We welcomed new member, Kate Grogan, into the club at our AGM on April 7th.

Three club members went to Carlisle for the Northern Regional Council Meeting on 15th March.  Elspeth Robinson was presented with a rose plant to celebrate her MBE, awarded in the New Year Honours.

As it was a beautifully sunny day, our market stall welcomed a lot of visitors. The majority already knew it was International Women’s Day – and now they know about Soroptimists too! We handed out over fifty roses to grateful and happy recipients.  

We welcomed Sally and Sayeda from Darlington Assistance for Refugees, who gave us an update on the work of DAR and, in Sayeda’s case, an account of the support she and her family have received from the organisation since they came from Egypt to Darlington. Following a number of questions from the floor, Liz Hayward gave the Vote of Thanks.

Over 100 attended, including our lovely Regional President. We raised just over £850 for Hope Through Education, a charity in Pakistan which enables children who wouldn’t normally have the chance of education to attend school. We’ve been supporting Hope Through Education for two years because Dorothy Thomson agreed to do a second year and it’s her charity. She has been out to Karachi and was able to hand money and pencils directly to the School Principal last January. Quote: From Michael Phillip Pearson – “Thank you so much from Hope through Education. Every penny you raised will be spent providing education to children and young people in Karachi and Ghotki. Thank you for your all your kindness this year and last year. You are helping to give hope through education to lots of children and young people”