When our Centenary tree was planted in Manchester’s Alexandra Park, we were given an interesting talk regarding the history of the park and its importance to Manchester. It was one of Manchester’s earliest parks laid out between 1868 and 1870. In an era of smoking chimneys and extensive pollution it was the only green space available to hundreds of workers. In 1906, a glass house was opened to house an extensive collection of cacti and succulent plants bequeathed by a Manchester born industrialist, Charles Darragh. Over 1600 plants were housed there from his private collection which was said to be rivalled only by the collection in London’s Kew Gardens. By 1913, militant suffragettes had mounted bombing and arson campaigns across London and the Kew Gardens glasshouses were severely damaged. At the end of 1913, there was a bomb explosion at the  Alexandra Park Cactus House

Soroptimist International Manchester is continuing sponsorship of Ashton on Mersey Tigers Under 12s, a team in the South Manchester Girls’ League, by providing training tops. We received a lovely thank you message from their coach and a summary of the most recent match –       Great to be back in action today and an excellent performance where we were unlucky not to score more goals. With a bit of autumn sun warming the players, they battled brilliantly in defence. The highlight, however, was the quality of the passing – we are really improving on this. Well done everyone.  

On its UK tour, the musical High Society recently spent two weeks at The Lowry, Salford Quays. Carole, Val and Hilary, members of our occasional theatre-going club, decided that some theatrical escapism would be a good idea and they were not disappointed. High Society was a sleek and sophisticated production.  Cole Porter’s lyrics and music brought to life a different era with unforgettable songs like “Who wants to be a millionaire”, “True Love”, “Well did you ever,” superbly performed. Far too soon it was all over, and it was back down to earth and home on a crowded tram! This was musical theatre to remember for a long time.   Why not join us for the next trip? Hilary Dodd

Soroptimist International Manchester are enthusiastic supporters of Contact Hostel which was founded by a former nun Brigid Murphy who realised the particular issues experienced by young girls facing homelessness. Contact provides accommodation and support for vulnerable and homeless girls aged 16-25. Nine girls are offered a safe and supportive space where they can heal, grow and thrive. Many of the girls have come from challenging circumstances including relationship breakdowns, domestic violence, forced marriage or have experienced physical and emotional abuse. During a recent visit members of the club learned that in order to provide an environment which offers a welcoming and homely atmosphere and which also helps the young women explore education, job or training opportunities the charity needs to raise £250,000 per year. This in addition to housing benefit and housing related support from Manchester City Council. Sometimes help comes from unexpected sources. For

Soroptimist International Manchester’s intrepid quizzers ran the gauntlet of general knowledge and picture questions at a quiz organised by SI St Helen’s at their venue in the town. To support St Helen’s fundraising, we fielded two teams and it was “One Hundred not out” (Fiona, Paul, Sue and Mike) who pipped “Centenary Superstars” (Sophie, Val and Hilary) to the post, coming a creditable third overall on the night. A hotpot supper fortified the quizzers and ensured that an entertaining, if not brain-taxing, evening was enjoyed by us all. Over £2000 was raised for St Helen’s charities. By the way – Do you know which two female Scottish singers sang James Bond film songs? How many Grand National Races did Lester Piggott win? Hilary Dodd      

Did you know? 80% of women in the UK have experienced harassment in public spaces. 88% of people in the UK have experienced some form of unwanted behaviour on public transport in the past five years. The most common behaviours include staring, intimidatingly sitting or standing too close, and verbal abuse — according to research by L’Oréal Paris and the Suzy Lamplugh Trust. You can learn how to recognise harassment and support women safely by joining a free 30-minute training webinar: Stand Up Against Harassment, offered by the Suzy Lamplugh Trust in partnership with L’Oréal Paris. This training empowers you to act as an active bystander when you witness harassment — without putting yourself at risk.

Soroptimist International Manchester’s summer fundraiser arrived in the form of a charity lunch and race day with virtual horse-racing being the order of the day. It was a welcome opportunity for guests to dust off their finest garb and step out in style in support of the numerous charities we support. The event was well attended with members from all South Lancashire clubs in attendance and began with convivial gatherings in the bar, where hats and fascinators were in abundance and friends from different clubs had an opportunity to catch up before the excitement of the racing commenced. Once settled and following a welcome from President Sophie, the betting rules were explained. There were to be six horse races in total with footage from live races projected onto a large screen, some jump races and some on the flat with eight runners in each. Local

The unusually sultry weather we have experienced in Manchester of late has been difficult and uncomfortable for many of us. Electric fans have been flying off the shelves and more difficult to obtain than tickets for an Oasis concert! For women who sex work and/or are homeless, a heatwave presents even greater challenges than usual and particular difficulties, with increased health risk related to sun exposure and greater need for basic items needed to maintain personal comfort, hygiene and dignity.         Following a “shout out” for useful essentials that may be donated for the women at Manchester Action on Street Health (MASH), numerous club members donated money to the sum of £200, which was used to fund a delivery of the most needed items including protective sun cream, underwear, body wipes, shampoo, conditioner and shower gel. The following messages from Janelle and

Experiencing domestic abuse can feel isolating, and finding support isn’t always easy. That’s why the UK SAYS NO MORE campaign created Safe Spaces — working with pharmacies, banks, and selected jobcentres across the UK to provide private, secure rooms for anyone experiencing domestic abuse. Look out for the posters at participating locations. Simply walk in and ask a staff member at the counter to use their Safe Space. Inside, you can: Contact friends or family safely Reach specialist support services Start your journey to safety and recovery Safe Spaces offer a discreet and secure way to get help when you need it most. Find your nearest Safe Space: uksaysnomore.org/safespaces Watch this video from Sussex Police: Do the Right Thing  Soroptimists continue to take action to improve women’s safety in our communities. Learn more about our work: sigbi.org/what-we-do/our-work/womens-safety. #StandingUpForWomenAndGirls #Soroptimists #SafeSpace #WomensSafety #UKSaysNoMore