Presidents Weekly Message – Week Forty-Two

Good Morning Soroptimist Sisters,

We have experienced a week of varied weather – rain, [lots of it,] strong winds, snow and ice and occasional clear, blue skies. Sadly, again, some areas have seen severe flooding, with evacuation from homes being exceptionally problematic with social distancing etc. I really hope that you are all safe and have been able to keep dry?

This week also saw the inauguration of the new President of the United States in a ceremony on Capitol Hill, Washington, on Wednesday. As I watched on television, I was struck by some words spoken by the young lady Laureate – Amanda Gorman – from her poem The Hill We Climb:

When day comes, we step out of the shade, aflame and unafraid

The new dawn blooms as we free it

For there is always light, if we are brave enough to see it

If only we are brave enough to be it.

CLUB NEWS

I have exciting news from SI South Shields to share. Thanks to the efforts of their members, South Tyneside Council has agreed to erect a Blue Plaque to a remarkable South Shields lady – AMY CECILIA FLAGG 1893 – 1965

Amy Flagg was a local historian, photographer and philanthropist who saw huge changes in the social structure of the UK and South Shields in particular, and who was ahead of her time in her vision of making a record of the changing face of the town with the effects of World War 11. She quietly went about this work, seeking no acknowledgement, but managed to gain respect and recognition through the dedication and diligence with which she undertook her work. She documented in photographs the devastation of the town’s buildings wreaked by the German bombs. Gaining recognition, she became the town’s official photographer throughout the remainder of the war.

Amy had spent much of her time before the war volunteering at the town’s hospital, reading to patients, or in the town’s library helping someone find information about the town. Her extensive papers, research, published works and photographs were deposited in the local library where they remain to this day.

She was also heavily involved with the local hospital – the Ingham Infirmary – through donations of bed and bath linen and bequeathed a substantial amount of money to the Infirmary.

There is much more about this lady’s vast achievements in the Club’s submission to the Council, which was described as a ‘well researched nomination’. I also found much more about her online including photographs.

The plaque will be located at what remains of Chapel House, Westoe Village, Amy’s family home, which she generously gave to South Shields Town Council, to facilitate the continued development of the Marine and Technical College.

Well done to SI South Shields members for their initiative and the hard work in gaining recognition for this important female figure in their town’s history.

SI Newcastle upon Tyne members are working on something similar in their city and we look forward to hearing about this in the future.

Kathy Warrick of SI Middlesbrough, sent me some good news about their campaigning efforts from Age UK described in this acknowledgement:

Happily, I have some brilliant news to share – we’ve had a campaign win! Thanks to you, older people who have faced domestic abuse, will finally be recognised. At the moment, official domestic abuse statistics don’t count anyone over the age of 74, meaning older victims and survivors risk being forgotten about and overlooked.

 However, I am thrilled to tell you that the Office of National Statistics and the Government have listened to your campaigning and data will now be collected on all victims and survivors of domestic abuse, whatever their age. Campaigners like you made sure this ageism couldn’t be ignored, and it paid off. This change will make a real difference for many older people.

REGIONAL NEWS

Some of you may be aware that for a few years, SI Newcastle upon Tyne,  held monthly Coffee Mornings in John Lewis store in central Newcastle, usually on the first Saturday of each month. Members from other clubs joined on some occasions. Of course, since last March, this has not been possible. 

Now you are all invited to attend a ZOOM COFFEE MORNING for a chat; bring your own coffee, of course!  The first of these will be on Saturday 6 February 2021 at 10.30am.

Please contact – Margaret Ayton –  margaretayton40@gmail.com  – who will send you the Zoom link.

It will last about an hour and you can drop in and out as you wish. Thank you to Margaret and Kath Shearer for organising this.

I look forward to seeing some of you there.