President Ann began her year with a successful fundraiser for her charity, The Women’s Organisation. Guests enjoyed an informative evening, led by John, from Lakes and Rivers Flower Farm, a local business. All guests received a plant as well as really useful tips for growing and keeping fresh cut flowers.
This was the theme of Regional President Dorcas’s successful conference in May 2022. Conference chair, Sandy Taylor of SI Crosby, sums up this wonderful day! The conference, entitled “Women Supporting Women – Together we can”, was two years in the planning by Regional President Dorcas, a member of SI Liverpool club. Dorcas led 8 months of committee meetings , was supported by 62 delegates, 10 Stewards, 9 speakers & a choir which made up the conference. The conference covered the 5 ‘P’s of Soroptimism: People We heard from Canon DR Rod Gardner how Josephine Butler was a women ahead of her time trying to raise awareness of human trafficking in the 1900’s . She would have made an excellent Soroptimist! Daphne Franks talked of how from the tragedy of her mother being coerced that she is changing the law on Predatory marriage! Partnership Dr Gillian
President Lynne hosted her first fundraiser of the year for her chosen charity, Alder Hey’s Neo-Natal Unit. The food was delightful and provided by Ray’s of Prescot. There was more than enough! Everyone enjoyed the get-together and were able to browse the table sale too. A great start to a year with such a worthy cause!
Last week, volunteers from the group went around to SI Liverpool members to collect the donations of toiletries and household cleaning products for Refugee Women Connect. A car boot full of donations was delivered to Comfort, the Refugee Women Connect representative. They were delighted with the amount of donations given by club members. These will now be distribute to the vulnerable that they support. For more information go to: www.refugeewomenconnect.org.uk
Federation are celebrating one hundred women Soroptimists who have made a difference to the lives of others, in the wider community. We are delighted that club member Maureen Walsh has received such recognition! Maureen is well known across the region for her contribution to local Radio Merseyside for over thirty years! Having started on reception , Maureen quickly moved onto the news and sports desk s before being given her own show on a Sunday morning. Maureen’s easy and friendly manner attracted many faithful listeners and they got behind her campaigns and fundraising for many Merseyside charities but especially NSPCC, the Linda McCartney Foundation and the Royal British Legion. Maureen is still very active in fundraising since retiring from broadcasting. Congratulations Maureen! A very well deserved recognition of what a great Soroptimist you are!
The club’s Health and Food Security group carried out a project at Easter to say Thank You to care staff in the local area and also show support for the children under their care. Over fifty Easter Eggs were delivered to the Five Children and Families Trust in Speke in time for Easter. Seven of the Trust’s staff received gift bags with luxury hand and shower cream donated by Temple Spa. Knitted ‘Little Hugs’ were made by club members and donated to support children who were experiencing difficulties with mental health as a result of the lockdown. A further thirty luxury gift bags were delivered to a local Care Home to thank staff for all their efforts to protect residents during the pandemic.
In celebration of our Federation’s 100 Year Anniversary, SI Liverpool partnered Friends Of Princes Park in order to purchase and assist with the planting of one hundred trees and protective shrubs for this once neglected inner city park. On 11th April, a number of club members joined in with the final planting, which included 30 Scot’s Pines, 10 Larch and 2 Eucryphias. The partnership has been a continuation of the club’s winning project around Urban Green-Up using nature based solutions to alleviate climate change. What a great legacy for the children of local schools who use the park for Forest School!
Did you see this bus touring around the city centre of Liverpool in February? No! Then the chances are that you also fail to see the signs of modern day slavery all around you too! Club member Annette, who works for Stop the Traffik, met the Lord Mayor, Cllr.Anna Rothery on her journey around the city. The purpose was to advertise the helpline for victims and the general public and to raise awareness of the scale of modern day slavery.
We are delighted that one of our present club members has been recognised as one of the 100 Soroptimists who have made a significant difference not only to Soroptimism but also in the wider community. What a difference Dorcas has made! Born in Nigeria, Dorcas Akeju OBE has lived in Liverpool since 1974, and after training as a midwife at the Liverpool Maternity Hospital, she practised in both hospital and community settings for 35 years. In 1999 she was instrumental in the establishment of a special clinic – “The Link” –to provide antenatal care for mothers whose first language is not English. This clinic continues to have an important impact on the care of these mothers. Since 1990 Dorcas has been an active campaigner against Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), both at local and national level. She contributed to the establishment of the Liverpool Multi-Cultural Women’s
MURIEL LEVY 1903-1972 Muriel Augusta Levy was born on 2nd August 1903 in Paddington, London, the youngest daughter of Polish-born Louis Levy, a boot and polish dealer, and his British wife Amelia. By 1911 the family had moved to Bedford Street, Liverpool. Muriel was educated at the prestigious Liverpool College for Girls in nearby Grove Street. In the early days of BBC Radio, Muriel’s was one of the first voices to be heard on the Liverpool station, 6LV, which began broadcasting on 11th June 1924. She soon became a radio personality, known to generations of children as “Auntie Muriel”. By the late 1920s she was organising Children’s Hour and Woman’s Hour for 6LV. The first studio was above a cafe in Lord Street, Liverpool, providing programmes for a few hours each day for listeners via their crystal sets. Her career developed as she began to
