Soroptimist International Derby holds its regular club meeting on the first Thursday of each month at The Sleep Inn next to The King’s Highway Pub Kingsway Derby DE22 3NH. Meetings start at 7.00. Some of us meet to eat in The King’s Highway at 6.15.
Our 2021-22 diary needs to be flexible while we wait to see whether we emerge from lockdown. We will continue to hold business meetings by Zoom on the 1st Thursday of the month and are hoping that we can start meeting in person again in September. The theme for this year is around women and sustainable environments. There will be several speakers, including someone from Calke Abbey, where they have an estate that is SSSI rated and where they have a sustainable future plan. There will also be a guided walk round Attenborough Nature reserve. Our President for the year, Jill Blount, will also be challenging club members to make 100 changes throughout the year to encourage more eco friendly and sustainable living. Watch this space to see what we achieve!
Other planned speakers include Mary Storrie again from the Rosie-May Foundation as we hope to start fund raising to try to purchase a Pink Tuk Tuk to aid their work.
We will continue to support our regular projects – Derbyshire Wish, Derby Community Parenting Programme and Young Carers, whilst also walking to raise money for Breast Cancer Now, helping to improve the garden at the Beeches, the Perinatal services at the Royal Derby Hospital and investigating a few other local projects we hope to support once we can get out and about more easily.
Our 2020 -2021 diary is on hold during the current coronavirus lockdown. We will still hold our monthly meetings via Zoom and have had several speakers including Shelley McBride from Derby Community Parenting Programme and Mary Storrie from the Rosie- May Foundation. Members have also been on several socially distanced walks.
Programme 2019-2020: Monthly meetings and events
President Frances Rothwell
May 2nd Regular meeting: Dr Ruth Larsen programme leader for History at the University of Derby and an expert in eighteenth and nineteenth century British history. Dr Larsen will be speaking on the topic of the aristocratic sisterhood growing up at Chatsworth 1780-1820
May 11th Fundraising: Coffee morning and accessory sale for Toilet Twinning at Maggie’s
May 30th 5pmSocial: Visit to Tissington Well Dressings followed by a meal
June 6th Regular meeting: Georgia Vicars is Project Manager at Fluid Ideas, a Derby based Creative Agency. Georgia gained a first class honours degree at the University of Derby in (BSc) Information Technology and her exemplary performance was acknowledged with the Vice Chancellor’s Award for Outstanding Contribution to the College of Engineering and Technology in 2016. Georgia will be speaking about championing Women in Technology
June 10th Fundraising: Sponsored walk
June 11th Social: Croquet at Long Eaton Croquet Club (TBC)
June 22nd Fundraising: Stall at Duffield carnival for Toilet Twinning
June 22nd Region Meeting: Celebration Lunch
July 4th Regular meeting: Packing Welcome Bags for Derbyshire WISH; Soroptimist photo album
July 6th Fundraising: Strawberry tea at Jan S-C’s
August Social: A walk with history in Markeaton Park. Date TBC
September 5th Regular meeting: Ruth Dodd, President Soroptimist International Midland East Region
September 7th Fundraising: President’s afternoon tea and book swap
September 21st Region Meeting: Away Day
October 3rd Regular meeting: Nepal, our new Federation project, plus new members’ talks
October 12th Social: A lunch to celebrate 82 years of Soroptimism in Derby
October 24-27 Annual SIGBI Conference Bournemouth
November 7th Regular meeting but time changed to 2pm. Venue Chevin Golf Club Speaker Mayoress of Derby (TBC), her role in public life
November 16th Region Meeting: Christmas stalls, SI Derby hamper raffle
November 28th Regular meeting: Dr Richard Bates on Florence Nightingale
December 5th Christmas Dinner at Chevin Golf Club. Raffle for gifts for children leaving care
December 7th Fundraising: Human Rights Day – Frugal Lunch and packing gifts for young people leaving care
January 2nd 2020 Regular meeting: Packing welcome bags for Derbyshire WISH; Auction of unwanted Christmas gifts
January 25th Fundraising: Coffee morning
February 6th Regular meeting: Speaker – a woman with a story for International Women’s Day
February 20th social: Suffragette lunch
March 5th Regular meeting, possibly daytime and changed venue Review of the year
March 7th International Women’s Day Event in Derby
March 21st Region Meeting
April 2nd Regular meeting AGM