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Resurrected Bites – Better in Bellies than Bins

Resurrected Bites – Better in Bellies than Bins

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Left to Right: President Val, Polli, Michelle and Club member Janet Resurrected Bites Hot from her interview with Katherine Jenkin on the BBC’s  Song of Praise Michelle Hayes, founder and CEO of Resurrection Bites  gave us a fantastic insight into the organisations incredible work. Making sure surplus food ends up in ‘Bellies not Bins”. Starting up It is shocking that 30% of  food in the UK ends up going to waste whist some families are struggling to put food on the table.  Michelle talked about the two cafes and community grocery stores the charity has set up in Harrogate and Knaresborough since early 2018. She explained how the Covid pandemic had affected their plans.  But, how they had quickly adapted. And, between March 2020 and July 2021 they had delivered food and other essential items to the equivalent of 15808 people in the Harrogate area. Michelle

Caroline Hawley
Caroline Hawley – Auctioneer and Antique Expert helps raise over £500 for Just ‘B’

Caroline Hawley – Auctioneer and Antique Expert helps raise over £500 for Just ‘B’

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  Raising funds for charity during lockdown is no mean feat.  That didn’t deter Soroptimist International of Harrogate and District’s President Sandra Frier. Looking for different ways to raise funds for her chosen charity Just ‘B’ Sandra approached regular Flog It and Bargain Hunt  expert Caroline Hawley. Would Caroline be interested to give a Zoom  presentation about her life as an auctioneer and TV regular? We were very happy when she said yes.  So, on Friday 14 May Caroline delighted us with her presentation that was both humorous and demonstrated her passion and knowledge. She also valued objects submitted by our guests and took questions.  A brilliant night with more than £500 raised for Just ‘B’.  Just ‘B’ is part of North Yorkshire Hospice Care working closely with Saint Michaels and Heriot Home Care. It provides bereavement services locally and nationally, So what did we learn?

Caroline Hawley
An Evening with Caroline Hawley

An Evening with Caroline Hawley

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Do you watch Flog It or Bargain Hunt and wondered about the value of some of your own objects? The Club is delighted that Caroline Hawley will be helping us raise funds for Just B. The Bereavement Services that is part of North Yorkshire Hospice Care. Caroline is well known for her valuations on Flog It and expert supporter for the teams on Bargain Hunt. Register  for the Event  here. Tickets cost just £10 +£1.37 booking fee. All ticket costs will go to Just B. The Bereavement Support Service for North Yorkshire.  

Deadlier than the Male – Dr Phil Judkins

Deadlier than the Male – Dr Phil Judkins

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In March we welcomed Dr Phil Judkins by Zoom, an internationally acknowledged  expert on the history of radar, radio interception and electronic warfare. His work has featured in daily papers, film and television. We heard one of his most requested talks “Women are Deadlier than the Male”. Phil described the astounding roles undertaken by women in both world wars at home and abroad. Some very unexpected and some almost unbelievable, except they actually happened. Nurses on the front line such as Edith Cavell saved lives of many soldiers of all nationalities.  She also paid the ultimate price when shot by firing squad.  We heard about code breaker’s intercepting messages, a highly secretive activity during the 1st World War and at the TOP SECRET  Bletchley Park. Women making ammunition  shells in the first and second World Wars where one spark could set off an explosion. The last

Challenging the status quo
Choose to Challenge – Forgotten Women – International Women’s Day

Choose to Challenge – Forgotten Women – International Women’s Day

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Soroptimist International of Harrogate and District – Celebrates ‘Forgotten Women’ on International Women’s Day 8thMarch 2021 Seventy Soroptimists and guests Zoomed in from all over the Yorkshire, the UK and the World to celebrate the unveiling of a Harrogate Civic Society Plaque,  in recognition of Dr Kathleen Rutherford on International Women’s Day.  A woman, described as a legend in her own life time in a 1970’s Yorkshire Television Calendar News Special about her life, now all but forgotten. Dr Kathleen was a founder member and first Club President of Soroptimist International of Harrogate in 1933.  The Club was also delighted to welcome award winning journalist Nicky Harley, whose ‘Forgotten Women’ campaign kicked off our quest to find out more about our founder President.   Civic Society Brown Plaque scheme The Club always knew of Dr Kathleen but in 2019 Nicky contacted the Club as part
Corinthian Capers – Bears, Flowers and Rare Birds in Romania

Corinthian Capers – Bears, Flowers and Rare Birds in Romania

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Carpathian Mountains A Carpathian Caper At our most recent speaker meeting on Zoom, Harrogate and District Soroptimists enjoyed a presentation by Pat Rumbold on her Romanian holiday. What a joy! This wasn’t your run-of-the-mill collection of holiday snaps with a commentary. It was a cornucopia of beautiful photographs and fascinating insights into the flora, fauna and culture of this former communist country. Pat and her husband stayed with a local guide called Dan. He took them out daily on walking tours in the beautiful countryside of the Carpathian Mountains. Brown Bears, rare birds and wild flowers European brown bear Pat entranced us with her descriptions. From a stunning array of wildlife including bears, newly awakened from their winter lethargy. Also,  birds which are rarely seen in Western Europe and beautiful wild flowers,  For those of us who have been hibernating during lockdown, her account of the
Fran Taylor with Making a Difference Award
Making a Difference – The Club honours Fran Taylor and the Harrogate Scrubbers

Making a Difference – The Club honours Fran Taylor and the Harrogate Scrubbers

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  Fran Taylor with Making a Difference Award Some people talk about ‘Making a Difference’ and others get on and do it. The shortage of scrubs for NHS staff who don’t normally wear them became a national issue as the Covid -19 virus took its toll. Fran Taylor recognised the need to do something and set up a Facebook page, Harrogate Scrubbers,  asking for others to support her sew scrubs for the Harrogate Hospital. Within 24 hours 200 people had signed up and more than £4500 had been raised. Within 5 weeks there was an army of 800 volunteers who were willing to sew, cut out, organise and deliver. We were delighted to welcome Fran  as our guest speaker at our Zoom meeting  to find out more about Fran’s fantastic achievement.  Club members also got the chance to see the Engraved silver photo-frame presented to

Smart Works – Helping Women into work

Smart Works – Helping Women into work

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Getting a job is never easy and with rising unemployment is becoming more difficult. Just getting an interview is a challenge. First impressions count.   Smart Works comes to the aid of unemployed women. To tell us more, Helen Oldham, chair of Smart Works Leeds, gave us an insight into how Smart Works Empowers Women to Succeed.             Smart Works,  a UK charity provides high quality interview clothes and interview training to unemployed women in need. It provides women with a work outfit from stock of high-quality clothes and accessories. With styling advice and interview training, the support helps women feel more confident and increases their chances of securing a job. Half the women have previously been unsuccessful in over 20 applications. A third have been turned down from over 50 jobs. All are suffering from a lack of confidence in their

Street Angels – Guest speaker Paul Blakey MBE

Street Angels – Guest speaker Paul Blakey MBE

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Friday and Saturday nights see a transformation in many towns and cities across the UK as the pubs and clubs fill with people out for a good night out – but for some it will end in drunkenness, fights and possible sexual assault. Paul Blakey MBE witnessed what was happening in his hometown of Halifax in 2005 and decided to do something about it. Paul was the guest speaker at our September meeting. He is the pioneer founder of Street Angels and now the National Coordinator. Paul started the project in Halifax and following its amazing success has supported other towns to follow suit. Paul works closely with the Police, Churches and other voluntary organisations identifying and supporting vulnerable people of all ages who run into difficulties on out local streets. His success has also led to requests from music festivals such as the Leeds Festival to

What it means to be a Syrian Refugee.

What it means to be a Syrian Refugee.

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  What makes someone abandon their home and travel across land and sea in often dangerous and unknown conditions for a hopefully better future? Sleman Shwaish, Refugee Coordinator for the British Red Cross  gave us an insight by sharing his story as our guest speaker at the May meeting.  Sleman, Kurdish in origin is from Quamish in NE Syria.  He studied in Aleppo as an agricultural engineer but fled to the UK in 2012 after being forcibly conscripted to join the Army as the war took hold and started to ravage what had been a beautiful country. Sleman could not countenance fighting or killing his own people and had to make the difficult decision to leave his parents, his father a Pharmacist and his mother an English teacher. Sleman travelled illegally through Turkey and Iraq eventually ending up in London, where he claimed and was granted asylum.