglary, and that 46% are from domestic abuse backgrounds. Incidences of fraud are increasing, as are the number of women involved in historic sexual abuse cases. Mark referred to his patients throughout as “ladies”, and said that they are wary, and have a lack of trust in professionals. It is immensely satisfying when they have a breakthrough and gain the confidence of a woman. Paul said that such transformations are “lovely to see.” The majority of his patients have mental health, rather than physical health issues, and Low Newton is able to manage a wide range of medical issues, including end of life. A Palliative Care Suite is being planned. It is easier to give real help to longer term prisoners; those who are in for a very short term (maybe only 4 weeks) can just be given an idea of the help available. He spoke about the subculture in which drugs and prison are the norm. Paul answered a number of questions from the floor. Dorothy Thomson thanked Paul for his fascinating portrayal of life for women in prison. It really had opened our eyes.

New Year Meal – 9 January 2017

A big Thank You to President Alma for hosting the New Year Supper! We enjoyed pies and peas with potatoes, followed by cakes baked by June, who unfortunately couldn’t be with us on the night. A small team served the drinks and the meal, which was enjoyed by all. Special thanks to Joan who volunteered to wash up. We were very pleased to welcome the two prospective members who joined us for our celebration. Money raised, which included takings from a raffle, amounted to about £180 – and this will all go to the Meru Women’s Garden Project.

 

Our tree in St Cuthbert’s Church

St Cuthbert’s Church, the only Grade 1 listed building in the town centre, is holding a Christmas Tree Festival in aid of its Roof Fund. Our club is represented by a tree decorated in blue and yellow, with information about Handicap International and its wonderful work. Maureen made lots of small paper shoes and flip-flops to hang from the branches; Alma provided yellow shoelaces which make an original sort of lametta; Hilary and Carole S. produced beautiful yellow and blue 3-D stars (with glitter!); Jean made fabric shoes; Barbara worked with Handicap International materials to make things to hang up, and Elizabeth brought real shoes to pile at the base of the tree. The theme for the tree had to be a Christmas carol, so we chose Good King Wenceslas, and made a comparison between the king’s struggle through the snow, followed by his page, with the risks faced by civilians in areas of unexploded munitions. A bit tenuous – but we hope it gets the message across.

 

Club Meeting – 12 December 2016

Barbara Brown, Kauser Hussain, President Alma

Our speaker was Kauser Hussain, a Middlesbrough Soroptimist, who was born in Pakistan and came to Britain at the age of 5. She recognises the value of having a mixed East-West culture and feels she has had the best of both worlds. Kauser appreciates the educational opportunities of this country, and her own daughter is now at university.A bereavement meant a turning point in Kauser’s life and, wishing to give something back to society, she decided to bridge the gap between the two communities where she lived.After five years campaigning in schools, and her charity work with Barnardo’s, she has gained in confidence and now empowers other women. Her involvement in the “Women Learning Together” project, which aims to help women and girls from different communities and ethnic groups to integrate and learn, gives her great satisfaction and hope for the future.She also supports the White Ribbon campaign, the global movement of men and boys working to end male violence against women and girls.
Our second speaker was a well-educated lady who came to Britain because her family was not safe in Egypt. Her refusal to be married at 16 and her demand to continue her education caused family conflict. She paid her own fees and became a teacher. As a professional, she spent much of her time supporting and advising women with different problems and concerns, which all had to be done in secret. She had an open-door policy for these women but the men objected to their wives “getting the light” and eventually for their safety the family decided to flee. Her husband, however, was detained at the airport and she has not seen him for over 5 years.

Club Meeting – 22 November 2016

In small groups, members who had not been able to attend the Malta Conference studied the nominations for Best Practice Awards. They discussed the relative merits and importance of projects from Great Britain, The Caribbean, India, South Africa, and Nigeria. Topics included domestic violence and forced marriage; helping women into work; aid for pregnant women and for babies in refugee camps, and education for children orphaned by Ebola. Finally the groups compared their winners with the actual winners announced at conference. They didn’t always agree! But everybody enjoyed the session and were very engaged.

Club Meeting – 14 November 2016

Members at work

Blanket squares

 

 

The Global Blanket Campaign is part of the ‘Stop the Traffik’ campaign (www.stopthetraffik.org). The idea is to create a huge blanket made up of individual squares to be presented as a petition to highlight the role of the fashion industry in trafficking young girls and women.

At our club meeting tonight members created a number of squares to be added to the Regional Blanket.

Artisan bread for sale

We also raised £25 for the Poppy Appeal with the sale of artisan bread.

 

 

Federation Conference in Malta

The three Darlington delegates had time for sight-seeing before the Conference, and in one case for a whole week after it, too! They all agreed SIGBI Conference 2016 had been excellently run, and the speakers were outstanding.

Literary Lunch – 25 October 2016

Our annual Literary Lunch at Headlam Hall Hotel was very well supported by Soroptimists and friends, raising a total of £553 for Alma’s charity, the Great North Air Ambulance. After an excellent meal, we were entertained in great style by the speaker, David Williams,  who spoke about the women of the Stephenson family and how important they were for the success of George and Robert. His knowledge and enthusiasm for his topic resulted in a talk which was amusing, touching and informative. Many of us took the opportunity to buy his books afterwards. Before the meal, guests were able to browse the stalls selling – among other items – jewellery, scarves, handbags, and cards. They were also encouraged to buy raffle tickets!

23 October 2016

Please go to the Programme Action page for an explanation.

Club Meeting – 10 October 2016

The speaker on the subject of Safeguarding Adults was Chris Ashford, Multi-Agency Trainer, responsible for all safeguarding training in Darlington. Chris had been a police officer for 30 years before taking up his current post nearly two years ago. We discussed the various forms that adult abuse can take, including physical, emotional, financial, and coercive control. The 2014 Care Act defines Adult Safeguarding. It is all about intervention and is everybody’s responsibility. It is important to share a worry about abuse, even if the person concerned doesn’t want you to – perhaps because a family member is involved. Chris showed a clip from the Panorama programme about the sickening abuse at Winterbourne View care home, which was a graphic example of how the culture of a workplace and lack of accountability at the top can lead to appalling, inhumane behaviour. Adults at risk of abuse are those who have care and support needs. Within an organisation, people should report any concerns to the Safeguarding Lead. Anyone else should get in touch with Social Care at their local authority. The number to ring in Darlington is 406222. Chris’s presentation gave rise to a number of questions and lively discussion about case studies and possible solutions. The vote of thanks was given by Linda Stephenson, and President Alma also thanked Chris for his most illuminating talk.

Club Meeting – 27 September 2016

President Alma introduced the speaker, Irene Wilkinson, and reminded us that the last representative from Save The Children we had heard was HRH The Princess Royal at the Glasgow Conference last year! Irene told us that we were the first Soroptimist Club she had addressed – and proceeded to give a most interesting and informative talk about the organisation which she joined over 40 years ago, having been impressed by the work done for the orphans of the Vietnam War.  She described the early work and development of the Sunderland branch which she herself initiated and of which she is currently Chairman. Save The Children was started in 1919 by Eglantyne Jebb after she had learned of the suffering of German and Austrian children in the aftermath of WW1. It is all about children’s rights: to enable them to reach their full potential. Access to education and healthcare, freedom from hunger, protection from sexual predators: these are just some of the organisation’s aims. Irene explained that some solutions to children’s problems are simple and inexpensive – such as rehydration salts and mosquito nets – and, importantly, 91p of every £1 donated goes directly to support projects.

Irene answered questions from the floor, and then Jean Earle gave the vote of thanks.

 

Club Meeting – 12 September 2016

Our speaker, Laura Leigh Wayman, spoke with great enthusiasm about the development of her career in Early Years education leading to the current success of her own Nursery. Her interest started when she first volunteered in the sector at the age of 14, and she continued to gain experience up to the age of 23. After a period of unemployment, she finally achieved her dream of owning her own business in 2013, when she opened Child’s Play Nursery in Ferryhill. This was made possible with the help of the Prince’s Trust, through which Laura had access to intensive training, learning how to produce a business plan, how to cope with PAYE and legalities, and a business loan. She also had a mentor, and Laura now works as a mentor herself. Laura, who was told that she would fail because she was “just a girl from Ferryhill”, has a message for other local girls with ambitions. “You can do what you want. You have the passion. You have your goal. Go for it!” Child’s Play Nursery recently went through an OFSTED inspection and was marked Outstanding across the board. Laura praised her staff, who empower her and whom she cannot thank enough. She is justifiably proud of what she has achieved, particularly the fact that she has enabled Ferryhill women to get back into education and work.

After Laura had answered a number of questions from members, Elspeth Robinson gave the vote of thanks.

Among other business, President Alma reported that Elizabeth Cooper had been to a Car Boot Sale with all the contributions collected by members through the summer and raised the grand total of £113 for our charities.

Summer Coffee Mornings

During the month of August, coffee mornings for members were held at the homes of June Yarrow, Barbara Brown and Elizabeth Cooper – primarily so that we could keep in touch with each other in the summer break, but also to raise money for our charities. The three events raised a total of £145.00.

 

Afternoon Tea – 23 July 2016

About 60 Soroptimists, friends and relations had a most enjoyable time on Saturday afternoon thanks to the hospitality of our President Alma. In her spacious garden there was a raffle, a bottle stall and a cake stall in addition to afternoon teas with home-made sandwiches, scones and cakes, followed by strawberries and cream. Although the event was intended to be mainly a social occasion, the generosity of all involved has meant that the club raised  £864.00 for our charities. We are well pleased!!   (There are more photos on our Facebook page.)

 

 

Summer Supper – 19 July 2016

 

This year’s summer outing/supper took the form of a guided walk by the beautiful River Tees at Gainford followed by a bar meal at The Spotted Dog, High Coniscliffe. It was a lovely evening: the end of the hottest day of the year (so far!).

 

Club Meeting – 11 July 2016

Our speaker was Susan Carter, Deputy Chief Executive of Age UK Darlington. Susan began by recalling the cooperation between her organisation and our club when the Message in a Bottle scheme was first launched in Darlington. Age UK is an independent local charity: totally autonomous, and working only within the Borough of Darlington. It used to be wholly dependent on Darlington Borough Council for contracts for domiciliary care, but cuts led to a need for diversification. There are now 85 activities per month run out of Bradbury House and another 20 in the community. Susan said that their services are “completely underpinned” by the 280 volunteers, who work to improve the lives of older people in Darlington. The Befriending Service was set up by Susan 8 years ago because, in common with the Samaritans, Age UK had come to realise that many 70- to 90-year olds just need someone to talk to. She described the lunch clubs, Good Friends Scheme, Day Care Service, Handyman Service and the very many other schemes and groups organised by Age UK Darlington. More information can be found on their website www.ageukdarlington.org.uk

The vote of thanks was given by Dorothy Thomson.

 

Club Meeting – 28 June 2016

President Alma welcomed the speaker, Allison Bell from Talking Changes. This service is designed to help anyone living in County Durham and Darlington to deal with common mental health problems such as stress, anxiety or depression, as well as panic, phobias, OCD, bulimia and PTSD. One in four people experience mental health difficulties and many do not access help. Allison described the various interventions which the service offers to anyone over the age of 16 who lives in the area and is concerned about their mental health because it is affecting their employment, health or home life. More information can be found at www.talkingchanges.org.uk and the service can be accessed by GP referral or by self-referral. Treatments can be delivered in groups, by telephone, online or face-to-face.

 

Club Meeting – 13 June 2016

Suzanne Brown, Regional President, was our guest speaker. She spoke of the value of friendships and how we achieve much more together. Her theme for her year is “Let’s Celebrate” – we have done a lot and we have made a difference. We should be proud of what we achieve.   (Unfortunately our photographer was away on holiday!)

 

Club Meeting – 24 May 2016

As our speaker was unable to come to the meeting, we were treated to a Job Talk by our newest member, Elizabeth. She told us of her first career in banking and her second as a clerk to tribunals. She went on to describe her experience as a Guide Dogs puppy walker, culminating in her recent attendance at Layla’s very moving “graduation”.

Members then had the opportunity to study some of the club’s old Minutes Books, and scrap books going back to the early years of our 68-year history.

We voted on the nominations for SIGBI Federation posts, discussed future plans, and enjoyed the chance to chat with each other and catch up.

 

 

 Club Meeting – 9 May 2016

President Alma introduced the speaker, Louise Graham. Louise, a Darlington artist with a passionate concern about the effects of climate change, realised she could combine her two interests. She has been holding workshops with schools and other groups to produce blankets which illustrate the effect of gases from the burning of fossil fuels. Children in particular respond well to this analogy and can picture their earth enveloped in a blanket which stops heat from escaping. Contributors to the blankets produce fabric patches decorated using a range of media and illustrating their thoughts and fears about the future of the planet. Over 300 patches have been backed and stitched together to make 16 blankets, each of which is accompanied by a scrapbook. These are borrowed and returned, and so far have been sent to South Africa, Nigeria, France, America, the Netherlands and Germany. Louise also took a blanket to the UN Conference on Climate Change in Paris last December. People in other parts of the world are already suffering from the effects of climate change and this is why Louise is so keen to spread the message that we should Wake Up to Climate Change. She illustrated her talk with two short films and displayed four blankets, ably assisted by her mother and her daughter.

Kay Lang gave the vote of thanks.

Optimistic Bowlers 2016

 A club team – called The Optimists – has been competing in the Newton Aycliffe 10 Pin Bowling League for the last four years. This year the team came 5th in the league, having been only 9th or 10th in the past. In April Alma won a trophy for achieving the highest score for a woman (185). We all congratulate our bowlers on their splendid achievements and thank them for representing the club in such a sporting way.

Club Meeting – 26 April 2016

 

President Alma welcomed guests from Darlington Women’s Club, The National Council of Women, Soroptimist members from Richmond and the Dales and a visitor from Germany. She then inducted our new member, Mrs Elizabeth Cooper, and presented her with a certificate of welcome.

The speaker was Jenny Leeming, Dementia Support Worker for Darlington, who gave details of the many different kinds of dementia caused by diseases of the brain and also an informative account of her own work. Jenny’s talk was most illuminating; our understanding of dementia was increased and we should be able to put what we learned into action. Everybody received a Dementia Friends badge, together with a selection of leaflets produced by the Alzheimer’s Society.

Carole Sobkowiak gave the vote of thanks.

Annual General Meeting – 11th April 2016

Club meeting, 22 March

President Linda was delighted to be able to present a cheque for £1100 to the Dixon family for her charity, Dogs for Good. Thomas Dixon and his assistance spaniel, Vito, came to a club meeting at the beginning of Linda’s year of office and members were very pleased to see them again. Thomas talked about his experience with the media since winning a bravery award last year. Vito demonstrated how he barks on command and he also had some time out of uniform, which freed him to run around meeting club members.

Fundraising Meal, 16 March

Club members, friends and family enjoyed an Irish-themed meal in The Glasshouse restaurant, Darlington College in aid of the President’s charity. Liz Petty had prepared a challenging Irish quiz, and there was a green raffle with a very satisfactory number of bottles! A total of £284.10 was raised, and another good result of the evening is that the catering students really enjoyed the “front of house” experience. The photos show guests, and students, staff and President Linda.

 

Day of Service, 12 March

Members provided sherry and afternoon tea for residents of Dalkeith House once again. This year’s event unfortunately clashed with the Regional Meeting, but there were still enough Soroptimists to give the residents a good time. Entertainment was by singers from the Tees Valley Youth Community Choir, led by Nikki Lycett-Findlay and Ben Findlay. Nikki reported that the choir also enjoyed the event, and after the short concert, the elderly residents were inspired to talk about the importance of music in their own lives

UN Gift Box

Five Darlington members helped to staff the UN Gift Box in Newcastle’s City Library over the first weekend in March. The attractive-looking installation invites the public to look inside, where they are confronted with true stories of human trafficking. The dark interior is in stark contrast to the exterior, and illustrates how people are deceived by promises of a better life and then find themselves enslaved in various ways.

Club Meeting – 23 February 2016

At the meeting held on February 23rd, President Linda Stephenson introduced the speaker, Matt Roche, secretary and founder member of Darlington for Culture, which works with local communities and the council to promote the arts and culture within the town.
Matt spoke about the history of the Crown Street Library and the proposed unprecedented cuts which will see the library moving to the Dolphin Centre.
DfC has sent a list of questions to Darlington Borough Council asking for time and transparency, but there are a number of reasons why the council wants to rush through the closure of the original building. Drawing attention to the fact that we must differentiate between the closure of the library and the closure of the building, Dorothy Thomson said: “The issue is that it’s a historic building that they want to get rid of.” The council wants to save the Dolphin Centre above all, but the danger is that the town could lose everything which makes it different from all other towns.
The matter of cuts to preventive services was discussed. When these have gone, those that remain just pick up the pieces. The loss of children’s centres will hit the families least able to cope.
Darlington for Culture is trying to make a positive difference and is not simply against things. The question is about how the community can come together in the face of the current situation.
On March 4th a number of club members will be volunteering in Newcastle City Library, where Soroptimists of Northern England are staffing a UN Giftbox, which educates and informs about human trafficking. March 12th sees the annual Day of Service at Dalkeith House. On March 16th the club is having a fund-raising dinner in The Glasshouse restaurant at Darlington College. Being so close to St Patrick’s Day, the evening will have an Irish theme.

 

Club Meeting -8 February 2016

The speaker at this evening’s club meeting was Lucia Russell who gave a very uplifting and enthusiastic account of her Cycle Africa Challenge in October 2015.  Lucia, spotted an advert in a magazine promoting the Women V Cancer Cycle Africa and liked the idea of the challenge and raising money for breast, ovarian and cervical cancer.

Lucia (and her two stuffed teddies, Ellie the Elephant and Simba) joined 79 other women with a target of raising £3,000.00 each.  Lucia’s final total raised was £4,500.00 and the group of 80 women raised an amazing £250,000.00.  The 5 day bike ride started at the foothills of Kilimanjaro and ended at the Ngorongoro Crater and they cycled a total of 412km.  They would start their bike ride each day at 6.30am and endured high temperatures and rough terrain.  The camaraderie of the women shone through when they all waited for each other to catch up, in order that they could cycle the last km together.  Lucia’s account was both funny and heart-warming, especially when she spoke of the children she met on her travels in Africa.

 

Club Meeting – 26 January 2016

President Linda Stephenson introduced the speaker, Joy Easterby, Volunteer Coordinator and Counselling Manager at the Rape & Sexual Abuse Counselling Centre for Darlington and County Durham.

Joy began by praising Soroptimists for the work they do in the field of improving the lives of women and girls. She felt an affinity with the organisation, as the welfare of women and children has always been paramount in her career as a social worker.

Rape Crisis England and Wales is a charity which was started in 1973, and the centre in Darlington has existed for nearly 40 years, offering a service for women and girls from the age of twelve who have experienced any form of sexual abuse.

Sexual violence is not easily discussed and is now where the subject of domestic abuse was 20 years ago. Publicity about the activities of Jimmy Savile has enabled people to come forward to access help and support.

The Centre provides a safe, women-only environment where specially trained volunteer counsellors offer up to 20 sessions to clients who may have suffered any of the many forms of sexual violence including rape, assault, harassment, forced marriage and female genital mutilation.

Joy gave the club some horrifying statistics about rape and human trafficking in Darlington and County Durham, saying that while we may think of Darlington as a sleepy little town, there are eleven brothels, and women and girls can suffer here, as elsewhere.
The Centre has received funding from the Ministry of Justice and from the County Durham Police and Crime Commissioner. President Linda presented Joy with a cheque for £50, as a donation from Darlington & District Soroptimists.

Literary Lunch – 1 December 2015

 

Alma Bailey

 

President Linda, Debbie Taylor and Alma

 

The annual Literary Lunch, organised by Alma Bailey, was held at Headlam Hall Hotel.

Before the meal, guests had the chance to browse and buy at stalls selling a variety of goods, including jewellery, cards and handbags.

After a very good lunch, the speaker, Debbie Taylor, gave her address. Debbie is the founder and Editorial Director of Mslexia. She trained as a psychologist and has worked as Editor at New Internationalist and Writing Women magazines and as a writer, research­er and project manager for many organisations, including Oxfam, Anti-Slavery, BBC 2, Channel 4, UNICEF and WHO.

In her talk she included readings from her latest book, Herring Girl, and described the research involved in the writing process. It became clear that the themes of the story are fascinating, and the characters exceptionally vividly portrayed.

The event, including a raffle, raised over £400.00

 

Club Meeting – 24 November 2015

From Left to Right: Alma Bailey, Margaret Clark, Dorothy Thomson, Linda Kirk

From Left to Right: Linda Kirk, Lestryne Tweedy,Yvonne Wilkinson & Debbie Rogan

On November 24th we welcomed Soroptimists from Middlesbrough and Stockton to hear the speaker, Linda Kirk from the Just for Women Centre in Stanley.  Linda, with support from three other team members, gave an account of the founding and astonishing progress over five years, of the centre.  Women who have faced various difficulties in their lives are offered support, counselling, personal development, health and business workshops and creative therapy workshops.  They learn new skills and gain the confidence to start their own businesses or go into further education.  Alma Bailey presented the team with a quilted wall-hanging which she had bought at the Family Help event.  The wall-hanging will now help another organisation, by acting as an inspiration to women at the centre doing handicrafts.

During the meeting, there was also a pink raffle and pink cake eating (thanks to June Yarrow) with raised over £70 for a breast cancer charity.

SIGBI Glasgow Conference 2015

Left to Right: Club Members Jean Earle, Barbara Brown, Alma Bailey & Dorothy Thomson

Barbara Brown said of the Conference: “It was good to talk to Soroptimists from other clubs and to compare notes. I spoke to women wearing the “Ask me why I’m a Soroptimist” badge, and to those with a yellow lanyard, which indicated they were first-timers. There are no strangers at Conference!”

Alma Bailey said of the Conference: “Great conference, organisation and content excellent.  The panel of speakers on the first morning were questioned by Joan Smyth and that session was really enjoyable. I loved the story ‘Soroptimists on a bus trip’, a fatal accident sent them all to heaven. St Peter only had space for a few so sent the rest to hell to wait their turn.  Within hours he had a call from he devil himself…Take them back they are forming a fire brigade.  It’s called Making a Difference!”

 

Club Meeting – 27 October 2015

Left to Right: President Linda Stephenson, Joanne Smith

President Linda Stephenson introduced the speaker, Joanne Smith, a local Colour and Image Consultant, who gave an intriguing presentation of how the right choice of colour can affect our lives.  “Empowering through Image and Colour” was the title of her talk and she explained how we can appear, not only healthier, but also more authoritative by selecting the best colours for us.  Joanne also demonstrated how pieces of jewellery equate to the medals and stripes of a military uniform, and work towards giving an impression of confidence.  Joanne’s clients are not only women – men consult her too.

Joanne’s talk gave rise to discussions about the use of colour in an educational context and the therapeutic use of colour for patients with dementia.

 

 

Club Meeting – 12 October 2015

The club invited to the meeting the delightful Dominika Samek who gave a very interesting talk about her experiences of living in Darlington.

Dominika emigrated on her own from Poland at the age of 21, initially for a couple of months and is still living here 10 years later, with her now husband Lukasz Samek, also from Poland.  She spoke of the initial difficulties experienced with regards to the language barrier and cultural differences, and also of the abundance of opportunities in the UK compared to that of Poland.  Dominika began working the day after arriving in the UK and now works as an Occupational Therapy Assistant at Durham Hospital.  She is also a Reconnective Healing Practitioner.

Dominika is actively involved with many community projects, including the Polish stall at Darlington Carnival, she also spoke passionately of her involvement with the Domestic & Sexual Abuse Network and has helped to produce a Polish directory advising of services available.  She has also donated a Polish recipe to the St Teresa’s Hospice 25^th Anniversary Cookbook and was invited to cook her recipe at a fundraising event hosted by the Hospice at Darlington College.

Dominika and her husband Lukasz, who was presented with the Young Pole award at the Outstanding Pole in England, Wales and Northern Ireland ceremony, held in London recently, have wholeheartedly thrown themselves into helping the community and are a true inspiration.

67th Charter Lunch – 3 October 2015

President Linda Stephenson welcomed guests to the annual Charter Lunch of Darlington’s Soroptimist Club on October 3rd. Held at the Blackwell Grange Hotel, the lunch celebrated 67 years of Soroptimism in Darlington and District.

Maura Regan O.B.E. , CEO of Carmel Education Trust and Darlington’s Citizen of the Year, was the guest speaker. Throughout her talk she repeated the words “educate, empower, enable” which are not only her mantra, but also the key words behind Soroptimist work to improve the lives of women and girls.

Darlington Soroptimists, members from other clubs in the Northern Region, and from Anglesey enjoyed a very good meal. The toast to Soroptimist International was given by Tony Clark, husband of Regional President Margaret, who responded to the toast.  President Linda proposed the toast to “Our Guests” and the response was given by Rhiannon Jones, president of SI Anglesey. She concluded with thanks in Welsh: “diolch yn fawr iawn” – to everybody’s delight.

 

Club Meeting – 14 September 2015

The Club’s first meeting after the summer break invited Susan Degnan from Family Help Darlington, who gave an informative talk about the remarkable work the Refuge does.    Family Help was first established in 1976 to support women and women with children who are suffering domestic violence or threat of violence from their husbands or partners.  They not only offer confidential emotional and practical support, they can provide safe temporary refuge accommodation and also provide support and guidance for independent living once they leave the temporary refuge.  Family Help are part of a network of agencies in Darlington working together to tackle domestic abuse.  SI Darlington have supported Family Help in various ways for many years and Susan highly praised SI Darlington’s Loves Me Loves Me Not bookmarks, which have now been incorporated onto the Family Help leaflets.

Summer Supper

13 July 2015

This year’s Summer Supper was spent at the delightful Prince Bishop Alpaca Farm at Headlam near Darlington. Carole and Clyde Burn were wonderful hosts and despite the inclement weather, a very enjoyable evening was had by all.  Carole proudly introduced us all to her Alpaca “family”, each of which they have named and she described some of their characters.  She then gave us a talk on how they became an Alpaca farmer and breeder.  After working with children in residential care, Carole felt ready for a change and she and her husband wanted a new challenge in their retirement.  After being introduced to Alpacas whilst on holiday she fell in love with them and persuaded her husband Clyde to take on this new adventure.  Carole also has written two children’s books which are based on her herd, which offer meaningful messages for the young reader and are designed to address everyday issues encountered by children.  The evening concluded with a delicious home-cooked supper and Carole read from her charming children’s books.  For further details of Prince Bishop Alpaca Farm please click on the following to be taken to their website  www.princebishopalpacas.co.uk 

Darlington Community Carnival

27 June 2015

Along with dozens of other organisations, we had a stand at the carnival and took the opportunity to display our activities and interests, including our Loves Me, Loves Me Not campaign, Purple Teardrop Campaign materials, information about Handicap International, and Message in a Bottle. We also displayed photos of members taking part in our Orange programme (please see Programme Action page). Our new Programme Action Officer, Leanne Smith, provided flags to underline our International links and to illustrate the International theme of this year’s carnival.

The old and the new: past PAO Barbara Brown with Leanne Smith.

 

Midnight Walk

19 June 2015

This year a very small Soroptimist team took part in the Midnight Walk in aid of St Teresa’s Hospice, but what we lacked in numbers we made up for with enthusiasm. The picture shows the moment before the start on the stroke of midnight and Darlington Sorops, in the high-vis waistcoats, can be seen leading the field – as we did all the way round the three mile course!

Regional Conference

13 June 2015

Six Darlington club members attended the “Special Event” held at the Centre for Life, Newcastle on 13th June. They enjoyed an excellent conference, and were once again proud of Dorothy Thomson who played her role of MC with humour and great efficiency. The day’s theme was Change the World – Let’s do it! and looked at the eight United Nations Millennium Development Goals, and the seventeen Sustainable Development Goals, which will be launched formally in September. Speakers included an MP, an MEP and a QC. A mock trial in the afternoon informed, entertained and gave rise to discussion about the success or otherwise of the Beijing Platform for Action, now 20 years old.

Kumi Community Fund Open Day

6 June 2015

Elspeth Robinson’s annual Open Day in aid of her Kumi Community Fund took place on Saturday 6th June and raised over £2,000. Here are some of the Soroptimists who helped on the day.

 

Club Meeting

11 May 2015

 

The guest speakers at the club meeting were twins, Leanne and Marise Golightly. They gave a very interesting talk about their luxury candle business, Golightme, which was established in County Durham in 2012. They wanted to work from home as they both have children and their business is still run from their kitchens and garages, but they are now seeking government funding with a view to opening a shop. At present, they sell their handmade candles in about thirty shops, online and at candle parties. Their best investment was to exhibit at a trade show in Harrogate last summer. President Linda Stephenson said “It has been impressive to hear how these young women have built up their business from scratch and exciting to hear their future plans. Soroptimist International works to educate, empower and enable women. Leanne and Marise are great examples of what women can achieve in business, even when they have a young family.”

Club Meeting

28 April 2015

 

At the first meeting of her Presidential year, Linda Stephenson introduced her speakers, the Dixon family and their dog, Vito. They were representing the President’s charity for the year Dogs For The Disabled. Mike and Lisa Dixon’s son Thomas, was born with cerebral palsy which affects his whole body, particularly his legs. Cocker Spaniel, Vito, came into Thomas’s life three years ago and has made a huge difference, both physically and emotionally.
The charity, founded in 1986, provides assistance dogs for children, adults and for children with autism. There are currently 260 active partnerships and 650 dogs have been trained to date. Normally Labradors, Retrievers or a cross of the two are used and all dogs are trained via a reward scheme. Assistance dogs perform physical tasks to assist with everyday living, and also give friendship and help break down social barriers. There is no charge for assistance dogs, the charity meets all associated costs and there is no government funding. Funds are raised mainly through donations plus Gift Aid, legacies, sponsorship and recycling jewellery and phones. Further info can be found at their website www.dogsforthedisabled.org/
After Mike Dixon’s presentation, Vito, on duty in his yellow jacket, gave a demonstration of how he helps Thomas with various tasks. Then his jacket was removed and a completely different dog was revealed as the off-duty spaniel ran around the room, exploring and greeting people.

Day of Service

18 April 2015

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On their annual Day of Service, ten Darlington Soroptimists organised entertainment and refreshments for about thirty residents at Darlington’s Dalkeith House. The musical entertainment was provided by Age UK Ukuleles, a group which gave its first public performance only a month ago. Their repertoire included songs from the shows, Elvis Presley and other pieces which had their audience singing along and even hand-jiving. President Linda Stephenson thanked them for their performance and presented their musical director, Lol Crallan, with a cheque for Age UK. Afternoon tea followed, with home-made sandwiches, scones, cakes and biscuits prepared by members of the Soroptimist club. “Even members who weren’t actually able to come today have sent their contributions of food and goodwill,” said President Linda.

AGM

13 April 2015

Following the meal at The Coachman Hotel, the AGM followed its usual course. After all the reports, outgoing President Dorothy installed the new President, Linda Stephenson and presented her with the chain of office. IPP Dorothy will be very glad to be remembered as the president who encouraged the club to support Toilet Twinning, which we did with such success. Thirty toilets twinned, in addition to the first one back in March 2014! President Linda’s charity is Dogs for the Disabled (Children).

Club Meeting

9 March 2015

The speaker at the meeting was Karen Grundy Executive Director of eVOLution Darlington, who came along to discuss the future of Cockerton Library. The library is being handed over to the community and eVOLution is to take full responsibility of running the library, along with volunteers assisting in the day to day running of the library. So far an amazing 140 volunteers have signed up to be part of the community library. The library is hoping to be involved in many different community projects and also has the potential of opening a coffee bar and lounge area inside the library. Karen specified that there will be no reduction to the current opening hours of the library and all volunteers will be trained and have back-up from the local authority librarians. Library stock will continue to be kept on the same management system ie., the local authority will continue to manage the library book stock. Karen showed great enthusiasm for the plans and development of Cockerton Library.

7 March 2015

 

Club members Barbara Brown, June Yarrow, Sylvia Roberts, Liz Petty, Brenda Stokoe, Linda Stephenson, Carole Cuthbertson and Lyn Kerr braved the high winds on Saturday in Darlington’s market place to promote and support the club’s Programme Action including “Loves Me Loves Me Not” project, Modern Day Slavery, The Purple Teardrop Campaign and Handicap International.

Club “Orange” Meeting

24 February 2015

 

The Club Meeting had an orange theme. Orange is the colour of the United Nation’s campaign to end violence against women. During the evening, there were various fund raising activities, including an orange themed tombola and quiz, a blind tasting of various orange juices and a selection of various homemade cakes and jellies, made by June Yarrow and Wendy Richardson. A total of £65 was raised during the evening and sent to the Regional President Margaret Clark for her charity Barnardo’s SECOS project. During the evening, members also took part in reading and then discussing statements about violence against women worldwide.

Club Meeting

9 February 2015

The Club Meeting on Monday 9th February was a Business Meeting. President Dorothy began the meeting with thanks for the support at the Northern Voices Charity concert held at the United Reformed Church on Saturday 7th February. A magnificent 150 tickets were sold raising £1154, which along with the proceeds from the Literary Lunch held on 11th November at Headlam Hall, will be used for the President’s chosen charity Toilet Twinning, to twin over 20 toilets. For further information please visit www.toilettwinning.org
It was announced that Programme Action Officer Barbara Brown has been invited by John McGeachy of Handicap International, along with 5 other people, to carry and deliver the Handicap International petition, “Saving Lives and Limbs” to No 10 Downing Street. Barbara was instrumental in encouraging members to collect a fantastic 521 signatures.
Regional President Margaret Clark, who supports the elimination of Violence Against Women and Girls, and is working in partnership with Barnardo’s, has provided an “Orange Box” full of a variety of orange items. The members decided that the next full club meeting on the 24th February should be an orange themed meeting with proceeds, along with a donation, to be sent to Regional President Margaret Clark for this cause.

Club Meeting

27 January 2015

The guest speaker at the first full Club Meeting of the year was President of the Northern Region, Margaret Clark. Her subject was, “Soroptimists at the United Nations”.
President Margaret had attended the fifty-eighth session of the Commission on the Status of Women, which took place at the United Nations Headquarters in New York from the 10th to the 21st March, 2014. Soroptimists have a special consultative status at the UN, which means they can submit information, statements and comments to any of the relevant committees and commissions of ECOSOC. For further information on ECOSOC please go to the following link www.un.org/en/ecosoc/about/.
President Margaret described the long days in New York, attending briefings, meetings, lobbying, contributing to workshops and taking every opportunity to share and learn with other delegates. Her enthusiasm and excitement about the event was made particularly clear when she said that she had been sight seeing on only one day during her two week’s visit to New York!
The club then heard that the total number of signatures collected my members for the Handicap International petition, “Saving Lives and Limbs” was a fantastic 521, which was two hundred more than any other Club in the country.
Members heard news from the club’s friendship links in Soest, Germany. They were also given information about opportunities to volunteer at Cockerton Library. Following a decision to change how the local library is funded, volunteers are needed to to enable the library to remain up and running.
Plans for the concert on Saturday 7th February were discussed. The choir Northern Voices will provide the music and there will be a raffle and light refreshments. The concert begins at 7.30pm at the United Reformed Church, Northgate. Tickets costing £8 can be bought at the door. Proceeds will go to the president’s chosen charity, Toilet Twinning, which helps those in desperate poverty to have access to a proper latrine, clean water and information they need to be healthy. For further information please visit www.toilettwinning.org

New Year Social

12 January 2015

This year the Club’s New Year Social was kindly held at Alma Bailey’s home. Members enjoyed drinks and nibbles and was a chance to catch up with everyone after the Christmas/New Year festivities. Many thanks to Alma for hosting the event, which was enjoyed by all who attended.

Club Meeting

8 December 2014

On Human Rights Day 10 December each year, the President of Soroptimist International invites all Soroptimists to join together in supporting a Soroptimist project that seeks to improve the lives of women and girls through improving access to education and/or leadership opportunities. In light of SI President Ann Garvie’s appeal See Solar Cook Solar President Dorothy Thomson raised awareness of this appeal in the form of a quiz for club members, which was extremely informative and very interesting. President Dorothy also handed out an alternative Advent Calendar to raise awareness of the amount of power we all use on a daily basis. This involves donating an amount of money for each time power is used. For example on the 10th December 2p should be donated each time you switch on a light throughout the day. Members were asked to bring monies raised to the January meeting.

Club Meeting

25th November

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We were very pleased to have members from other Soroptimist clubs at our meeting on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. Orange ribbons were worn and the Middlesbrough contingent brought us some eye-catching twinkly orange scarves which may be seen in the group photo.
The speaker was Yasmin Khan from the Middlesbrough-based Halo Project. This charity gives support to the victims of Honour Based Violence and Forced Marriage and Yasmin had some harrowing tales to tell. However, she has a very positive outlook and believes that the situation will improve as younger generations are taught that these traditions are actually about abuse.
President Dorothy announced that the Literary Lunch has raised enough money to fund eleven new toilets via the charity ToiletTwinning.org and we hope to add to this tally at the next fund-raising event in February.

Regional Meeting

22 November 2014

Darlington and District was the Hostess Club at the Northern England Regional Meeting on 22nd November. Ten of our members attended and our display of the club’s recent Programme Action and social activities aroused a lot of interest. We had arranged a speaker for the afternoon session – please see our Programme Action page for further details

Literary Lunch 2014

Over one hundred Soroptimists and friends enjoyed a good meal and superb entertainment at this year’s Literary Lunch, held on November 11th at Headlam Hall Hotel. Before the meal, guests could buy a variety of goods from stallholders, who contributed a percentage to the club. Of course raffle tickets were also available! After lunch we were treated to a hugely entertaining and informative presentation by Lucy Adlington of the History Wardrobe. Her subject was “Ladies of a Certain Age” – and she brought to life various older female characters from Jane Austen’s novels, dressed in different headgear and shawls, and equipped with props ranging from a “miser’s purse” to a pug dog. (The dog belonged to Lady Bertram in Mansfield Park.) The event raised a grand total of £658.00, which will go to Toilet Twinning, (www.toilettwinning.org), a charity which we helped earlier in the year. President Dorothy’s aim is to encourage the twinning of many more toilets during her year of office.

Regional President Margaret Clark, Renu Bhardwaj (SI Pune Metro East), Lucy Adlington and pug dog,

Neerja Bajaj (SI Pune Metro East), President Dorothy.

Club Pink Meeting

28 October 2014

At the club meeting on Tuesday 28th October members wore pink to mark breast cancer awareness month. Various activities, happily including the consumption of delicious pink cakes, raised a total of £80 to be sent to the Breast Cancer Campaign.

Anti-Slavery Day

18 October 2014

The club had a stand in the Cornmill Centre, Darlington on Saturday 18th October to mark Anti-Slavery Day and raise awareness of Modern Day Slavery – for further details please see our Programme Action page

Club Meeting

13 October 2014

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Club welcomed Regional President Jo Chexal to the meeting on Monday evening. Jo gave an informative and very interesting talk about her life. She previously worked in the USA and Switzerland in Universities and the multinational pharmaceutical company, Roche and speaks German fluently. Upon returning to the UK Jo settled in the North of England where she undertook senior positions in the North of England Development Council, One North East, which involved a lot of travelling both at home and overseas, in order to encourage business investment in the North East. In 1999 Jo was appointed German Honorary Consul and provides services including passport applications and birth registrations to the 10,000 German Nationals living in the area, spanning from North of York to the Scottish Borders and including Cumbria. In 2009 she was awarded the Cross of Merit (Knight’s Cross) of the Federal Republic of Germany by the Consul General of the German Consulate, which is the highest tribute the Federal Republic of Germany can pay to individuals for services to the nation.

In 2000 Jo joined the Tynedale Soroptimist Club and later became Regional President. She spoke of the importance of Club members attending Regional Meetings and Conference, in order to gain inspiration from other regions and also the importance of team building within the organisation.
During the evening the Club also had the great pleasure of welcoming and enrolling new member Val Gibson to the Darlington Soroptimist Club. We all look forward to getting to know Val and are sure she will be a valuable member of the club.

Darlington Soroptimists In The News!

Darlington Soroptimists took up SIGBI’s challenge to get something in the local paper to mark the Federation’s 80th anniversary. Click on the following link to the Northern Echo to view:-
http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/features/leader/11521775.Celebrating_80_years_of_Soroptimists/

66th Charter Dinner

27 September 2014

 

President Dorothy Thomson held the Club’s 66th Charter Dinner at Blackwell Grange Hotel, Darlington on Saturday 27th September, 2014. The main speaker was Joanne Thurston, who talked about her career in healthcare for offenders under the title “Life Behind Bars.” She managed to inject a lot of humour into her story, and her audience were entertained as well as informed.

The toast to S.I. was proposed by Rotarian Roland Lang (also a Soroptimister) and the response was given by S.I. Honorary Member Margaret Alderson. President Elect Linda Stephenson proposed the toast to Our Guests and the President’s sister, Meg Thomson responded.
Each guest received a little gift: a tiny violet plant in remembrance of Violet Richardson Ward, the Founder President of the very first Soroptimist club of Oakland, California in 1921. Everybody had a great time, the food was excellent and the company good fun.

Club Meeting

23 September 2014

The guest speaker at the Club Meeting was Susie Stephen. She gave an illustrated talk about “Running after Routledge”, which was the name of a journey she made earlier this year from her home town of Darlington, all the way to Rapa Nui, Easter Island – on foot, by bike, and by boat. The trip was both a celebration of the 100th anniversary of the 1914 Mana Expedition to Easter Island and an environmental awareness campaign. The original expedition was made by Darlington woman Katherine Routledge, and all the Darlington-born club members were amazed that they had not learned about her at school.

Members also voted to send the money, raised during the past year from book sales, to the National Literacy Trust, which helps children, young people, families and adults. (See www.literacytrust.org.uk)

Summer Activities

Our last meeting before the break was a Summer Supper held at the home of President Dorothy. Members contributed food and, although the offerings had not been planned, there was a superb variety of sweet and savoury dishes. At Dorothy’s request, we also brought donations of tinned food and pasta for the Salvation Army Food Bank. During August there were coffee mornings at the homes of Gypsy Nichol and Maureen Gorman. Many thanks for their hospitality! Money raised will go toward the cost of the high-vis vests.

Tour De France Grand Depart 2014

5 July 2014

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Programme Action Officer Barbara Brown and Sue Fortescue were Tour Makers at the Tour De France, Grand Depart 2014 – Yorkshire. Barbara was delighted to be in the heart of the picturesque village of Leyburn, North Yorkshire, whilst Sue was equally delighted to be assigned at the start of the race on the Headrow, Leeds. Their role of Tour Makers were to be the friendly welcoming faces of the Grand Depart, which included answering visitors’ questions about facilities, timings and availability of Tour De France merchandise. To read more about their experience, please follow the link to Soroptimist Tour Makers

Healthwatch Darlington

Congratulations to President Elect Linda Stephenson who has been accepted as a member on the committee of Healthwatch Darlington Limited.
Healthwatch Darlington is the new independent consumer champion for health and social care in Darlington. The aim is to give service users and communities a stronger voice to influence and challenge how health and social care services are provided locally. For more information please follow the link www.healthwatchdarlington.co.uk

Race For Life

8 June 2014

Well done to club member June Yarrow who ran the 5k Race For Life at South Park, Darlington on Sunday 8th June 2014. June raised a fantastic £120.

Darlington Carnival

28 June 2014

Two intrepid club members, Audrey Teasdale and Jean Earle, wore the new waistcoats in the town on the morning of the Darlington Carnival on 28th June, raising awareness of the club and giving out the Loves Me, Loves Me Not bookmarks, which aim to help people have healthy relationships and to reduce the incidence of domestic violence.

Club Meeting

24 June 2014

At the Club meeting on Tuesday 24th June, the speaker was Vicki Milligan, Town Ranger who gave an excellent insight into the work of Distinct Darlington (the local Business Improvement District company) and the Town Rangers. Her enthusiasm about her role – helping to make Darlington the place to be for shopping, eating, leisure activities and the business community – shone through and made her audience feel more positive about the future of the town.

Midnight Walk

20 June 2014

The Club’s new high-vis waistcoats had their first airing at the Midnight Walk at South Park on 20th June. A team of Soroptimists took part in the annual sponsored walk, in aid of St Teresa’s Hospice, Darlington. The team comprised of Pauline Youldon, Elspeth Robinson and Barbara Brown. Also joining the Soroptimist team was Elspeth’s friend, Jan. The three Soroptimists, Barbara, Elspeth and Pauline raised a fantastic total of £420, thanks to family, friends and fellow Soroptimists – well done ladies!!

Kumi Open Day

7 June 2014

On Saturday 7th June Elspeth Robinson held an Open Day to raise funds for the Kumi Community Fund in Uganda. An amazing amount of £2,150.00 was raised, at the last count. Darlington Soroptimists helped with kitchen duties, making tea and coffee and serving Elspeth’s delicious homemade soup. Further details of the work that Elspeth does for the Kumi Community Fund can be seen on the following link www.elspethrobinson.co.uk

#timetoact

Please don’t miss the news on our Programme Action page!

Barbara, Aileen, Maureen, President Dorothy, Linda, Alma and Elspeth supporting the global photo campaign in connection with the Global Summit to End Sexual Violence in Conflict

Club Meeting

27 May 2014

President Dorothy presented a Long Service Award for 30 years to Aileen Little and was pleased to announce a Long Service Award for 40 years for Wendy Richardson. President Dorothy then explained what the format of the meeting “What is Business and Why Do We Do So Much Of It?” would be. Members got into groups to discuss issues regarding the term “Business” and fed their thoughts and ideas back to the Club.

Club Meeting

12 May 2014

President Dorothy Thomson welcomed speaker Ian Dougill whose subject was Community Gardens. He had won last year’s Darlington In Bloom award, given by the Club, for best community garden. He spoke about community gardens through the ages, from walled Iranian gardens and the gardens of medieval palaces to Georgian squares in London, Victorian municipal parks and the swathes of wild flowers seen at the London Olympics. He brought samples of plants from Skerne Studios, the prize winning garden. He also talked about bringing people together to maintain the community gardens, as the local authorities can no longer afford to maintain these areas.

Litter Pick

24 April 2014

Darlington and District Club Members, Maureen Gorman, Barbara Brown, Gypsy Nichol, Elspeth Robinson, Sylvia Roberts and Lyn Kerr set out on Thursday 24th April to pick up litter at Broken Scar picnic area, as part of the Litter Free Durham Initiative. 12 bags of litter were collected, contents of which included, beer cans, various socks, empty tins of spam and sweetcorn, lollipop sticks, cigarette butts and even a discarded tent! Afterwards, we were rewarded with homemade sweet treats along with tea and coffee at Past President Maureen Gorman’s house, which were baked by Maureen and prepared by members Jean Earle and Audrey Teasdale.

50 years a Soroptimist

Gypsy Nichol, who joined the Darlington & District club on 14th April 1964, received her long-service certificate at the Annual General Meeting on 14th April 2014!

Annual General Meeting

14 April 2014

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Annual General meeting was held on 14th April when the outgoing President Maureen Gorman welcomed the new President Dorothy Thomson and presented her with the chain of office. The Programme Action Report, presented by Programme Action Officer Barbara Brown, can be viewed via the following link AGM 2014 PA Report

Fundraising Dinner

26 March 2014

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Darlington and District Soroptimists and friends held a Fundraising Dinner at The Glasshouse, Darlington College, and raised in excess of £300, with all proceeds going to President Maureen Gorman’s charity, the Anthony Nolan Blood Cancer charity. The meal was a delicious International two course menu and excellently prepared by the college students. Fundraising activities included, a raffle with various prizes and quizzes along the theme of strong women. A fabulous evening was had by all.

Club Meeting

10 March 2014

 

 

 

Monday’s Club Meeting was in conjunction with World Water Day which takes place on 22 March 2014. Over £60 was raised and it was agreed that we are to twin a toilet at Dalkeith House with a toilet in Nepal. For further details on toilet twinning follow the link to www.toilettwinning.org. The money was raised by charging small amounts for various activities such as blind water tasting (of which tap water proved to be more popular than bottled water), a “duck egg” raffle and quizzes based on watery quotations and proverbs. Together we collected synonyms for the word “toilet” and came up with over forty! Members discussed in groups how they could save water both in the house and in the garden. We also had the chance to try lifting and carrying a genuine Nepalese brass water pot, on loan from Sue Fortescue, who was given the pot when she lived in Nepal.

Club Meeting

25 February 2014

Two Darlington Samaritans addressed the meeting on the history of the organisation, its value as an emotional support service, and the training given to volunteers. Nowadays callers make contact by phone, e-mail and text, the latter method being most used by young people. Volunteers at our local branch have received calls from as far away as Australia and the USA! Linda Stephenson gave the vote of thanks.

Brenda Stokoe was congratulated on her successful bid for free books for World Book Night on April 23rd. The award gives the club four sets of 18 books ech. Members were asked for ideas for distribution.
Since the club meeting, five members have attended an informal event arranged by Jenny Chapman M.P. The speaker was Gloria de Piero, Labour’s Shadow Women and Equalities Minister. Our Brenda took the opportunity to tell her about Darlington Soroptimists’ research into training about FGM. Darlington’s M.P. is now arranging a meeting with the Chair of the Local Safeguarding Children Board “with a view to gaining a better understanding of their intentions in working to prevent girls and young women from suffering this kind of abuse in Darlington”.

Club Meeting

10 February 2014

The speaker at the Club Meeting on Monday 10th February, 2014 was Catherine Little from the Calvert Trust Kielder.  Calvert Trust Kielder has been providing adventurous outdoor activities for disabled adults and children for 30 years and proving that “it’s what you CAN do that counts”.   Catherine gave a very interesting and inspirational talk, along with a slideshow showing some of the adventurous activities disabled adults and children can take part in.

Pre-Christmas support for Hospice

 

For the second year, Darlington members supported St Teresa’s Hospice in Darlington by wrapping people’s Christmas gifts in exchange for a donation.

Club Meeting

9 December 2013

 

From left to right: Linda Stephenson, Membership Officer, Leanne Smith, President Maureen Gorman

At the last meeting of the year President Maureen welcomed new member Leanne Smith into the club. Everybody then completed the SIGBI quiz on Modern Day Slavery. The evening concluded with mulled wine and a selection of savoury and sweet nibbles, and a 65 Years of News game to celebrate our 65th anniversary year. Working together, members paired up local, national and international events with the year in which they took place – from 1948 to 2013.

 

“How I Started Writing”

26 November 2013

 The speaker at the Club Meeting held on Tuesday 26th November, 2013 was Hazel Stephenson who gave a talk on “How I Started Writing.”  Her own determination has resulted in not only having two books published to date, but also has given her the confidence to speak in public.  Hazel was an extremely entertaining speaker and had the members almost crying with laughter, but the message at the heart of her talk was that we can do anything if we set our minds to it.

Literary Lunch at Headlam Hall

12 November 2013

 

 From Left to Right: Guest Speaker Chris Lloyd Deputy Editor of the Northern Echo, President Maureen Gorman, June Chamberlain

Chris Lloyd, Deputy Editor of the Northern Echo, was the guest speaker at our annual Literary Lunch held at Headlam Hall on Tuesday 12th November. Chris gave a fascinating and amusing talk on the history of 150 years of Darlington Covered Market, “A Monument to Folly, Extravagance and Jobbery.”  The event, organised by June Chamberlain, was a great success.  100 of us enjoyed a delicious meal and then the raffle was drawn.  A fantastic total of £945 was raised, £200 went to St Teresa’s Hospice at Chris Lloyd’s request in lieu of his fee and the remaining £745 went to the President’s charity, the Antony Nolan Trust.

  

SIGBI NewcastleGateshead Conference

31 October – 2 November 2013

The Conference was a great success, as was our very own Dorothy Thomson, who was Chief Steward at the Sage and was brilliant!  Ten members of our Club attended the SIGBI Conference and were inspired, educated, laughed, sang and thoroughly enjoyed it.  For more information on each day’s events and to view more photographs, please click on the following link https://sigbi.org/gateshead2013/

 

65th Charter Lunch

29 September 2013

From Left to Right: Roland Lang, President Maureen Gorman, Kay Lang, Darlington Rotary President Ken Young

The 65th Charter Lunch took place on September 29th at the Redworth Hall Hotel and was much enjoyed by club members and their guests. The speaker was Jane Bradshaw, Chief Executive of St Teresa’s Hospice in Darlington. She gave an informative and entertaining talk and thanked Darlington Soroptimists for their support

The President of the Rotary Club of Darlington, Ken Young, gave a well-informed and thoughtful toast to Soroptimist International. Regional President Patricia Gatherum responded. The toast to our guests was given by Gypsy Nichol, with a response from Ann Williams, President of Darlington Women’s Club.

Club Meeting

 24 September 2013

From Left to Right:  Lyn Kerr, President Maureen Gorman, Pat Blair, Carole Sobkowiak

 

At the club’s second September meeting on Tuesday 24th September, the three newest members gave informal “job talks”, in which they described their career paths.

Lyn Kerr spoke about her career in finance, including three years spent in Canada.  She also worked in the NHS in various parts of Northern England.

Pat Blair described her journey from the rigours of post-war school education, through further education while she was working in accountancy, to early retirement due to ill health.  To aid her recovery she studied at Teesside University and gained an honours degree in English and History.

As a paediatric physiotherapist, Carole Sobkowiak has an interest in the prevention of birth defects such as spina bifida and hydrocephalus, with folic acid.  She has been involved in major research projects and conferences around the world.  She can be found on Google.

In her report on the club’s Loves Me, Loves Me Not project, Alma Bailey was pleased to announce that 10,000 bookmarks have been distributed to date, as well as large numbers of A3 and A4 posters.

 

Regional Meeting, Hexham

7 September 2013

 

Six members of SI Darlington and District attended the Regional Meeting at Hexham on 7th September, 2013 (Brenda Stokoe, Gypsy Nichol, Jean Earle, Barbara Brown, President Maureen Gorman and Dorothy Thomson).  Dorothy Thomson (front row, right) will be the Chief Steward  at the Federation Conference at the Sage in October.

 

August Coffee Mornings

 

 

During August we do not hold formal meetings.  Instead members hold coffee mornings, often with a raffle or a book sale.  This summer we held three coffee mornings, giving us the chance to catch up on news and enjoy delicious homemade scones, cupcakes etc.  In this way we raised £175 for our projects.

 

Soroptimist International Europe Congress

Berlin 12 – 14 July 2013

Five members of SI Darlington & District (Barbara Brown, Jan Carling, Sue Fortescue, Val Johnston (and husband Stuart), and Gypsy Nichol) attended the 20th Congress of Soroptimist International Europe, held in Berlin from 12-14 July.

The theme of the Conference was ‘Visions of Paradise – Soroptimists Go for Water & Food’ – and all the Conference sessions focussed on this topic.  The Conference programme is here:

http://www.soroptimist.waterandfood.eu/en/PROGRAMM_CongressBerlin2013_E_WEB.pdf

The Congress was attended by 1,600 Soroptimists, from all over the world.  46 members of SIGBI attended, including SIGBI President, Pat Black.   It was an exciting, and sometimes emotional, event.

The Congress opened with a choir of schoolgirls, the Berliner Mädchenchor, who filed into the auditorium, each carrying a flag representing each country of SI Europe, and singing a traditional English folk song, ‘Summer is icumen in’.  When they were all on the stage, the President of SI Europe, Kathy Kaaf, read out the roll call of all the countries in the European Federation and there were cheers and waves for each country.

High spots of the morning sessions were the speech by Dr Auma Obama (half-sister of President Barack Obama) – and a fantastic singalong, hosted by Katrin Höpker, who had us all roaring out songs by Bob Dylan and the Beatles, and linking arms to sway to the rhythm of ‘Those were the days, my friend’ …..

While in Berlin, we met up twice with our friendship link, SI Soest, and enjoyed the opportunity to catch up on news.

Next stop: the SIGBI Conference in Newcastle / Gateshead in October!

 

Regional Council Meeting – June 8th

To mark the 65th anniversary of the Northern England Region, all the clubs were asked to give a presentation at a special session in the afternoon. The fashions and programme action from the sixties and into the future were illustrated. S.I. Darlington & District reported on some of our Programme Action activities of the current decade.

From left to right: Christine Lunn (Starter Boxes), Sue Fortescue (Midnight Walk), Carole Cuthbertson (Welcome Bags), Dorothy Thomson  (campaigning against landmines and cluster munitions), Jean Earle (Message in a Bottle), Carole Sobkowiak (Litterpick), Maureen Gorman (Clervaux Cafe), Alma Bailey (Loves Me, Loves Me Not).

 

 

Whitehaven Charter Event – Saturday 18 May

On Saturday 18th May, three members of SI Darlington & District, President Maureen Gorman, Gypsy Nichol and Jean Earle braved the torrential rain, floods and blocked roads to cross the Pennines and attend the Charter Anniversary of SI Whitehaven. Gypsy (seated, right) had been present at the original Charter of SI Whitehaven, when she had been asked to give the Vote of Thanks – which she did again this year!

 

Midnight Walk –  Friday 17 May

Before the walk: Elspeth Robinson, Brenda Stokoe, Pauline Youldon, Lyn Kerr, Sue Fortescue and Barbara Brown

Six members, together with two friends, joined forces with a total of 240 Midnight Walkers on Friday 17th May, organised by and in aid of St Teresa’s Hospice, Darlington.  Adorned with flashing bunny ears, they squelched their way in the pouring rain on the 3 mile walk around South Park, Darlington. We raised £749.00 altogether. Many thanks to our generous sponsors.

 

Club Meeting – Monday 13 May

From left to right: Christine Lunn, Carole Sobkowiak, Regional President Patricia Gatherum and President Maureen Gorman

The speaker at the club meeting on 13th May was the President of Soroptimist International Northern England, Patricia Gatherum.  She talked about her own experience of being a Soroptimist and highlighted the value of friendship which plays such a big part in Soroptimism.  She also spoke of the recent changes in the organisation since it became a Limited Company.  After her talk, Regional President Patricia inducted Darlington’s newest member, Carole Sobkowiak.

 

Presentation about Anthony Nolan Trust

 

President Maureen Gorman welcomed prospective new member Carole Sobkowiak on her third visit to a club meeting. She then introduced the speaker, Jennifer Ingham, who gave a very informative and heartfelt presentation on the work of the Anthony Nolan Trust, the charity chosen by President Maureen to be supported by the club during her year of office.

In 1971, Anthony Nolan was born with a rare condition for which the only known cure was a bone marrow transplant. At that time there was no process or system to find a matching donor. 1973 saw the first successful bone marrow transplant between unrelated donors – previously, matches had only been made through relatives. Sadly, Anthony died before a suitable donor could be found, and his mother, Shirley, had a vision:  to start a bone marrow register that would connect potential donors with recipients.  For many people suffering from a blood cancer, such as leukaemia, a blood stem cell transplant may be their last chance of life. At present, over 3,000 blood stem cell (which is found in bone marrow) transplants take place every year. New donors, who must be between the ages of 16 and 30 when they join the register, are urgently needed because currently a matching donor is found for only half the people who desperately need a lifesaving transplant.

Jennifer introduced her eleven-year-old brother, Peter, who had received a bone marrow transplant from a donor in the United States in November 2012. Their mother described the procedure and explained that supporting the Anthony Nolan Trust is the family’s way of saying thank you.

Aileen Little gave the vote of thanks.

Immediate Past President Brenda Stokoe was presented with her past president’s badge.

The club heard reports, including an account of the successful litter-picking exercise by the River Tees that morning.

The photo shows speaker, Jennifer Ingham with President Maureen.

 

 

Annual General Meeting

 

The Annual General meeting was held on 8th April when the outgoing President Brenda Stokoe welcomed the new President Maureen Gorman and presented her with the chain of office .A vote of thanks on behalf of the club  was given by Gypsy Nichol to the past President for an interesting and successful year.

 

Honorary Secretary Jean Earle was presented with gifts to thank her for serving the Club for two separate six year terms of office.

 

Darlington members support local hospice

During the last few shopping days before Christmas, several Darlington members volunteered to support St Teresa’s Hospice in a new fund-raising initiative. Shoppers brought their purchases to be gift-wrapped in exchange for a donation. The photo shows Elspeth Robinson and Maureen Gorman on duty in a Darlington shopping precinct on December 20th.

 

 

Local Food Heroes

Volunteers from the club, who have been working at Clervaux Artisan Bakery and Café, were runners up in a National Food Heroes Competition. On December 17th Jill Pindar, who is the Grants Officer for the Big Lottery Local Food projects, presented the group with a certificate to record their success. Jill, who is based in Newark, visits all the projects throughout the country which have been funded by this particular category of the Lottery, to monitor their progress. Jill is delighted with Clervaux, which is one the grant recipients, and loves to visit the café. She thanked the volunteers for all their hard work washing up, clearing tables and in the bakery and their contribution to the development of the project.

 

Pre-Christmas meeting

This picture, which featured in the quiz mentioned below, shows one of the four reliefs on the base of the statue of Joseph Pease in Darlington town centre. It illustrates “Education”.

The December 10th meeting took the form of a Wine and Nibbles evening, with activities to raise money for the International President’s Appeal. There were three quizzes: one in which each answer was a number, one about SIGBI and Christmas in other parts of the world, and a photograph quiz, which tested members’ knowledge of Darlington town centre. A raffle and an auction helped towards raising a total of £88.

How much do you know about SIGBI?  Try the quiz: SI_quiz_Dec2012_web

 

 

 Literary Luncheon

Imogen Robertson,  writer of historical fiction, was the speaker at our annual charity lunch held on Tuesday 13th November at Headlam Hall Hotel.  Imogen was born and brought up in Darlington, so we were particularly pleased to welcome her! Ninety-two of us enjoyed a very good meal and then Imogen’s excellent talk, which was entertaining, amusing and informative. Imogen answered a number of interesting questions and, after the drawing of the raffle, signed copies of her books. The highly successful event raised £737 for the president’s charities.

Visit to Catterick Garrison

In place of the second October meeting, members visited Phoenix House Personnel Recovery Centre, Catterick Garrison to learn about the work of Help for Heroes (one of the president’s charities this year). We were given an informative and moving presentation about the support offered to the wounded, injured and sick servicemen all over the country, and were very interested to see a model of the purpose-built facility due to open in 2013.

 

The above photo shows our new President Elect, Maureen Gorman, who received her badge of office from President Brenda Stokoe at the club meeting on Monday 8 October.

 

64th Charter Dinner

 

Club members and their guests enjoyed the 64th Charter Dinner held on Saturday 29 September at the Eden Arms Hotel, Rushyford. The surprise entertainment, organised by President Brenda, was provided by a group of Belly Dancers, who explained before their demonstration that belly dancing is done by women for women. The photographs show Brenda with her husband, Bob, and the brave souls who accepted the invitation to join the dancers on the floor after the performance.

 

Sixth Form Speaker

The above photo shows Hannah Ross, a sixth form student from Darlington, who spoke to the club at the first September meeting. We had given a donation to help Hannah to take part in a building project in Romania during her summer holidays. She reported on her time based in a gypsy community outside Rasnov, where she lived in very basic accommodation and was involved with digging out and laying foundations, painting woodwork, and playing with the children. The whole experience has changed Hannah’s attitude to material things and she would like to return to help the project in the future. She thanked the club for the donation, and Maureen Gorman (on the right) gave a vote of thanks.

 

 

United Nations Day of Peace

Left to right: Brenda Stokoe (President S.I. Darlington & District), Annabel Young (President S.I. Middlesbrough), Jackie Paling (APD Violence and Conflict Resolution)

On 21st September 2012 seven S.I. Darlington & District members attended a Peace Celebration organised by S.I. Middlesbrough. Held in St Mary’s Cathedral,Middlesbrough, to mark the United Nations Day of Peace, the event included music, poems and readings. As participants arrived, they were handed a paper dove on which they were invited to write messages of peace. During the ceremony we lit candles for peace and hung our meassages on a special tree which can be seen in the photo above.

 

SI Volunteer at Paralympics

 

Club member Sue Fortescue, formerly with SI Val Brabant-Waterloo (SIE Belgium), had a fantastic experience working as a volunteer interpreter at the Paralympic Sailing events in Weymouth. She was based in the lounge where the members of the “Paralympic Family” – for example Heads of National Paralympic Committees – were welcomed. She also went out with the dignitaries on the hospitality boats and, if necessary, helped to clean the boats! She felt it was an immense privilege to meet the athletes as they came off the water at the end of racing each day and to interview the French and Italian teams about their experiences. Sue loved being a member of a very international team of volunteers and she relished wearing the uniform, which attracted a great deal of attention, respect and gratitude. All the volunteers were asked to wear their uniforms on 10th September, wherever they were, and luckily for us there was a club meeting that day!

 

SInging in the Rain

 

The above photo shows President Brenda and Programme Action Officer Barbara after they had assisted at an event inspired by the Olympics and Paralympics: a Mass Dance intended to encourage Darlingtonians to embrace the art of dance by giving all local dance schools the chance to engage with the wider community and give all dancers from all backgrounds the opportunity to perform. Brenda and Barbara also used the occasion to spread the word about S.I.

Darlington Soroptimists Accompany Olympic Torch

 

Photo left to right: Pauline Youldon, Elspeth Robinson, Barbara Brown, Brenda Stokoe, Liz Rose and Linda Stephenson

Six members of Darlington & District Soroptimist club acted as marshals on Sunday 17 June as the Olympic torch was carried through town. They were very pleased to join Darlington Rotarians on this occasion, and look forward to their next opportunity to wear high-vis jackets to serve the community and raise the profile of their international organisation.

 

Diamond Jubilee Celebration

The above photo shows  all the entrants in the Crown Competition which took place during our Jubilee celebrations on June 26th. The winner was Elspeth Robinson (front row, right).

Midnight Walk in aid of St Teresa’s Hospice

Wearing an eye-catching array of headgear, President Brenda Stokoe and members Barbara Brown, Aileen Little and Elspeth Robinson raised £521 during the Midnight Walk in May 2012 organised by, and in aid of, St Teresa’s Hospice, Darlington.

Green and musical weekend for German visitors to Darlington

Ten members of Soroptimist International of Soest, Germany paid a highly successful return visit to Darlington at the end of May 2012.

Hosted by the members of their Friendship Link club of Darlington and District, they spent time in Whitby, at the Green Fair in South Park, at the Clow Beck Farm and Eco Centre, Croft-on-Tees, and attended a Rotary Gala Concert given by young musicians at all Saints Church, Northallerton.

The coach trip to Whitby gave members of both clubs the chance to exchange news and ideas, while enjoying the glorious weather and exploring the town.

“It was really lucky that the visit coincided with Darlington’s Green Fair. We were proud to show that we are catching up with Germany in environmental awareness,” said Darlington Soroptimist President Brenda Stokoe.

At Clow Beck, Land Manager Tyll van de Voort gave an enlightening bilingual guided tour of the site. The visitors learned how the students are helped to build respect for themselves and the world around them by learning to see their own place in it. They were impressed by the activities – including blacksmithing, green woodwork, weaving and the growing of organic vegetables and fruit. The Tamworth pigs were particularly admired. President Elect Sigrid Kuck presented a donation to help the Clervaux Trust with their work at Clow Beck.

The visiting Soroptimists were warmly welcomed at the concert, where young musicians who had taken part in last year’s Rotary Young Musician of the Year competition performed on a variety of instruments. “The performers were so young and so talented,” said Sigrid Kuck. “It was wonderful to see their dedication and enthusiasm.”

The programme also included meals in pubs, a private garden and at the Clervaux Café in Coniscliffe Road.

Darlington and Soest Soroptimists will meet again at a Conference in Berlin in July 2013.

 

Bowling

Some of the Darlington & District Soroptimists go bowling every week.  The competition can get fairly intense!  This photo shows President Brenda handing the trophy to Alma.

Curry Night in aid of Kawakami Foundation

In March 2012 we held a Curry Night at Darlington College. Students from the hair and beauty department offered Indian Head Massages or shoulder massages to help guests relax before the delicious meal, prepared and served by catering students. There were also displays of Indian artefacts, Indian music, a quiz about India and a raffle. The event was in aid of the Professor Yamato Kawakami Foundation in Pune, which helps women and girls to become self-reliant. Darlington club has supported the foundation over many years and presented £600 to Dr Apte, a local member of the family which runs the charity in India.

Cheque for the Kawakami Foundation

Eva Schumacher-Reid presents a cheque for £600 (raised at the Curry Night) to Dr Apte, who lives locally and is a member of the Apte family who run the Professor Yamato Kawakami Foundation in Pune. The money will fund a young woman to train as a nurse or midwife and will also go towards the purchase of a goat or a sewing machine, which will enable a woman to start her own business.

 

Clervaux Café

For two years thirteen members of the club took it in turns to work six days a week at Clervaux Artisan Bakery and Café in Coniscliffe Road, Darlington. They cleared tables, washed mountains of dishes and talked to customers, taking every opportunity to spread the word about Soroptimism. The Clervaux Trust helps disadvantaged and disenfranchised young people by providing a practical life-skills curriculum, making them feel valued, useful and skilful.Darlington club members have also given very practical help at the nearby Eco Farm over a number of years.

 

Shoes for Sierra Leone

Susan Mansaray, from Sierra Leone and S.I. Middlesbrough asked clubs in the Northern Region to collect used shoes to be sent to her homeland. Darlington Club wrote to local primary schools for help and were thrilled when four schools (Firthmoor,St John’s, Cockerton and Gurney Pease) donated a total of 264 pairs of shoes.

 

 

 Pantomime

At the pre-Christmas meeting in December 2011 we had an in-house production: the dress rehearsal/first night of Cinderella. The poor girl’s plight drew attention to the matter of human rights and the status of women, while her father’s financial woes covered the topic of economic and social development. Well – that was our excuse!

 

 

Handicap International

Handicap International called on us to bombard Vince Cable with letters and e-mails asking him to take action against banks and financial institutions still investing in companies producing illegal cluster munitions. Two of us encouraged Darlington Rotarians to support the campaign in December 2011.