Club member Alison aided by Club President Lesley made a sensory cushion for dementia sufferers  for  the Regional Rosebowl competition.

                          On 24th April 2016 retiring President Cathy Lubelska reflected on the  club’s very successful  year. This had included setting up Singing for  Memory to improve the lives of dementia sufferers, a public meeting about dementia and fundraising for Womankind Worldwide and Sense. Lesley Smyth was installed as our new President and  the club looks forward to this years Programme of events which will include a Grease Singalong.

Club members plus some  partners and  friends enjoyed a brewery tour, beer and a lovely meal at Hawkshead Brewery in Staveley on 11 March.

Members attended Mollie’s tea party raising money for girls with leprosy. Scrumptious cakes and good company helped raise £112 for Lepra. The choice of International Women’s Day  for the event was appropriate as the focus was on provision of suitable footwear for girls with leprosy in India, Bangladesh and Mozambique.  

75 people enjoyed the ” Say Cheese” evening in Cartmel Village Hall with a talk by Ian Robinson from Cartmel Cheese, cheese tasting and a Cheesy quiz. Over £650 was raised for the club charities including Sense and Womankind Worldwide.

4 members enjoyed a stimulating conference in Glasgow in November hearing diverse speakers including Dame Stella Rimington  former Director General of M15 and Jo Fairley founder of Green and Blacks.  Andrew Bevan from International Justice Mission UK  talked about Modern day slavery and the link between poverty and violence. This linked well with Soroptimist aims. The group came away with new ideas.

Cartmel Priory held a  5 day Magna Carta celebration from 24th to 29th September. Club members were stewards at the Flower Festival, Son et Lumiere and were very successful selling brochures. Although dressed as monks at times,  members wore their Soroptimist badges  to promote Soroptimism at this busy event!

On September 15th 13 members had a most creative, sociable and enjoyable Pottery Workshop with Phil Lubelski . With guidance from Phil and 2 able helpers from his other classes members made a beautiful mixture of pieces and eagerly await the final firing  .

  A team of members served tea, coffee, cakes and sandwiches during the Edwardian Festival in Grange , raising  £350 for club projects

The Grange Swimarathon team worked hard and raised £460 for ShelterBox on Saturday 14th March, supported by club members, friends and families. While the team were completing their swim in the calm waters of the Kendal Leisure Centre the 200mph cyclone Pam was leaving devastation on the island of Vanuatu in the Pacific, leaving a quarter of a million people homeless. ShelterBox had Shelterpacks and boxes in readiness in various locations and despatched aid from Kuala Lumpur from stock within 24hours. The team’s efforts last year will be part of the cyclone Pam relief effort and this year’s swim will restock ShelterBoxes in readiness for the next disaster. Our Swimarathon fundraising for ShelterBox started in 2009 with our boxes deployed in Sri Lanka, Pakistan , Japan in the past.