Last night we held our 88th Annual General Meeting.  It was a hybrid meeting with some members meeting face to face at the Falcon’s Nest and others attending via zoom.  We celebrated our achievements over the last year and appointed officers for the year ahead.  We were delighted when President Pam agreed to continue as President for another year whilst Sharon agreed to take up the presidency after that.

Several club members went to Fallowlees Farm to join with West End Women and Girls centre and their supporters to celebrate International Women’s Day.  There were approximately 70 people there including guests, Jane Percy, Duchess of Northumberland and Dame Margaret Barbour, DBE, DL As part of the celebrations, awards were made by the Duchess of Northumberland and Dame Margaret Barbour to: one volunteer who had been a Domestic Violence Champion who had attended the United Nations to talk about her work;  another who was the first WEWG;s volunteer in 1981;  and a young girl who the fifth generation of her family involved in work with WEWG.               Whilst there members took the opportunity to see the sheep and hives that were the subject of previous posts and some of the trees we had planted in the past including President

One of our members, Cris,   attended  a personal safety event organised by Gateshead.  She had a very  successful morning promoting Soroptimists and met some people doing fantastic work.  

For some years, Newcastle soroptimists have supported the work of Newcastle’s West End Women and Girls Centre  and over the last few years have contributed towards the development of their Northumberland Farm.   We gained a £10k grant which helped develop poly tunnels etc and planted trees there over the years. We were delighted to hear that our latest donation of £400 has purchased two sheep. The sheep are now at the farm  and settled in well!     . The orange one is the youngest and has had one set of twins so far, the green one often has triplets!  And they should be lambing from 1st April onwards. We will keep you updated with their names and when lambing starts!

In addition to supporting the Joseph Cowan Health Care Centre and Newcastle West End’s Foodbank, we also donated £100 to the Felling Foodbank in Gateshead. Staff and volunteers at the Felling Network used our £100 donation to make up packs for 10 families.   We hope that these packs will help bring Christmas cheer to them.

“Our 16 Days of Activism may be ending, but our commitment to ending gender-based violence continues. Stay involved by accessing key resources, sharing information, and advocating for change. Together, we can make a lasting impact. #16Days #PreventionFirst”

“Technology can be used to facilitate Violence Against Women and Girls through online harassment, misinformation, and abuse. However, it can also be a tool for prevention. Promote digital literacy, strengthen laws, and support safe online practices. #16Days #PreventionFirst”    

“Supporting survivors of violence is essential. Listen, believe, and offer resources such as counselling, healthcare, and legal assistance. Creating safe spaces for survivors to heal and rebuild their lives is vital. #16Days #PreventionFirst”  

“Empowering women and girls is a powerful tool in preventing violence. Education, financial independence, and leadership opportunities reduce vulnerability and build resilience. Let’s support initiatives that empower women and girls. #16D#PreventionFirst”