Read on to see how we’ve Marched this month! #westandupforwomen#openingdoorsforabrighttomorrow
Back in the days of total Zoom, we had a presentation from Elaine of the Parenting Project.
Happily now we could enjoy meeting Elaine Johnston in person to present her with a fabulous cheque for a magnificent £1500.
Elaine gave members an update on the work of the charity. These include providing a pathway of services to parents, including counselling, family wellbeing support, mentoring, and group therapy work. Their policy is not to turn anyone away. However legislation prevents them from providing their services to adoptors/adoptees, so they have recently established a partnership with Barnardos to give this service. Our £1500 funds raised this year will enable the charity to fund training for one counsellor (at a cost of £1080). And therefore begin to provide the support through this link with Barnardos.
Elaine thanked Club members for their fundraising work on behalf of The Parenting Project that has enabled this recent addition to their service provision.
We even had a screen shot of the club’s bank account enabling Gill to show a live BACS
payment transfer of £1500 to The Parenting Project’s bank account. We are sooooo IT literate now!!!!
Ukraine update
As a result of Club members rallying round in super quick time to send money to our Sister Club in Krakow, Poland we got this response from SI Krakow’s to Gill, our treasurer –
Subject: Donation
Thank you very much dear Gill. The money has safely arrived!!! It is so much needed, yesterday there was a family arriving from hell of Mariupol, the city damaged in 90% with no electricity, heating, fresh water, food and medical supplies. There still are 200 000 inhabitants there. They were lucky, their daughter is a Soroptimist. A chain of people of good will allowed for the flee. Please thank all Club members! We are really grateful!
Anna
And what about other refugees?
Well you may ask. Amanda, our President Elect extraordinaire managed to find a website www.emmas diary.co.uk from which we could obtain three packs of free mother and baby items. These were mostly samples but some were full size, such as a pack of nappies and toothpaste. Together with donations from Club members and our friends, Amanda was able to send an amazing selection via Becky at Compassionate Kenilworth to give to the women and children refugees staying at the local Riverside Hotel. Because there was so much, Amanda was able to take some to a collection point for Ukraine.
A call to the Bar
No not the alcoholic kind but the one that takes years of work and commitment! Amina, one of our newest members, has achieved this on top of being a wonderful mum and wife. Well you know what they say, want something doing, ask a busy woman! Amina has been featured by Next 100 Years, a London based legal company that celebrates the achievements of Women in Law. She even met its founder, Dana Denis-Smith, another inspirational lady committed to empowering other women. We’re so proud of Amina.
A little bit of magic
Finally, finally, we could celebrate with President Gill (2020-21) aka Queen of Zoom meetings and President Julie (2021-22) aka Queen of 100 Women of Empowerment, their successes during their presidential years. Organised by our very own Ann P, Queen of Social Events, we enjoyed a wonderful evening at The Warwickshire.
We began by presenting our very own Golden Girl, Gill B, with her certificate from SIGBI for 50 years of service and membership.
With Jane W-S as Mistress of Ceremonies to keep us in gentle order and the company of Peter Jones, Kenilworth Town Mayor and friends from Midland Arden Clubs we were delighted to be entertained by Gill’s great nephew, Angus, with the most amazing sleight of hand tricks.
We’re all still all trying to work out how on earth he managed to bend the tines on a fork right in front of our very eyes!!!! If any Club members have worked it out, please share – on the quiet of course.
(Of course you can book Angus via his website http://www.angusbaskerville.com)