At the 15th AGM on Wednesday 10th April 2013, Chris Corless reflected on her year as President recalling many of the Clubs successes, particularly with Programme Action, Membership and Fundraising.  At the Beginning of Chris’s year the club reviewed its Programme Action Programme to ensure profjects complied with the aims of aducating, empowering and enabling.  The result was the submission of 21 Programme Action Forms outlining the service we had provided, either in time given or financial support to our various projects. Membership also increased with no fewer than 9 new members joining the club in 2012-2013.  In addition, fundraising, whilst not the main aim of Soroptimism, generated over £7,600 and this enabled us to provide even more financial support to our projects. The main focus of Chris’s year was to organise a Skirting Science day to educate, enable and empower girls. raise their awareness of and change

The evening started with pupils from Two Rivers School performing dances celebrating the clubs friendship links.After the meal President Vicky from SI Tamworth presented cheques as donations from monies raised to various organisations.  Regional President Dishi was presented with a bucketful of change collected by members of Tamworth as a donation to her Buckethon.

In spite of heavy snow reducing attendees, SI Lichfield, President Chris Corless and club member Lin Liston-Brown, joined Regional President Dishi Attwood to celebrate SI Stafford’s 74th Charter Dinner on Friday 22nd March 2013 at Chase Golf Club, Cannock.  Seated at tables named after famous musicals, guests enjoyed a delicious three course meal followed by entertainment from the Stafford & District Operatic Society, who sang songs from past and future shows.  SI Stafford President Sue Zuraweil rounded the evening off with a ditty summarising her year.

A Fundraising Ball in aid of Breakthrough Breast Cancer was held by Midland Chase Region on Friday 15th March 2013, at the School House Weeford.  Organised by Lin Liston-Brown, a Lichfield club member, 130 guests enjoyed a champagne reception and delicious three course meal.  This was followed by a charity auction by Regional President Dishi and a surprise entertainer in the form of a larger than life ‘Elvis’ who had everyone on their feet dancing to some of his greatest hits.  Julie Robinson from Breakthrough Breast Cancer gave a brief update on the work of Breakthrough and the current status of research.  The event raised a sensational £3,417.00 – what a brilliant finale to a fantastic evening!

President Chris was delighted to welcome Ellie Gormley IEngFIHE as a new member to our Club.  We met Ellie in her capacity as a STEM ambassador at our Skirting Science Event last November.  Ellie works for Telford & Wrekin Council as Principal Engineer in the Highways Capital and Forward Planning Team.  She worked her way up the career ladder from trainee technician to her present position.   Ellie believes in helping and supporting others and will be a valuable asset to our Club.

Julia Pinner, Programme Focus Lead, presented a cheque for £736.25p to Kathy Caldwell and Jean Davies from Breakthrough Breast Cancer, at the SI Lichfield Clubs’ Business Meeting on 13th March 2013. The money represented half the profits from a recent Race Night held by the club.  Kathy and Jean gave a brief progress report to Club members and advised that the money would go towards further research.  Kathy will also be a guest at the Regions’ Chairty Ball on Friday 15th March.

Lynn Hill from Target Ovarian Cancer was presented with a cheque for £736.25p by Bev Billings, Fundraising Lead at the Clubs’ Meeting on 13th March 2013. Lynn gave a short talk to club members advising them of the importance of recognising the symptoms of the illness and understanding that a routine ‘smear’ test will not detect this particular form of the disease. SI Lichfield have been actively distributing literature on this subject for many months and designated half of the profits from their recent Race Night to this worthy cause.

The ‘Buckethon’ received a boost when Lichfield President Chris Corless presented Regional President Dishi Attwood with a cheque for £147.00 at the Clubs cheque presentation event on March 13th 2013. The money represents 49 ‘virtual’ buckets of water and adds a further 7 ping pong balls to the bucket-o-meter.The target is to fill the jar thereby raising £2,500.00.

To mark International Women’s Day over 90 members of Midland Chase Region walked from Tamworth Street, Lichfield, to Speakers Corner to raise awareness of the issue of child sexual exploitation and the trafficking of women and girls.  Dressed in purple, the signature colour of the campaign they arrived at Speakers Corner at 12.15pm where Trish Mellor gave a short address.

  Some of our club members helped local Brownies to make a Mothers Day Gift, which involved decorating a small bag in the style of a Russian Doll.  The bags were then lined with tissue paper and topped up with chocolates. Featured in the photograph are Regional President Dishi Attwood with Past Regional President Angela Reynolds, some of the brownies and Katherine a young leader.