GM4Women2028 is a charity focused on promoting equality and diversity for the benefit of the community in Greater Manchester and to making Greater Manchester a better place for women and girls. Areas of focus are – employment, safety, participation, education, and culture and active lives. The Annual Pankhurst-Fawcett Scorecard Reveal & Celebration Event on 6th February was attended by seven members of our Club. The results can be seen in the delegate pack on the organisation’s website.

MANCHESTER WOMEN’S AID On 6th December members enjoyed another successful evening packing over 100 mugs for Manchester Women’s Aid. Every women arriving at a refuge, after escaping domestic violence,  is given her own mug carefully wrapped in biodegradeable paper and containing sachets of tea, coffee, chocolate and a biscuit. These are greatly appreciated and members are delighted to be able to help in this way. It was appropriate that we were able to do this during the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence. Thanks to Rose for hosting the evening. WOMENMATTA On 7th December President Sue and Programme Action Committee Chair Sophie delivered 250 diaries, vouchers and toiletries. Diaries were requested by the organisation (part of Women in Prison) to help women leaving the criminal justice system to organise their lives.  Sophie found that they were desperately in need of warm clothes and shoes

During National Tree Week thousands of trees are planted to mark the start of the tree planting season and to help offset climate change. Manchester Soroptimists, with the help of Friends of Didsbury Park, planted a Wedding Cake tree and enjoyed coffee and a chat in the Pavilion Cafe afterwards.

This campaign is run annually from November 25 (International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women) to December 10 (International Human Rights Day). This year’s theme is End Femicide.      

Members from SI Manchester attended the 88th Federation Conference of Soroptimist International of Great Britain and Ireland. The 2 day conference took place in Belfast and was attended by up to 500 Soroptimists. Members enjoyed listening to excellent speakers talking about empowering women and girls, developing technology to be more proactive in health care, creating an environment fit for the future, working towards gender equality and learning about the current work of the British Red Cross. The excellent project work improving the lot of women and girls was recognised and celebrated. There was much fun and friendship in evidence as members met up with friends made at previous conferences.  Conversations were shared over coffee or meals often late into the night.  Time was made for visits to Northern Ireland’s special places like the Giant’s Causeway and the Titanic Quarter.  Despite the cold weather several hardy Soroptimists took the open

Two capital sums bequeathed to the club were donated to the Royal Northern College of Music for investment, with the interest gained to be used annually to bestow a prize to a student. In the graduate school the prize is the Soroptimist Prize for Composing or Conducting and in the junior school it is the Helen Latto Prize for singing. Helen was President of S I Manchester in 1980-81. Susan Hollick represented President Sue this year –  The concert showcased ten very accomplished performances on trumpet, horn, violin, flute, clarinet, piano and voice and the works as varied as Chopin, Samuel Barber, Gabriel Faure and Fritz Kreisler, played and sung by amazing young people between 11 and 16 years old. Susan presented the Helen Latto prize to soprano Alex Wilkinson – Alex said  … being awarded the prize truly made my heart sing.