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Meru Supper evening raises over £420 for the Meru Women’s Garden Project

Meru Supper evening raises over £420 for the Meru Women’s Garden Project

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Harrogate & District Soroptimists raised a further £421.25 at their latest Meru Women’s Garden Project fundraising evening supporting women and children in Kenya to start their own market gardens, thereby empowering  the women to feed their families, create security and aid financial independence . In total Harrogate and District Soroptimists have now raised over £3000 since they started the project at the Autumn Flower Show in 2016 when they gained a Silver medal for their innovative garden. Club Members and guests alongside Yorkshire Regional President Chris Clark and Yorkshire Regional President Elect Pat Kilbane enjoyed a wonderful summers evening at the Hub in Knaresborough. Belebele an African Drumming and Singing group really set the mood before an excellent African supper after which Di Flemming and Jen Berry had everyone on their  feet singing a couple of Kenyan songs ably translated by Eunice Kwallah a guest

Hand made quilt raffle raises £700 for Meru Women Project

Hand made quilt raffle raises £700 for Meru Women Project

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Harrogate & District Soroptimists have raised over £700 towards the Meru Women’s Garden Project in Kenya, from a raffle of three magnificent hand made patchwork quilts. The Club is now well on target to raise the £3000 by the end 2018 to enable, empower and educate women and girls in Meru, Kenya. The Meru Women’s Garden project is a 3 year Soroptimist International of Great Britain and Ireland (SIGBI)  project, launched on International Women’s Day on the 8 March 2016 in partnership with Child.org. The project  aims to develop the well being and status of women living in Meru by helping them to develop the land (garden) around their houses, so that they can both feed themselves better and have additional vegetables, fruit and herbs to sell to provide an income. . This is combined with an education programme for girls to reduce the rate of

Club receives prestigious Mary Hillary Award for the Meru Show Garden

Club receives prestigious Mary Hillary Award for the Meru Show Garden

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HARROGATE & DISTRICT SOROPTIMISTS RECEIVE REGIONAL GOOD PRACTICE AWARD   The Harrogate & District Soroptimist Club were delighted to receive the Mary Hillary Award for the Yorkshire Region. The award is the Soroptimist International Good Practice Award, which the Club received for their ongoing contribution to the Meru Women’s Garden Project and their innovative methods of raising awareness of Soroptimist projects at last year’s Harrogate Autumn Flower Show. Their Kenyan Garden told the story of how women and families in Meru are getting the opportunity to be educated, enabled and empowered to be self sufficient and earn money through the sale of their cash crops. This is possible through learning good agricultural practices, getting the tools they require and being given on going support. President Nicola said ‘It is a great honour to receive the Mary Hillary Award. A big thank you to all the

A chance to win a beautiful handmade and embellished art quilt to raise funds for Meru

A chance to win a beautiful handmade and embellished art quilt to raise funds for Meru

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Harrogate and District Soroptimists are raffling this beautiful handmade and embellished quilt (8’7″x 7’7″). It is hard to capture the beauty of this piece of work and the detail of the stitching and embellishment (see photos below) also in the raffle are two further quilts donated by the quilting group at Menwith Hil  (5’7″x4’6″ & 4’7″x4′)l. All profits will go to the Meru Womens Garden Project that aims to enable, educate and empower women in Meru, Kenya – for more information visit SIGBI Meru Women The raffle will be held on the 13 December –  for more information on how to purchase tickets email sihandd@hotmail.co.uk  

Soroptimist Charity Cafe raises over £600 for Charity

Soroptimist Charity Cafe raises over £600 for Charity

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  It proved to be a very busy day at St Peter’s Church, Harrogate as we raised over £600 for our Club Charities – The Alzheimer Society and the Harrogate Renal Unit. It was a lovely September day that brought people to town who wanted our tea, coffee cakes and light lunches, whilst enjoying a catch up with family and friends or just having a break from shopping. President Nicola Harding said: ‘The Soroptimist team worked really hard throughout the day. A fantastic result the will really make a difference, as we raise money four our charities’. Photos below of Club members in action               St Peter’s Church, Harrogate Alzheimer’s Society

COFFEE MORNING – Starbeck Methodist Church raises over £100 for Craft Aid International

COFFEE MORNING – Starbeck Methodist Church raises over £100 for Craft Aid International

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Starbeck Methodist Church,  raised over £100  for Craft International a local charity that works locally and globally by “Enabling, empowering & supporting differently-able people in the UK and overseas, creatively.” Local MP Andrew Jones popped in for some tea and cake too. .

Charity Burns Nights Supper raises nearly £500 for charity

Charity Burns Nights Supper raises nearly £500 for charity

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Club members, friends and family chased away the January Blues  at our Charity Burns Night Supper on the 21st January 2017.  Venue NineteenNineteen provided a warm welcome for over 50 guests as we celebrated the life and loves of Robbie Burns. Diane Walsh led the procession as she piped in the Haggis, with the Address to the Haggis being superbly recited by Keven Millar, ending with the haggis being raised in triumph and greeted by the guests with rapturous applause and a tot of whisky! A very tasty traditional menu of haggis, neeps and tatties was enjoyed by all, thanks to the Soroptimist Team and the staff of 1919. The Speech to the Immortal Memory was given by John Shore, with the Humorous Toast to the Lassies, being given by Roger Frier and responded to in a similar vein by Irene Kerr. Between the speeches,

Friendship Evening Silent Auction raises a fantastic £530 for Educate to Lead – Nepal

Friendship Evening Silent Auction raises a fantastic £530 for Educate to Lead – Nepal

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Harrogate and District Soroptimists celebrated International Friendship Day with a candle lighting ceremony in recognition of our friendship links across the world. President Pat Shore welcomed members, guests and friends including Yorkshire President Liz Lyle. President Pat spoke about International President Yvonne Simpson’s  Educate to Lead Nepal Appeal and how the appeal is helping educate women and girls in Nepal in some of the most remote areas of the world. Soroptimist International of Harrogate and District has 10 friendship links. Candles were lit for each of the Clubs as well as Soroptimist International. All the Clubs friendship links were asked to nominate a special woman.  Some Clubs also sent gifts for the Silent Auction. The event, held at The Hub in Knaresborough raised a fantastic  £530 for the International Presidents Appeal.

Strawberry Tea raises £436 for Uniforms and School Bags in Malawi

Strawberry Tea raises £436 for Uniforms and School Bags in Malawi

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Club members welcomed  Liz Lyle , SI Yorkshire President, to our Strawberry Tea hosted by member Christabel England. The event raised £436  for the children of Seyama Primary School in Malawi, to enable them to have uniforms, shoes, school bags, books and pencils. (L to R Christabel England, Liz Lyle and Club President Pat Shore) Everyone enjoyed a magnificent spread of food in true English traditional style. A glass of Pimms did not allow the odd shower of rain to dampen the spirits. A book sale, the upcycling of scarves and a raffle all contributed to the fun. The funds raised will help our Friendship Link members of Soroptimist International (SI) Club of Blantyre in their work to support girls to stay in school by providing them with uniforms and learning materials. Children from Seyama Primary School, Malawi with members of Soroptimist International Club of

The Meru Garden for Life – Harrogate Autumn Flower Show 16 -18 September

The Meru Garden for Life – Harrogate Autumn Flower Show 16 -18 September

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The Club is delighted that we have been selected to create a little bit of Meru in Yorkshire to raise awareness about the Meru Womens Garden Project.  We are busy planning and growing vegetable for the garden and gaining a real insight into the Meru Project. You can find out in the Community Spirit Gardens –  please come and visit us. Please visit the main Soroptimist International of Great Britain and Ireland for more details about the 3 year Project Follow us on Twitter @sigbi80 as we create our garden from 1st September Find out more about the Meru Women’s Garden Project at meruwomen.org Donate to the Meru Women’s Garden Project Click here for the poster Meru Garden Project