Our SI Kaarst visitors wore and packed orange as part of the campaign to highlight domestic violence that is now being described as a pandemic.  After a fun filled and hard working weekend, they stopped to smile for the camera as they boarded their flight home.  Our annual exchange has become something we look forward to and plan for.  Their experience of a ceilidh with Polkaworks, in our book, the best folk band ever, will remain with them for some time as they go home and try to explain threading the needle and stripping the willow!!

Well, Saturday morning, our German visitors worked with us at this annual event.  They had brought gluwein and home made cookies with them to have a stall at the fair.  I think the photos speak for themselves but just to say we raised over £1400!!!!  Thank you Lichfield!!    

Last weekend we were delighted to welcome 10 members of our friendship link club SI Kaarst for a full weekend of activities!!  Following a reception hosted by The Mayor, Norma Bacon in the Mayor’s Parlour, we went to have a fish and chip dinner at The Swan with Two Necks in Rugely.  During the course of the evening, Chris Corless handed over the 100 dresses for girls in Cameroon.  In light of our current Soroptimist thinking that we need to change attitudes amongst men and boys, 50 pairs of shorts were also included in the donation.  We struggled more with sewing the shorts correctly than the dresses and Soroptimist Gill  became our shorts expert!!  Agnes from SI Kaarst will be taking them to a school in Cameroon that her club support.  What an international achievement!!!!

An unbelievable £4,600 raised for The British Legion this year!!!  The cheque presentation will be made at midday on Saturday 29th November at The Sewing Shop Lichfield.  Thanks also go to South Staffs Water, The Co-op Burntwood, SI Burton, Julia’s Mum, Autism Outreach Business Support Team, and all our family, friends and total strangers that stopped us to buy one!!  And of course, comedian John Bishop for wearing one of our poppies on his shirt during the second half of his live show!! 

Well, our dresses are going far and wide!  Chris spoke to members of SI Thames Valley at Conference after their emotional reports on the Kori Project and the effects of Ebola in Sierra Leone.  50 dresses were despatched to them and we had a super informative email when they were received. “Once again, thank you for sending us such attractive and useful dresses which will be treasured by their owners and probably their younger sisters eventually” In addition, 100 dresses and 50 pairs of shorts are packed ready to be taken back to Germany by our friendship club Kaarst (here for our fundraising weekend) and from there to Cameroon.

We were delighted that President Lesley was able to join Lichfield member Carol at the National Arboretum on Sunday.  They were a party of just 5 to represent SIGBI.  Unfortunately, the SIGBI conference in Harrogate attended by Soroptimists from far and wide from the 6-8th November meant that Soroptimists were not able to come out in their usual numbers.

Lichfield Soroptimists were delighted to receive a Programme Action Award when they attended Federation Conference in Harrogate.  We were nominated last year and in the final three but this year, we won!!  The Project that earned us this honour was our Sewing Bee where we get together to make dresses and send them with known organisations to orphanages in Burkino Faso, Kenya and Cameroon.  Programme Action Chairs Chris and Julia were invited on stage to receive their certificate from Federation President Margaret.

An amazing day was had by all who visited the Lichfield Sewing Shop on Friday 24th October.  Tea was served with a selection of cakes provided by Lichfield Soroptimists and visitors could sit, chat, learn to knit or crochet a poppy whilst enjoying tea and home made cakes.  This was the brainchild of British Legion Fundraiser and Lichfield Soroptimist Bev Billings and the event took place in her memory. Raffle tickets were available to win poppy aprons and tea cosies and for those who did not have enough time to stay and knit, a poppy kit was available for £3. To date, the Sewing Shop have raised over £1000 selling poppies made by the Soroptimists and there is still time before November 11th to pop in and buy/donate.  The photos show what a  great event it was and the window display drew in passers by.  An article

Once again, Lichfield Soroptimists put on a fine show and raised over £3000 for Breakthrough Breast Care.  The evening began with a champagne reception followed by a sumptuous meal.  The raffle and auction raised over £1500 down to the generosity of those who donated gifts and those who bought raffle tickets or bid for auction lots. The Beatles tribute band played to a full dance floor!  They had plenty of ‘Beat’!   Kath and Lin had taken on the majority of the work and they did the club proud.  Do we dare ask them to plan another……..

As we approach Wednesday and start thinking of Bev’s contribution to out lives, the poppy campaign, sewing dresses, village fundraisers, High School stalls, service to the Brownies, STEM science and many more, it takes many of us to cover for all the work Bev did.  As you can see, my knowledge of the website is nowhere near as good as hers.  These are a few images of our sister Soroptimist….