Good Morning to all my sister Soroptimists in Northern England  I hope that on this August Bank Holiday weekend that you are all engaging in some rest and relaxation – out in the fresh air and meeting friends and family. It is wonderful to think that we can now start to plan to meet face-to-face and some of these club reports in this Newsletter demonstrate to joys of being able to do just that. However, please do continue to be careful as COVID infection rates are still significant and we may come into contact with unknown people from different places.  My first club report brings a real smile to us all. You may remember the short presentation given by S.I. Tynemouth, Whitley Bay & District back in March when I asked a few clubs to outline their plans for this Centennial year. We were all

To all my sister  Soroptimists in Northern England  As we head towards to end of the summer, I do hope that you have all begun to enjoy going out and about again even if cautiously when mixing with other people.  Our gardens have certainly benefitted from recent rain, but not sure about the wind which has ruined my hollyhocks ! One of our major Federation Centennial projects has come to a close with the final few notable Soroptimists in the #whoisshe  listings.  As a region, I am sure that we were all thrilled to have 14 of our members show cased for their commitment to their professions   AMY KERRISON, 1927-2014 Amy Kerrison, a committed Soroptmist with 44 years’ service in South Shields, died in 2014 aged 87.  In 1955 Amy, as a QARANC army nurse, was serving in Hong Kong when she met her

Good morning sister Soroptimists A rather duller day today after the warmth and sunshine of the past few weeks. I hope that the rain is making the gardeners among you feel happier. Talking about feeling happier, I hear news of those of you who have not been so well and also hear that recoveries are being made. Immediate Past President Joyce Chesney has asked me to pass on her thanks for all the good wishes that she has received and to say that she has now come out of her isolation period having had COVID-19 and is cleared to resume her usual activities. She reports that she was exceedingly well looked after by the NHS ( at home ) and felt that there were expert staff available whenever she needed attention or support. She has been left with a feeling of tiredness but is regaining

Warm greetings to all my sister Soroptimists in Northern England I hope that you are all keeping cool, in the shade and looking after yourselves with refreshing drinks ! As always, we have some interesting and positive news to share. S.I. Carlisle report on the current situation that is affecting some services for frail and elderly people in Carlisle. COVID guidance and restrictions have caused Age UK to close and a lunch club, which was run entirely by volunteers (many of whom are Soroptimists ) , has also closed. So Jess Sinclair tells me that she has been busying clearing out cupboards which were full of Bingo prizes and activities, Scrabble, playing cards, dominoes and games. These have now all been taken to the ladies Hostel in Water Street where the resident ladies are being encouraged to start to socialise in their sitting room. This

To all my sister Soroptimists in Northern England  The 20 June was World Refugee Day  and S.I. Middlesbrough  has marked this special U.N. day every year with an event.  They report :-   “Refugee Week has become part of our social calendar in recent years.  It has traditionally been an opportunity to welcome and celebrate the contribution made by those w ho have come to the U.K. seeking sanctuary.   The theme of Refugee Week 2021 is   “We cannot walk alone”.  With this in mind,  members of S.I.Middlesbrough invited women from the local refugee community to share an evening of hospitality and friendship.    During the evening we learnt about the experiences of refugees from our excellent speaker,  Pete Widlinski.   Donations were made to the Mary Thompson Fund,  alocal charity which supports refugees and asylum seekers who are experiencing hardship.  Pete has been a Trustee for 20 years and now chairs

Good Morning to all my sister Soroptimists  What a busy week we, and the world, have been having.  Watching the news of the G7 from Cornwall reminds us of how important it is to communicate, listen and negotiate the best possible outcomes to our problems.  I won’t comment on the football Euro’s matches that are also going to dominate the TV screenings for a few weeks, but do hope that the pleas for respect and kindness during these often exciting games does not lead to an increase in domestic abuse episodes that seem to frequently rise while viewers respond emotionally to action on the pitches. I am making the final notes for the Regional Celebratory Event next Saturday 19 June. We have a large attendance and I really hope that you will all enjoy it.    I will give you the final figures in next week’s Newsletter

Good morning to all my sister Soroptimists  Yesterday was World Environment Day and many of our clubs are embarking on environmental projects from litter picking to rejuvenating communal flower beds,  from planting trees to supporting community groups with seeds and vegetable growing –  so please do keep the news flowing as we all love to hear about the projects that our clubs are engaged in. S.I.Darlington & District report that they have been working on the “Wave of Hope” organised by Fairtrade to lobby the leaders at the G7  summit in Cornwall this week.  They have decorated paper and cardboard hands with images and slogans to get out the message about  the need to work together for a fairer world.  The farmers who are helped by Fairtrade are among those people in the world who have been hardest hit by COVID-19,  climate change and extreme

Good morning to all my sister Soroptimists:- This lovely warm and sunny weekend brings happier thoughts of the summer to come and our, hopefully, increasing freedom of movement.   It is saddened by the news of Federation President Johanna’s admission to hospital with a severe stroke.   We are told that she is being well cared for and that she is pain free and serene.   Johanna has a deep religious faith and I am sure that even if she is unable to communicate with those around her that her family will be comforted by her beliefs. The preparations for my Regional President’s event on Saturday 19 June is on track and we had a successful and enjoyable ‘dress rehearsal’ last Monday evening.  I have been in conversation with a number of members about the second half of the programme when President Johanna was due to join us

Good Morning to all my sister Soroptimists in Northern England : After a week of showers and more persistent rain,  I hope that you are all drying out now and able to tackle more outdoor jobs this coming week.  We seem to be on a theme of ‘gardening’ with many clubs reporting environmental projects from tidying village and town flower beds to planting trees,   from supporting after-school gardening clubs to thinking about how to recycle all those plastic pots. S.I. Penrith and District  have started on one of their Centenary projects with a major tidy-up of the Coronation Garden in Penrith.   The photograph shows the start of the work in progress and we are looking forward to seeing the finished result.   Pat Newsham reports that this is the first practical project that they have been able to be involved in for some time.  The six