We had a great day out at The Sill. We managed to dodge the rain. We had a lovely lunch a walk on the roof top to admire the beautiful views. The gift shop was excellent with lots of quality gifts by local artists. The displays were very informative.
Sunderland born Jill Scott was stunned and overwhelmed when she was presented with a statue in her honor this week at The Angel of the North in Gateshead Tyne and wear. The Mayor of Gateshead (Eileen McMaster) joined legendary Lioness Jill at the unveiling of her statue. The mayor said ‘I’m so pleased to welcome Jill back to Gateshead. She is a fantastic advocate for grassroots and community sports, as well as a wonderful ambassador for the North east’. Jill who played football for England has been so inspirational for young girls in the North East and the region. The statue of Jill can be seen next to The Angel of the North for a short period of time as it will be moved to a permanent home in the coming weeks. Jill will take up a new role as a captain on Sky’s popular
SI Newcastle upon Tyne made ‘Green Hearts’ to get the message across that we all need to support the planet and improve our environment . Shirley Hallam requested that we send our pictures to her and that members share these pictures with their local MPs to show that change is needed now to protect the planet for our younger generations. The ‘ Green Hearts’ read THERE IS NO PLANet B, NO SECOND CHANCE, NUTURE NATURE, I GROW MY OWN VEGTABLES.
Our menber, Cris Young, walked a virtual walk from John O Groats to Lands’ End, the distance is 874 miles. The challenge was to raise funds to buy blankets and food for our local foodbanks at Christmas 2022. This was achieved by walking 2 or 3 miles per day, or sometimes 5 or 6 miles, if days had been missed. The duration for the walk was from January 1st 2022 to November 12th 2022 with a target of £300 to be raised. The £300 would be donated to Foodbanks in the area. Well, Cris did complete her walk on November 12th while away on holiday. However, with all the help, support and donations from Soroptimists families , friends and Soroptimists in our club and SI Durham, a magnificent amount of £700 was achieved. Club members Lis Graham, Kath Shearer and Christine Tomkins also contributed by
On Tuesday, December 13th, we met at Twin Farms, for our Christmas lunch. It was wonderful to get together again and to catch up in person. The meal was deftly arranged by Christine Lumsdon. The food was delicious as can be seen from the photographs. Our member, Patricia, brought one of the angels, which she and friends from Morpeth, St. George’s URC, knitted. One of each was included in the Christmas bags which we donated to the Joseph Cowen Healthcare Centre. The angels will be distributed around Morpeth, on trees and bushes, during Christmas week. So if you happen to be in Morpeth (Northumberland) look out for them.
On Friday November 25th we were invited to an event by West End Women and Girls’ Centre. This event was part of the UN 16 days of Activism to End Gender Based Violence. It celebrated the work being done and was a rally for the work still to come. It was a space for hope and collective activism; two women are killed each week by a current or former partner in England; we choose now to raise the voices of women in the north. Open Clasp Theatre Company held a special screening of Open Clasp’s award-winning play ‘Key Change’ and it was followed by a panel discussion to unite us and pledge support in ending violence against women and girls. It was hosted by Huffty (the Centre Coordinator). The panel included Elswick Ward Councillor, Miriam Mafemba, Police and Crime Commissioner, Kim McGuinness, star of Don’t
SI Newcastle upon Tyne – were you? Why were we marching? To raise awareness of the level of violence against women and girls taking place across the world and make sure people keep talking about it. To demand that local leaders, politicians and decision makers take action to make our homes, streets and institutions safe for all women and girls. To remember all those lost to gender based violence and show solidarity to all those fighting to end it. A selection of photographs and a link to a video https://youtube.com/shorts/htgCZcDe60k?feature=share taken on the night:
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Today a few of us met at Joint President Christine’s house to pack the Christmas bags for the ladies who attend this Centre in Byker. The Centre is jointly run by Newcastle Gateshead CCG and Newcastle City Council. The Centre exists to ensure people who are experiencing homelessness, or are not registered with a GP, can have access to primary healthcare and support services. The Joseph Cowen Health Centre provides a drop-in facility where visitors are able to access a variety of health and wellbeing services. The Centre offers a twice weekly GP service, a weekly Sexual Health Clinic which is run by Newcroft Centre staff, a harm reduction support service that includes Newcastle Treatment and Recovery (NTaR) advice and support, drop-in sessions twice weekly, and a needle exchange service five days a week. The centre also offers a safe space for
2022’s Charter Lunch was held in a new venue, the Copthorne Hotel, on Newcastle’s Quayside. The room looked beautiful especially as the tables were adorned by lovely flower arrangements created by Progamme Action Officer, Christine Lowthian. Forty-eight Soroptimists and guests were welcomed by Joint President Christine who also delivered the Soroptimist Grace. A number of local clubs were represented including S.I. Durham, S.I. Tynemouth and Whitley Bay & District, S.I. Tynedale. We also had visitors from further afield: S.I. Dumfries and Galloway, S.I. Glasgow City and S.I. Greater London. Lunch was delicious! Following lunch, the Loyal Toast was proposed by Joint President Christine. After a short break, Dame Vera Baird DBE KC spoke about her working life: ‘A career supporting women and girls’. Dame Vera’s story is a fascinating one. From a childhood in Oldham, being given ‘suitable’ girls’ toys and wanting to be a
