PRESS RELEASE Date: 11th November 2017
Newcastle upon Tyne Soroptimists have organised a series of events and activities to commemorate 80 years of transforming the lives of young girls and women in the local community and beyond. The Newcastle upon Tyne Soroptimists were first presented with their charter at the Club’s first Annual Dinner in November 1937. Soroptimist International Newcastle member, Cris Young, has found an innovative way to update a traditional charity walk as part of the celebrations. During an eighty mile walk around the North East, she is snapping eighty images of the local area, in order to raise money for victims of the recent Caribbean Hurricanes and raise awareness of the Soroptimists.
The Soroptimists will also be finding out what life was like for women eighty years ago, when Freda Thompson, a local storytelling historian, delivers a talk at their 80th Annual Charter Lunch. In her talk entitled: ‘1930’s Hopes, Dreams and Reality’ she will examine the consuming and physically tiring nature of work for women in the 1930’s. Since their establishment, Newcastle Soroptimists have been involved in many projects to support the education, welfare and development of women and girls locally, nationally and internationally. Recent initiatives have included supporting homeless women at the Joseph Cowen Healthcare Centre in Byker, New Start Bags for trafficked women and girls, and facilitating the Stop the Traffik GIFT box – a Partnership Project on sexual exploitation in human trafficking with colleagues from SI Darlington, Middlesbrough, Newcastle, South Shields, Sunderland, Tynedale, and Tynemouth & Whitley Bay. Newcastle Soroptimist President Jill Smith said: “I’m so proud that our club is celebrating its 80th year. We have a long and distinguished history, both in the service we have undertaken and also in the formidable women we have been lucky enough to have had as members. I hope the club continues to prosper and hope I’m around to see it celebrate its centenary!”
Soroptimist International Great Britain and Ireland (SIGBI) Limited, Company Number 07058666
Notes to Editors
1. Web addresses: https://sigbi.org/northern-england – SIGBI Northern England www.sigbi.org – Soroptimist International Great Britain & Ireland www.soroptimistinternational.org – Soroptimist International
Soroptimist International Northern England https://sigbi.org/northern-england https:// www.facebook.com/Northern-England-Soroptimists https://twitter.com/NESoroptimists 2. Soroptimist International is a leading global women’s voluntary organisation. It has close to 90,000 members in more than 3,000 Clubs in over 100 countries around the world. The Federation of Soroptimist International Great Britain and Ireland (SIGBI) has members in more than 350 clubs in 29 countries including the British Isles, Africa, Asia (including Pakistan), the Caribbean and Malta. 3. Soroptimists inspire action and create opportunities to transform the lives of women and girls through a global network of members and international partnerships. Soroptimists are committed to a world where women and girls together achieve their individual and collective potential, realise aspirations and have an equal voice in creating strong and peaceful communities worldwide. 4. Soroptimists focus on transforming the lives of women and girls, locally, nationally and globally, through education, empowerment and enabling initiatives. Soroptimists make a difference to the lives of more than half a million women and girls in the world every year. 6. Soroptimist International has consultative status at the United Nations and is a recognised Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) representing women from all over the world. 7. For more information about Soroptimist International of Great Britain & Ireland (SIGBI) on 0161 480 7686, email hq@sigbi.org website www.sigbi.org
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