SI Dundee Joint President Norma McGovern has been named Dundee Citizen of the year 2019-2020. Norma has worked as an active volunteer and board member for a number of organisations including Brae Riding for the Disabled, HMS Unicorn , Dundee’s Women Aid and as Trustee of The Free to Live Trust. In an article in Dundee Courier Norma said ‘she has been left “totally overwhelmed” by the award. “It’s a huge honour,” she said. “I feel quite seriously that everything I do, I’m supported by other people that do a lot too. Dundee is full of people doing good things.” As part of her service at the Brae Norma undertook training to become a qualified fitter of riding hats and this enables her to fit and to advise on the purchase of this important part of safety equipment. In addition, Norma is the director of the

A Charity Concert of Scottish Music was held at Discovery Quay in Dundee. On Friday March 1st the club held an enjoyable and successful concert to raise funds for Women’s Aid.  In line with our objective for this year “Supporting projects to eradicate poverty in local children” the club has chosen the children’ s section of Women’s Aid. As the Club has six members who live in Angus it was decided to support Women’s Aid in Dundee and Arbroath. Around 100 friends and supporters attended a very enjoyable evening.      

SI Dundee members donated festive food and warm clothing to the Salvation Army in both Arbroath and Dundee.

Three brave members of SI Dundee took part in the event which was organised by Social Bite to raise awareness of the homeless in our society.   Prue is obviously exhausted which is no surprise. So far over £500 has been raised by the ladies with much more still to come. Well done ladies!

Reclaim Walk Representatives of SI Dundee took part in the local ‘Reclaim’ Walk at the start of the 16 days of activism against Gender-based violence. In this year marking the end of WW1 and a follow on from laying the Soroptimist Wreath commemorating Women who had suffered during warfare,the ladies  marched  to stop the violence suffered by women in conflict zones. Prue Watson SI Dundee Press Officer

SI Dundee member and Regional President Prue is bravely taking part in Sleep in the Park. This is a nationwide sleep out to end homelessness in Scotland for good. Four Cities across Scotland . One night 12,000 people under the stars. Saturday 8th December, 2018.   To support Prue’s brave venture please do so through her fundraising page below. http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/prudencewatson.   Thank you.

SI Dundee members and friends have spent the last few weeks knitting poppies to help mark the 100 years since the end of the First World War.  In all 225 poppies were knitted for Broughty in Bloom . The poppies were used in Broughty Ferry New Kirk displays.   Remembrance Day at HMS Unicorn L to R  Regional President Prue and SI Dundee Presidents Norma and Kate attend the ceremony.

As members of an International Women’s organisation members of Soroptimist International of Dundee are always delighted to meet with Soroptimists from across the world.  Renu Bhardwaj, President of Soroptimist International of Pune Metro East in India met from left in picture, Prue Watson, Dianne Stout, Norma McGovern and Pam Cairns of SI Dundee while visiting Scotland with her husband.   The two Clubs became friends when Pam visited Pune and saw the conditions in which the children of the sex workers there lived.  Since then she and other Soroptimists and Girl Guiders from Tayside have established the Free to Live Trust and have managed to build and equip a home for these children, Seema’s Home, in the countryside 80 miles outside Pune.  The project has been adopted by the Church of Scotland Guild as one of their charities over the next three years and Pam

On Saturday Oct 6th, members of SI Dundee turned out at the local ASDA store to help with the local food bank. Over half a ton of food produce was collected during Saturday. Well done ladies.

Dianne Stout, a frequent visitor to India hosted three Soroptrimist friends from SI Kolkata. Five SI Dundee members had a very pleasant morning at Dianne’s coffee morning spending time chatting with the visitors: Bijli Mallik, Leena Deb and Ranjana Pillai. It was good to hear first hand of the long term projects SI Kolkata is running for the poor and disadvantaged. Dianne, and her husband Brian, have supported the work of SI Kolkata with the street children of the city for many years.