Good Morning Soroptimist Sisters,
I think you will agree that the week has ended in disappointment as the spiralling number of Coronavirus cases has resulted in many areas facing renewed restrictions on activities and movement. How devastating this worsening situation is and I send my good wishes to many of you who may have to revert to additional precautions to keep you safe. I share your sadness. It seems that ‘normality’ or a ‘new normal’ is still a long way in the future!
However, in spite of the depressing news, I do have some good news stories to share with you.
The Bluebell Bus 7000 mile coastal walk began the final leg of the journey when Brian and Cheryl Burnie set off from James Cook Hospital in Middlesbrough on Saturday, 12 September. How good it was to see that Pam Cooper, President, SI Middlesbrough was there to see them depart and present a cheque and that Marianne Hill and Annabel Young of the same club joined the walk for the first day.
On Sunday morning, I drove to the Transporter Bridge, Middlesbrough before they departed on their second day. It was not a pleasant morning with strong blustery winds and it was kind of Brian and Cheryl to spare me time for photographs before they left. Cheryl has let me have further photographs from their arrival in Seaton Carew, when they sampled the most delicious cinder toffee ice cream cones from ‘The Hungry Seagull’. Cheryl highly recommends we try some if we are ever in Seaton Carew!
The subsequent days of their walk have been well documented on Facebook which shows them being greeted by various Mayors and Deputy Mayors en route and the whole journey has been well publicised in the press and on television, which is as it should be. Everyone should know about this amazing man and what he is hoping to achieve.
I know that as they approach the South Tyneside area this weekend they will be joined by some Soroptimists who will either walk with them or cheer them on. When Brian and Cheryl arrive at the Baltic, Gateshead we will all be rejoicing that this remarkable and epic journey is finally at an end, two and a half years after it commenced at the same place.
SI Middlesbrough member Shirley Bond, has not wasted her time whilst in enforced inactivity but has knitted 30 Teddies – from a pattern which has been used by Soroptimists for many years – ‘Teddies for Tragedies’. They have been sent to Afghanistan, have been used by our local police, refuges and many other places where children could benefit from the comfort of a Teddy.
Shirley’s 30 have been donated to The Bungalow Partnership Link to The Bungalows Partnership which I have featured in a message previously.
Their Director Marie, in her thank you message, said ‘We will be placing each Teddy in an individual zip lock bag and giving them to the children we support. At present we have had to reduce and adapt our therapeutic play materials to remove all soft toys as they are difficult to sanitise in between sessions, limiting the children’s access to cuddle something as they explore their feelings. The children will receive an individual Teddy labelled with the child’s name removing the risk of transmission of Covid-19.‘ This is such a lovely gesture by Shirley, something so simple to give comfort to children who have experienced loss and increased uncertainty during Lockdown. Shirley is now beginning to knit little hats for children in Albania, victims of a recent earthquake in DURESS through Albania Community Assist.
You will remember that the first of SINE’s #WhoIsShe ladies to feature on the Centenary website was Ann Todd of SI Penrith. This week the certificate is going to be presented to Ann’s son and his wife, John and Mary Todd, on the day when she would have celebrated her 100th birthday. This presentation will take place at Long Meg by Pat, Moira and Sylvia and photographs will be taken with Long Meg Farm House in the background – this was the former home of Ann and her husband Robert who farmed there for many years. Pat has let me use this wonderful photograph of when Ann was DU [Regional] President in 1971 at a Conference at Shap Wells. 
Names of those on the front row are Rosemary Wilson of SI Penrith, Miss McKenzie White, Ann Todd and Miss KM Harrison.
I am looking forward to chairing our very first Virtual Regional Council and AGM next Saturday, 26 September 2020. Our Regional Secretary, Joan, tells me that 58 are registered to date with one club still to respond. Your Officers have been holding familiarisation sessions with GoTo to ensure that all will go well during the meeting. I hope you will all be very forgiving if there are any hiccups! Early next week all those who have registered will receive a link to enable them to join the meeting, plus an information sheet which should answer any questions about how to proceed. If you have downloaded the GoTo app, a click on the link should connect you to the meeting.
The meeting room will be open at 10.00am to give 30 minutes for you to adjust sound and video and the meeting will commence at 10.30am. By now you will have received all of the Officer’s Annual Reports from our Regional Secretary and any other documents you will need. I am grateful to all our Officers for responding so readily and submitting their reports early. I really hope that we have an excellent meeting.
I close with this quote, I have no idea where I found it and don’t know who wrote it:
We should be lifting each other up, cheering each other on, and not trying to outshine one another. The sky would be awfully dark with only one star!
Until next week, stay safe and keep well.
In Friendship,
Joyce
PRESIDENT
SINE
