Good Morning to all sister Soroptimists
Some of you may have seen a previous weekly email that was sent out in error on Friday. Apologies for this but my IT skills ran away with me in the stress of creating my first message to you all. I am going to continue Joyce’s numbering ( now week 51 ) as a reminder of how time passes while we are still affected by the circumstances of the Pandemic.
First, I must express my sincere thanks to Joyce for the remarkable work that she has achieved over the past year. Who would have guessed that the world would change so dramatically and affect us all in every detail of our daily lives. Joyce rose to the challenge and this weekly email emerged as one of the most successful strategies to keep us all connected and informed. I hope that you continue to enjoy reading of the activities of members and clubs across Northern England and will let me have news of your own to share.
I appreciate that as we move into April that you are all engaged in your Club Annual General Meetings and that there may be changes to the contacts on this mailing list. So please do remember to let our Regional Secretary Joan Heckles know of any changes so that my own list can also be changed.
S.I. Tynemouth, Whitley Bay & District are active supporters of their local women’s refuge and always put together Mother’s Day gifts for those who are living in the 17 units. This year the gifts were a mug reminding them
that they are all lovely Mums, hand cream and a nail file. They were all beautifully wrapped by members Sue McSharry and Anne Gunning. The staff at the refuge were absolutely delighted and thanked the members for always remembering them.
S.I. Sunderland held an innovative on-line Craft and Promises Auction. They thought ‘outside the box’ and wondered how to make a final push for their President’s Charity. Back in January they invited members to make or promise items to cook which they could catalogue and auction on-line to raise funds. Friends and family also made items to add to the collection. They had a long list of knitted toys; embroidered cushions; hand painted cards and pictures; promised Afternoon Teas and a South African meal as well as bird boxes; a bug hotel; tote bags; doorstops and purses – all handmade. The catalogue was circulated and bids were invited for lot items and these initial bids were the starting point for the 
Auction held on Zoom on the 10th March. Members were thrilled to bits that so many people took part and that they raised £685 in these particularly difficult times.
S.I. Darlington & District :
On 21st March, Club members – plus four men – gathered on Tornado Way to plant 100 trees. This was organised by Carole Sobkowiak who liaises between the Club and the Darlington Forest Project. Roz Henderson, coordinator of the DFP, spoke to club members during a Zoom meeting earlier in the year. The charity was founded in November 2019 with the aim of doubling Darlington’s tree covering by 2030 by planting new trees and helping to protect existing ones. Over the past few months volunteers and community groups have planted getting on for 7,000 whips alongside Tornado Way, a road which follows part of the track of the Stockton & Darlington Railway. Our 100 trees, as well as marking the Centenary of S.I., will contribute to the Bicentennial Celebrations of the S&DR in 2025.
Photos of these endeavours have gained a lot of interest and praise on Facebook and have certainly raised the Club’s profile. Darlington members now say that they have quite a concise
answer to the question “What is a Soroptimist?”.
#WHOISSHE Our latest April entry in this gallery of eminent Regional Soroptimists was a member of S.I.Newcastle upon Tyne . Dr Dorothea W.Sinton M.B., Ch.B. was a founder member of the Newcastle Club in 1937 and became its second Club President from 1939 to 1941. She had qualified as a doctor from Liverpool University and became the Senior Medical Officer of Newcastle’s Women’s Advisory Clinics in 1929. This was in a time when there was extensive debate on the rights and wrongs of birth control. There was an official ban on Local Authorities providing contraception services.
Dr.Sinton was a brave pioneer who started these women’s clinics in the depressed west end of the City where she passionately supported those women struggling in poverty . She is quoted as saying “ there is nothing dignified in a diseased woman bringing a sickly child into a poverty stricken household”. The Newcastle Clinic was founded with gifts of £100 each from Lady Denham and the Durham Miners Welfare Committee. In later years, Dr.Sinton extended her clinics into the surrounding colliery villages where women had never had access 
to a woman doctor before. She fought publicly for the equal rights to education for women, and for the recognition of women doctors. She died in 1987 at the age of 88 years. Her contribution to the improvement in the health and welfare of women on Tyneside will never be forgotten. Please do read more abut her on the #whoisshe web page on sigbi.org.(See Dorothea Sinton as she started her training ).
A little reminder that the next REGIONAL COFFEE GATHERING will be held on Saturday
10 April from 10.30 to 11.30am. This is a week later than usual due to the Bank Holiday Easter Weekend. Any member wishing to join this very sociable gathering – please do contact Margaret Ayton on Newcastle.upon.tynesoroptimist@yahoo.com and she will send you a Zoom link to join us.
S.I.Newcastle upon Tyne is holding an Open Recruitment evening on Tuesday 13 April from 7.0pm to 9.0pm on Zoom. If you know of any friends of family living in or near Newcastle, then please do pass on this date and invitation and be assured that a warm welcome will be awaiting them. There will be an introductory presentation about Soroptimism and then members and Club activities, as well as time to chat and ask questions.
Again – request a link from Margaret Ayton on Newcastle.upon.tynesoroptimist@yahoo.com in order to join them.
Writing this first news-email has been quite an experience! Learning my way round new IT skills and realising how much more I have to learn. I am very grateful to clubs and members who make up this weekly message and I do hope that you all will continue to send in items to share.
Remember – TRY TO BE THE RAINBOW IN SOMEONE ELSE’S CLOUD (Maya Angelou )
Enjoy your week ahead and let us all hope that the slight relaxing of the COVID regulations on Monday will come into being and life will become a little freer. Keep safe and well – in friendship.
Christine
Northern England Regional President