On a very warm evening in June some members enjoyed the Kargo Market on Salford Quays. As we overlooked the water, enjoying the atmosphere, we tucked into Korean, Vietnamese and good old English food which was all delicious. Thanks to Sue (and Albert) for the suggestion. Carole Swarbrick
The recipient of the Soroptimist International Manchester Arena Award 2024 was Leigha Tandy, a musical theatre student. On a beautiful sunny afternoon Rose and myself went along to Pendleton College to present Leigha with her certificate and cheque for £250. In addition we watched performances by the performing arts students which were dramatic and thought provoking. One snippet from the play Road, written by the Bolton born playwright Jim Cartwright set in a northern town in the 1980’s, had overtones of life today for some of the women we support and help as Soroptimists. Members may remember that in the aftermath of the horrific Manchester Arena bomb in 2017 the club decided to set up an award to a performing arts student at Pendleton College. Many young people attended the concert and were affected by the events of that terrible night. The girl student is
As President of S I Manchester it was a pleasure to attend the Junior Royal Northern College of Music Annual Prize Giving Tea. I had the company of Susan Hollick and her husband who love attending this event. The RNCM is a valued partner and members will remember the wonderful speaker at the charter lunch Karen Humphreys MBE who was about to retire as Head of Junior Programmes. It was a delight to present the Helen Latto Soroptimist Prize for singing to Charlotte Dear, a soprano who travels from West Yorkshire for tuition. During the course of the afternoon I spoke to many young people who were celebrating the end of their A levels and looking forward to the next stage of their musical journeys. Several had accepted offers at conservatoires both in the UK and abroad. My overwhelming impression was that I was made
At the South Lancashire Regional Meeting on 8th June our club had a stall selling baked items – cup cakes, cheese scones, muffins and more – and craft items from Act4Africa, one of our partner organisations. We were delighted to raise funds for Act4Africa as well as some of the other charities we support.
Club members were delighted to welcome members from S I Bolton, S I Liverpool and S I Southport to a Climate Fresk workshop on 1st June at Stretford Public Hall. This was an interactive and cooperative workshop where participants explored climate change issues together on a card based game format. This made it easier to see the interesting and often complex interactions between human activity and climate change. These workshops are delivered world-wide, often by volunteer facilitators. Our session was ably delivered by Ethar and Kennedy from Really Recycle. One attendee described the event as ‘Enlightening, thought provoking and challenging at the same time’.
The speaker at our June meeting was Gill Castle from Chameleon Buddies. When Gill, a former police officer, gave birth to her son in October 2011, her joy was accompanied with life-changing injuries due to an undiagnosed tear – two weeks later she left hospital with a stoma. Following this, Gill became a committed and established campaigner dedicated to raising awareness and funds for women affected by childbirth injury both in the UK and in Kenya. During the winter of 2020-21 she swam in open water wearing only a bikini. Last year she completed a challenge to swim the English Channel, a feat which she achieved in 14 hours – ‘The Stoma Swimmer’ is available on BBC iPlayer. Her next challenge is to climb Kilimanjaro in October 2025 to raise funds for a new hospital in Kenya.
Our Pancake Party is an annual fundraising event held at Fiona’s home. Although held slightly later than usual this year it was a great success and raised over £500 for our charities. There was a lovely selection – Mexican Chicken Enchiladas, Vegan Chilli Enchiladas and French Crepes with Spinach and Ricotta, followed by a variety of dessert crepes. Many thanks to Fiona and helpers.
The speaker at our May meeting was the Reverend Canon Jean Hurlston, founder of Oldham Street Angels. When Jean moved to Oldham Parish Church nearly 15 years ago she questioned what the church did for the town. This started a conversation with Oldham Council, Greater Manchester Police and local businesses, particularly those within the night time economy. This resulted in Oldham Street Angels – a team of volunteers working on Saturdays from 9 pm to 1 am in the town centre greeting visitors to pubs and clubs and looking out for those who may be vulnerable through drink or other substances. They wear a very recognisable uniform and carry a bag of useful items including bottled water, a thermal blanket, sanitiser, hats and gloves, naloxone (an opiate antidote) and several information leaflets. On Wednesday and Saturdays they work with rough sleepers, bringing them back to
Our Annual General Meeting was held at the Pinewood Hotel, Handforth, on 18th April. Carole Swarbrick was installed as President by outgoing President, Sue Underwood. Ann Thomas was awarded Honorary Life Membership for ‘… service to SIGBI … (and) the community’. Three members received long service awards – for 95 years in total!
Angela from the Rowley Project spoke at our April meeting. The charity was founded in 2000 after Angela and her husband, Stephen, visited western Kenya. They found that the greatest need was for clean drinking water so returned the following year to establish a water filter project. Since then they have helped to establish a primary school, a secondary school and a dispensary. We were pleased to be able to make a contribution to their fantastic work.
