We are extremely proud to have nominated Dr Ruth Nicholson for a plaque commemorating her life and work as a pioneering surgeon in WW1(awarded the French Croix de Guerre) and later as a founder and a Fellow of the Royal College of Obstetrics and Gynaecologist. Our Lord Mayor (Councillor Habib Rahman) unveiled the plaque Friday, August 27th 2021. Several club members there were President Christine, Christine Lo., Christine Lu. Doreen and Heather. The main speakers were Professor Alison Murdoch ( representing the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists)  and Baroness Joyce Quin.    About 10 relatives of Ruth Nicholson attended including Rosemary who was married to Ruth’s nephew. They were thrilled and very pleased that this honour had been given to their relative and very proud of the plaque.   Further details of Dr. Ruth Nicholson’s life and work can be found on our website.

  September 1st has been designed as a Day of Action for Afghanistan. We stand in solidarity with our sisters during this difficult time. @sinewcastle @sigbi @sibangkok#askmewhyiamasoroptimist We stand with Afghanistan @soroptimists @siesperance @soroptimist_intl_bangkok @soroptimistgbi @streetwise_newcastle @strongwomenuk #askmewhyiamasoroptimist

Sadly Tuesday’s meeting started with Pres. Christine informing us of the sad passing of Dorothy Sisterson, a long serving club member and a former President.   Dorothy was passionate about supporting the education of girls and women and was also a driving force behind the club’s Sensory Garden Project.   A very kind and generous lady, she will be greatly missed.  The club held a minute’s silence to remember Dorothy. We were then pleased to welcome a new linked member, Riette, who is a language teacher and we hope that she will enjoy her time with our club. After a brief business meeting, we welcomed our evening’s speaker, Ed Chivers, Volunteering and Engagement Coordinator, from Urban Green who gave a stimulating presentation about the work of his organisation in looking after the 33 parks and 66 + allotment sites in Newcastle.    His presentation generated numerous questions based

At tonight’s meeting, Programme Action was the focus with plenty of exciting projects covered. These included: Trauma Teddies, support for the West End Women and Girls’ Centre, the Gardening Project, the Blue Plaque update, the Police and Crime Commissioner’s Survey, Climate Change Day of Action on July 17th, managing Programme Action, the 500 Miles Big Dinner proposal, supporting a member as Regional Treasurer, the club’s accounts to our Friendship Link with SI Bangkok. Phew! And all in 2 hours… @soroptimist_intl_bangkok @soroptimists #sigbi #soroptimist #soroptimistinternational #femaleempowerment #femaleleadership #strongwomen #askmewhyiamasoroptimist​

Yesterday afternoon SI Newcastle upon Tyne President Christine visited Gosforth East Middle School’s Gardening Club to see the progress in the school garden. The club and individual members had donated money to buy tools, together with pallets, potato sacks, seed potatoes, nets, hoops and top soil. The children brought enthusiasm and enjoyment! The produce will be used in Food Technology lessons. We are now working towards supporting another school in Newcastle. @soroptimist_intl_bangkok @soroptimists #sigbi #soroptimist #soroptimistinternational #askmewhyiamasoroptimist

Three years ago, we shared a post about 4 New Start Bags being gifted by Christinane Kitchakarn ( SI Bangkok) on a trip to Bradley Gardens.  We are now delighted to say that we have established a Friendship Link with S.I. Bangkok  and look forward to future sharing of ideas, projects and friendship.

SI Newcastle upon Tyne are proud that former president, Dame Vera Baird DBE,QC, has been included in Soroptimist International of Great Britain and Ireland’s #WhoisShe campaign. Vera Baird DBE QC is a British criminal barrister with a distinguished career as a lawyer and Parliamentarian (Labour MP for Redcar 2001-10). Vera Baird QC was Solicitor General for England andWales from 2007 to 2010. This was followed by her election as Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC).Writer on crimes against women and of women’s experiences in court, Vera Baird QC was appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire(DBE) in the 2017 New Year Honours list, for services to women and equality. She has spent her working life fighting injustice. Her current focus is on improvement in victims’ legal representation and in the court system. Vera Baird QC joined Soroptimist International (SI) of Newcastle upon

  The meeting started with President Christine informing the club of the sad news of the passing of Pres. Johanna M. Raffan, M.B.E., President of Soroptimist International of Great Britain and Ireland last week.   She reflected on the life and career of President Johanna and led the club in a one minute’s silence as a mark of respect. We were delighted to induct a new member, Mandy, whose experience in youth and community work will be a huge asset to the work of our club.  Mandy has already led on the club’s work in responding to the Police and Crime Commissioner’s questionnaire on City Safety. We had a very interesting and informative talk about how the probation services work with perpetrators of Domestic Abuse.  Our speaker was Paul Weatherstone, a Senior Probation Officer,  who spoke about the history of how domestic abuse had been regarded