Good Morning Sister Soroptimists. It is hard to believe that this is the sixth of my weekly emails, time is flying and we are into May already. I am happy to tell you that Bethan, our Website Co-ordinator, has been working on the new version of the SINE website and all five of my previous messages, with photographs, have been added. Please take a look at the improvements she has made, with more to come. It is always a pleasure to hear from you and pass on your news and I was delighted to receive an email this week from Cheryl Burnie of SI Sunderland,  the wife of Brian Burnie the founder of DAFT AS A BRUSH charity. I was privileged to hear Brian speak at our September 2017 Regional Council Meeting when he told us of his plans. Cheryl and Brian have allowed me

Good Morning Sister Soroptimists, Another glorious morning here. I know there are some grim things happening in the World and it's hard not to be worried about what we see around us. Despite the gloom, I hope you are able to have a peaceful Sunday. Some of our sisters have had recent bereavements and are grieving. I send my sympathy at this sad time. I also send my renewed thanks to all those who are continuing to work, some on the front line and who put themselves in danger every day. Included here are any teachers who have constantly worked in schools only open for children of NHS staff and other key workers with little or no PPE. You are true Soroptimist heroes! It has been lovely to hear from some of you during the past week and to know that you continue to do

Good Morning Sister Soroptimists I really hope that you are all keeping safe as we approach the fifth week of Lockdown? During the past week, we have seen the daily death total in the UK from Coronavirus rise to the high hundreds and we are hearing some heartbreaking stories daily. My sincere condolences go to anyone in our organisation who has seen tragedy recently. In these challenging times, the quality of every moment becomes important. There has also been the joyous story of the extraordinary Captain Tom Moore, who has completed 100 laps of his garden and has raised the unbelievable sum of £23 Million for the NHS, although between me writing this and you reading it, the total will no doubt be increased! What an amazing achievement for a gentleman approaching is centenary! Thank you to all who have contacted me after last week's

Good Morning Sister Soroptimists As we approach the end of our third week of lockdown, it is good to reach out to all Northern England members and to hope that you are all staying safe and well? It is Easter, but we have never spent an Easter weekend like this; not able to join with our families and friends to share meals with them, unable to worship in our churches and with any planned holidays cancelled. I am so sad for Grandparents who are unable to hug their grandchildren at this time. As I CLAPPED FOR OUR CARERS on Thursday, not only was I clapping for our wonderful NHS staff, I was also clapping and saying thank you for police and fire services, teachers and support staff, food manufacturers, the supermarket and shop workers, postmen and women, delivery drivers, and waste disposal operatives and everyone

Good Morning Sister Soroptimists Two weeks of isolation nearly at an end and I hope that all of you are keeping safe and well? I find that the days pass remarkably swiftly but with not very much achieved! I have heard that club members are keeping in touch in various ways and taking particular 'virtual' care of members who are alone or who have health problems. I have managed to have telephone conversations with a few of you this week and have learned a little of how you are handling Soroptimist business, in particular your Annual General Meetings. I note that some of you are using ZOOM and would like to know if it is proving successful or otherwise? Some clubs are simply circulating all of the reports and accounts which would normally be delivered at your AGMs and asking for members's approval. Please let

Good Afternoon Sister Soroptimists As we end our first week of LOCKDOWN, I hope that all of our Northern England Members are safe and well and coming to terms with this unprecedented situation. We are living in a very strange and different world of enforced inactivity where we are unable to make plans for the future. Thank you to those who joined in the CLAP FOR OUR CARERS on Thursday evening. I know that some of you did as I saw your Facebook posts. As I opened my front door at 8pm, I expected to be the only one, and I was inspired to hear many of my neighbours clapping and cheering [plus some fireworks] to say thank you to our wonderful NHS staff in every capacity, who are doing so much and putting themselves in danger during this crisis. It was quite emotional to