Fylde Soroptimists’ “80 FOR 80” Launch Members and friends of Fylde Soroptimists celebrated the start of their 80th year by launching the “80 for 80” Toilet Twinning project.  The event took place in the new Pavilion Café at AKS School, where Head of School Catering, Steve Shepherd, gave a masterclass in making canapés. Attendees enjoyed the delicious results with prosecco and elderflower cocktails. The group raised £200 from the raffle – all prizes, including a microwave oven, a magnum of Bordeaux wine, an afternoon tea for two, hampers and bottles of fizz – were donated by friends. A further £36 was raised from the sale of loo rolls and soap – all monies going into the toilet twinning fund. A number of toilets were also pledged, bringing the total twinned to date to 20 – giving basic sanitation, hygiene training and clean water to 20

Rishton and Great Harwood  Soroptimist club member Joyce Hargreaves was recently presented with an award for her long standing voluntary work with the NHS. Joyce who is secretary of the Rishton and Great Harwood club began working many years ago with the East Lancashire Primary Care Trust looking after local health care services. Following on from the introduction of the 2012 Health and Social Care Act, in 2013 the Primary Care Trusts were replaced by Clinical Commissioning Groups, who Joyce continues to volunteer with.. The Clinical Commissioning Group is a clinically led statutory NHS body responsible for the planning and commissioning of health care services for their local area. Joyce, along with her colleagues  has spent many years attending meetings, visiting Hospitals and Doctors Surgeries hoping to improve the standard of healthcare for all of us. The award was presented as part of the Clinical Commissioning Groups annual

The Rose Bowl Event for 2017 was held on Thursday 18 May, when the following set of Limericks were performed and voting took place. Full write-up and pictures are on the Rose Bowl page. Blackburn A reluctant reporter was sent To cover an SI event She liked what we do, With fun & friendship too And now she’s the club’s president!   Blackpool & District There is a Sorop in our region Whose work with P.A. is a legion. She knits, sews, recycles, Collects in great bag  fulls That friendly Sorop in our region. Burnley There was a kind lady named Joyce Who frightened us all with her voice. She made us all knit When we wanted to quit That bossy, sweet lady named Joyce.   The Fylde Some Soroptimists living in Fylde Said one day “Girls, let’s go a bit wild” “Toilet twinning we’ll

[new_royalslider id=”18″]   Around 125 delegates attended the Northwest Regional Conference on Saturday May 13 – some arriving on the Friday evening and the others coming in time for coffee and biscuits on the Saturday morning. After the housekeeping announcements and welcome from Regional President Angie Christopher, Conference Chair Judith Grocott introduced the first speaker, Federation President Ann Hodgson.  Ann admitted this was her first time visiting the Northwest region.  She enthused about the future of the organisation telling us to think outside the box and try new things. Emily Rose Yates was the next speaker.  A personable and vivacious young woman who admitted she like to talk about herself.  Emily told us of her adventures as a wheelchair user from cage diving with sharks to being the first disabled woman to cross the Sinai Desert via camel.  She has achieved much and her need

22 April 2017 – Barton Grange Garden Centre [new_royalslider id=”17″] Regional President Angie Christopher and a team of members from local Soroptimist clubs arranged a Family Fun Day at Barton Grange Garden Centre to highlight the Federation’s chosen project: The Meru Women’s Garden Project, Kenya. The charity helps women and girls to be self- sufficient, to have a voice in their community and enables them to earn an income to support their families. Children enjoyed face-painting, colouring and word sheets with an African theme. They potted plants, made plant markers and created a mural comparing plants which grow in the UK with those in Kenya. Both children and adults could try carrying water containers, learning how heavy this work is. All these activities, apart from face-painting, were free. There was also a Kenya themed quiz for adults to try and a tombola for all the

BPW Lunch On International Women’s Day, 8th March 2017, members of BPW North West and Soroptimists from the North West England and the Isle of Man Region joined together to celebrate at a lunch held at Barton Grange Hotel.  Therese Green from the Maachild charity talked about their work to provide 4 years of secondary education for disadvantaged Maasai children in South Kenya.  Maachild provides the funds, equipment and accommodation for children to continue their education after primary level when attendances at school drop.  This was the first time our two organisations had come together for an event and as everyone had really enjoyed it we hope it will not be the last. Angie Christopher – Regional President