In the 2019 -2020 Programme Action report, we mentioned that club members were very impressed and inspired by two young Domestic Violence Champions who had attended one of our meetings.   We gave their organisation £1000 to provide them with ‘hoodies’ to promote their work. We are going to receive a further update at a future Zoom meeting, but meanwhile they have sent us photographs of their new hoodies which carry the Soroptimist logo.    

In October,  one of our early members, Edith Base,  is being celebrated as one of some hundred women who have made a difference to women and girls in their lives. We are so proud of her and what she has achieved.  In October, you will be able to read her story by following the link below, but meanwhile you can learn more about her by visiting our Club History page. Club History : https://sigbi.org/soroptimistcentenary2021/a-brilliant/showcasing-one-hundred-soroptimists-for-the-centenary-100-4-100/whoisshe-soroptimists-for-the-centenary/   #Whoisshe?  

S.I.Newcastle upon Tyne are donating 100 hand creams to Care Homes in Gosforth.  One member liaised with three retail companies, another provided the bags and walked around all 16 care homes in the area delivering the thanks and good wishes from Newcastle Soroptimists.  

Given the Newcastle Soroptimists’ commitment to supporting the victims of Modern Day Slavery, we wish to raise awareness by forwarding this email about the National Crimestoppers campaign about this subject. With the pandemic lockdown restrictions being eased, the number of visible victims of Modern Slavery is expected to rise. Crimestoppers is urging the general public to pay particular interest to workers in the following sectors; contract cleaning, agriculture, in nail bars, hand cash wash facilities, factories. If you suspect Modern Slavery, please tell us as much as you know. You’ll stay completely anonymous. Your information could help free victims from danger and ensure they receive they support they desperately need from specialist agencies. You can contact Crimestoppers on their freephone number 0800 555 111 Remember that calls to CrimeStoppers are 100% anonymous. Or by visiting their website http://crimestoppers-uk.org/ To guarantee anonymity the CrimeStoppers website uses a proxy server

An Update on Programme Action in lockdown provided by our Programme Action Officer. At our last meeting we had in March – it does seem so long ago!, we were planning our Programme Action for the coming year but little did we know just what was coming  But in just 3 short months despite not being able to meet or even get out for many of us we’ve done so much. We decided to celebrate the Centenary of Soroptimist International by theming some of our PA around 💯 100 tins for the food bank. Challenged by the emergence of Covid19 we adapted by • immediately making donations of £100 to both East and West End Newcastle Foodbanks • encouraging members to make donations of tins into the collection boxes at the supermarkets. Although a Newcastle Club given the current restrictions we agreed that members should support

We are more reliant on nature’s interconnected web and delicate balance than ever. Life on earth would not be possible without nature’s services, yet, these are exceptional times in which nature is sending us a message. Viruses are causing loss of lives and livelihoods; forcing our lives to come to a stand-still. Nature is showing us that life as we know it, is on the verge of a breakdown. This World Environment Day, it’s Time for Nature. Time to reimagine our relationship with nature; and put it at the heart of our decision making. #ForNature Climate change will force people into increasing poverty and displacement, worsening the causes of conflict, making both humanitarian needs and responses in such situations even more complex. This #WorldEnvironmentDay we ask governments to address sustainable options when rebuilding our economies and infrastructures post Covid19 to help stop climate change.  #ForNature

How to access information about provision of sexual and reproductive healthcare during COVID-19. FSRH staff are all working as normal but remotely due to government COVID-19 guidance. You can reach us by our usual phone numbers and email addresses. COVID-19 | Information and SRH resources for members https://www.fsrh.org/fsrh-and-covid-19-resources-and-information-for-srh/ New guidance | Recommended actions for use after incorrect use of CHC Covers combined oral contraceptive pills, vaginal ring and combined transdermal patch https://www.fsrh.org/news/fsrh-publishes-new-guidance-recommended-actions-after-incorrect/ Sexual Health and HIV Policy e-bulletin | Subscribe now Access SRH news, campaigns and policy update https://us8.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=e7045e9fd6db30d4ed82ccfb0&id=38e3eb61fe  

A much-loved session of the annual SIGBI Conferences really does showcase the Best of the Best. There were six winners, each representing a different category and we won the Advocacy one. All winners gave a presentation of their winning Project, and received their Certificates from Programme Director Kay Richmond. Advocacy SI Newcastle-upon-Tyne for their survey “Specialist Domestic Violence Courts – how special are they? How many women suffer unfair treatment in the Special Domestic Violence courts? We ask the question, ’How special are they?” How long can we continue to allow unfairness? Dame Vera Baird, along with the Soroptimist Clubs in Northern England instigated action to change this by observing procedures and behaviours in the law courts. This was undertaken by volunteer court observers, mainly from the North of England Soroptimists and trained by CPS and the Courts Service, observed 223 cases over a 5

Dame Vera Baird appointed as Victims’ Commissioner Congratulations to Dame Vera Baird, a Soroptimist in Newcastle upon Tyne, who has been appointed the new Victims’ Commissioner. She took over the role from Baroness Newlove in mid-June 2019. We wish her every success in her new appointment. v