On Sunday 11th July, 30 members, friends and family met at the Pinewood Hotel for a very enjoyable lunch. We had been unable to hold our Charter Dinner earlier in the year, so decided to arrange a social occasion as soon as circumstances allowed. It was good to see old friends and identify new ones. Our Honorary Member, Kathleen, had made a special effort to come from her home in Anglesey. As usual, the Pinewood did us proud and the staff were lovely. Maureen Heywood    

Following her Zoom talk in May, our member Carina held another at the end of June. At this she enthusiastically urged us all to look out for and try the following – Bush Vetch Use purple flowers and top leaves to garnish salads Cleavers This plant is known by many names – for example, sticky buds which children throw at each other because it will stick to their clothes. However, it’s much better to use it in salads with mayonnaise or in drinks Red Clover Use the young leaves and flowers Forget-me-nots, marigolds and nasturtiums  Can all be used in salads Mugwort Makes a very calming tea Carina suggested that, in the future, we all meet up and go foraging together; this was greeted with enthusiasm. Before ending the meeting, Carina set us all a challenge – to look out for a very common plant

At a Zoom meeting in May, Carina, chair of our new Planet committee, gave a very interesting talk on foraging. From a list of dozens of edible plants she chose just six to discuss with us. These were:-     Hawthorn – all parts edible including flowers, leaves and berries Dandelion – all parts edible. Use in soups and salads. You can even make coffee from the root Nettles – make delicious soup Wild Garlic – all parts edible. Delicious as salad leaves but can be added to many dishes. Garlic Mustard, sometimes called Jack by the Hedge Bitter Hairy Cress – great in salads. (Very invasive in the garden!) Carina explained how to distinguish edible plants from similar-looking ones and recommended the Google Lens App to use with your mobile phone when out foraging. Her passion encouraged us all to “have a go” and

The Sunflower Challenge invited members to plant at least one sunflower seed by World Bee Day on 20th May. The pollen and nectar are readily accessible to bees. and bees are vital to both pollinate the food we need to survive and pollinate many of the trees and flowers that provide habitats for wildlife.  

This is a 12 month challenge with the aim of reducing our collective carbon footprint. Members were asked to calculate their carbon footprint and then implement one big change and two or three small changes. Suggestions for big changes included becoming vegetarian, avoiding cruises and flights or using the TreeApp to plant a (free) tree every day. Suggestions for small changes included switching to glass milk bottles, using public transport rather than a car, buying local produce, using rechargeable batteries, covering pans when cooking on the hob, foraging for food. Prizes will be awarded in April 2022 for the members who persuade the most people to join the challenge and for the most innovative idea for tackling climate change!

At a Zoom social meeting Club member Ali showed members and friends how to make Bara Brith. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed the evening and there was plenty of time to chat while the Bara Brith cooked. Comments included Fabulous evening Funny and messy A great fun night – thanks Ali for arranging it Please with my first effort – enjoyed licking my fingers, the bowl, the spoon ….. Ali said “Thanks to everyone for joining the (very late) St David’s Day Bake Along. It was lovely to share my Welsh recipe that I’ve adapted from my Mam’s cook book.. I hope your Bara Brith tastes as good as they looked.”

March was Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month and the speakers at our Club meeting were Siobhan Ferguson and Sylvia Pearl from the Dianne Oxberry Trust. Siobhan and Sylvia contributed the following for our newsletter.- When the much-loved broadcaster Dianne Oxberry died in January 2019, people from across the North West showed an incredible outpouring of love and grief. Overwhelmed by the public response, Dianne’s husband Ian decided to join forces with some of her closest friends and harness the amazing positivity that surfaced following her death to form the Dianne Oxberry Trust – a charity which aims to raise awareness of the signs and symptoms of ovarian cancer with local women. In order to improve outcomes for women, it’s vital that more people – especially those in the most at risk categories – know how to spot the symptoms and when to see their doctor. Speed

International Women’s Day was marked around the world on 8th March with events celebrating the achievements of women and calling for greater equality.  The day has been recognised by the United Nations since 1975 although, in some European countries, it was first marked in 1911. The theme for this year was ‘Choose to Challenge’ – members were asked to take photos of themselves with a raised hand to show their commitment  to creating a more inclusive world. This fits well with the Soroptimist mission to transform the lives of women and girls through education. empowerment and enabling opportunities.  The Club was pleased to be able, thanks to specific donations from three members, to donate £120 to Manchester Action on Street Health.

We have had a request from Eliazar Rose at New Hope for knitted woolly beanie hats for the children. We all assume that the temperature in India is always high but apparently from late November to February they have very cold winds, which can cause the children to have chilblains on their ears. This is especially so for the Hill Tribes – the poorest of the poor – who are cared for by New Hope. Maureen Heywood New Hope is a charity based in Orissa, India, that the Club has supported for many years. Initially we sent clean, used tights which were used for leprosy patients to secure dressings. When leprosy became less prevalent we continued to support the charity by funding a hospice for HIV/AIDS children and cataract operations for the elderly. We have sponsored a schoolgirl and continue to send used greetings cards