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Maureen at the end of the Virtual North Run
Virtual Great North Run – Maureen runs for Saint Michael’s Hospice and Just B

Virtual Great North Run – Maureen runs for Saint Michael’s Hospice and Just B

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The cancellation of the Great North Run didn’t stop Club Member Maureen from running. Mapping a route through the streets of Harrogate she took part in the Virtual Great North Run on the 13th September. Maureen completed the 13.1 miles in record time. Club members waited on the Stray to greet her. All the money raised will go to Club President Sandra Frier’s chosen charity. Saint Michael’s Hospice and Just ‘B’ provide support for those who have life limiting conditions and their loved ones. Just ‘B’ provide an excellent bereavement service. Maureen has completed a number of Great North runs over the years. This is her first virtual one. Perfect weather conditions coupled with the quiet early morning traffic made sure there was no delays. She completed the Half Marathon in 2 hrs and 59 minutes. We are delighted to announce that Maureen has so far

Kate
‘Loves me, Loves me not’ Bookmarks – Healthy relationships for new mothers

‘Loves me, Loves me not’ Bookmarks – Healthy relationships for new mothers

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Loves Me, Loves Me Not. The bookmarks produced by SI Yorkshire are finding their way to young mothers in Harrogate District courtesy of Kate Mortimer. Kate, a local midwife, finds the bookmarks really useful in her work with new mothers. She had nearly exhausted her supply and contacted the Club via Facebook. We are pleased we could replenish her stocks. The pregnancy and the birth of a baby brings joy to most couples but for some new mothers it can be time of increased risk of domestic abuse. The bookmarks give helpful guidance to what is a ‘good relationship’. Soroptimists across the world campaign to stop violence against women. The Covid-19 pandemic has seen domestic abuse rates rise due to lockdown, financial pressures and lack of access to support services.         The book marks and credit card size version are also available

Author Sandra Jowett
Do you have a story to tell? The Big Story Challenge

Do you have a story to tell? The Big Story Challenge

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Do you have a story to tell? Club members Sue Williams, Sue Slocombe and Sandra Jowett did. The money raised will support Empowering Girls in Nepal. Their challenge was to write a short memoir, a reflection on childhood and of their early years. We have already raised £270 toward the SIGBI Empowering Girls in Nepal project. You can donate on TheBigStory website but be sure to put Soroptimist in your name to ensure it goes to Soroptimist International Great Britain and Ireland's joint project with Chorachori. The stories are very different. They reflect that our experience of childhood can be very different.  They will be published in the Autumn as part of the BIG STORY CHALLENGE. Many girls and young women in Nepal are unable to access an education and training that will help take them out of poverty and give them a chance of
President Sandra Frier
Club President’s Welcome – our future plans

Club President’s Welcome – our future plans

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Club President Sandra Frier address: It is an honour to be the President for Soroptimist International of Harrogate & District for 2020-21. Although our AGM was not the usual formal Presidential handover of chain of office and celebration, eighteen of our members joined our virtual AGM on Zoom. We raised a toast to all our members as well as outgoing and incoming officers. We look forward to a time for celebration on a much larger scale when all our members can meet together again and we can return to a new ‘normal’. As a Club we are finding ways to communicate and look after each other. In the first week of lockdown our priority was to put a buddy system in place, whereby a team of Soroptimists regularly contact all of us to find out how we are and making sure none of our members

Pamper Bag for NHS Covid-19 staff
What are we doing during Covid-19 lockdown? Pamper packs, Scrubs and Zoom

What are we doing during Covid-19 lockdown? Pamper packs, Scrubs and Zoom

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What are we doing during the Covid-19 Lockdown?  Many of us may be isolated in our homes but Harrogate and District Soroptimists are busy despite the COVID-19 lockdown.  Club members are working together to support NHS and front line staff during the #covid-19 pandemic. Zoom is helping  us to stay in touch and our buddying system ensues regular telephone contact with members. It’s business as usual. Some members are using their sewing skills and making much needed scrubs for the NHS with the Harrogate Scrubbers. From the basic material to three sets ready for the front line.   Fifty Pamper Bags are now distributed to NHS staff staying at local hotels and front line staff  working at Harrogate District Hospital. The  NHS Nightingale Field  Hospital is now stood down but in place should it be need.                 Domestic violence

Club members Visiting Allerton Waste Recovery Park
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Recover – turning our waste into energy

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Recover – turning our waste into energy

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Club members Visiting Allerton Waste Recovery Park Do you ever wonder what happens to the rubbish you put in your black bin bag? Club members visited Allerton Waste Recovery Park to find out what happens to North Yorkshire and York’s rubbish. Its mantra is Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Recover. Rubbish into Engergy Turning our rubbish into energy – enough electricity for 40,000 homes. It’s sifted, sorted and incinerated at over 850 degrees Celsius. Why black plastic is so bad? Its not detectable by the infrared sensors that sort out plastic waste for recycling. The average household generates 1 tonne of rubbish a year! We saw how much rubbish is collected in just one week (and this was after everything recyclable is removed). Frightening. Energy not Landfill The content of the black wheelie bins used to go into landfill. Now more than 90% is processed by the

Iris Newbould with SIGB President Sue Williams
Up in the skies and down to earth – Club members attend Yorkshire Conference

Up in the skies and down to earth – Club members attend Yorkshire Conference

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Club members spent a fantastic day at the Yorkshire Air Museum when we attended the  Soroptimist International of Yorkshire Conference on 29th June. The theme of conference was, ‘From Behind the Scenes to the Front Line’. We were privileged to hear from Iris Newbould, now 94 yrs old and full if vim, and her life as young Land Girl. WW2 like WW1 opened up job opportunities for women. Corporal Katherine Height gave us an insight into what’s life like now for a woman serving in today’s RAF.   The 29th June is Armed Forces Day. and at 12.10 a Hurricane provided a Fly Past tipping it’s wings on the 3rd Approach. So emotional. It reminded us of all the sacrifices Iris’s generation made ‘just doing our job’ to give us a future. Excellent representation from SI Harrogate & District  with 14 members attending and nearly all

Club is delighted to win the Yorkshire Women Volunteer Award

Club is delighted to win the Yorkshire Women Volunteer Award

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The Club is delighted to win the Yorkshire Women Volunteer Award for its community service project to combat loneliness. For the last 17 yrs.  we have worked with Contact the Elderly.  The Club Service Project, led by Elsie Johnston in Harrogate  and Wetherby and Tricia Chapman in Ripon, involves Club members and other volunteers hosting tea parties once a month usually in their own home. Other members give lifts to pick up the  elderly lonely people referred to us by Contact the Elderly to and from tea parties. The guests tell us how much they look forward to their afternoon treat and often leave with goody bag for a little something extra later.   (Corporate Category) We were delighted to meet up with all the individuals and groups who are involved in making a difference to the lives of others at the Award Ceremony held

Club members celebrated a total of One hundred and fifty-five years of service

Club members celebrated a total of One hundred and fifty-five years of service

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At the Club AGM held in April 2019 at our new meeting place, the Yorkshire Hotel in Harrogate, we celebrated 155 years of service to Soroptimist SIGBI. Janet Hutton. 40 years, Judith Webb, Hilary Waddington, Nicola Harding (not shown) all 30 years and Liz Stickney 25 years.   We were delighted that Soroptimist International of Yorkshire Region’s President Pat Kilbane was able to join us to present the long service certificates.

Celebrating International Women’s Day

Celebrating International Women’s Day

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Harrogate and District Soroptimists celebrated International Women’s Day at their Club meeting held at the White Hart on 6th March. Club Presidents Hilary Waddington and Elsie Johnston and Vice President Sandra Frier introduced three local women who have helped make a difference to women’s lives or helped highlight women’s achievements. Taking inspiration from Desert Island Discs each of our guests talked about their lives, what influenced them and their achievements.   Anne Smyth OBE spoke about how her own and her mother’s experience of caring had made her aware of how little support there was for Carers – and how Carers are of all ages but still predominantly women. Anne set up the Carers’ Resource in Harrogate in the early 1990s. Anne’s hard work and diligence had seen it grow to an award winning charity providing support for carers and families across Harrogate District, Airedale and