Good Morning Soroptimist Sisters, Thank you to everyone who sent messages and cards following my fall, reported last Sunday. You are all very kind and your concern is appreciated. I am much improved, bruises are fading and I am certainly watching where I put my feet! I have lots to tell you from the week past when I joined two Clubs for their Zoom Meetings. We all seem to be getting familiar with our virtual meetings and it is good to know that clubs are continuing to work as normally as they can during these unusual times. Like SI South Shields who recently delivered 15 bags of food to Hospitality and Hope - a charity working across South Tyneside, supporting homeless and vulnerable people through Food Banks, soup kitchen, clothes bank etc. Their donations of dessert items would be going to families in need. When

Good Morning Soroptimist Sisters, I hope that all is well with you? Today, it's actually happened - the week when I have very little club news to pass on to you.  Clubs are definitely winding down for the summer, although not all of them, as I am invited to attend two ZOOM meetings next week; so hopefully I will have something to report in my next message.  I look forward to seeing some familiar faces in Carlisle and South Shields. SI Middlesbrough are planning their first 'real' meeting in September as their meetings venue will be reopening. They have been having their Executive meetings face to face for some time and have also had a ZOOM meeting with their Friendship Link - SI Magdeburg. I suppose that virtual meetings with Friendship Links have come about through our current situation, and that this is positive progress.

Good Morning Soroptimist Sisters How are you handling the increased freedom given to us by the easing of Lockdown? I imagine there will have been some joyful reunions with children, grandchildren and friends which will provide a boost after so many weeks of contact only by telephone, email, or Facetime. More shops are opening and from 25 July, pools, gyms, sports facilities and leisure centres will also be allowed to open. All of these facilities have been closed since mid-March and those of you who exercise regularly will have missed your visits. Not everyone will feel ready to resume activities after enforced isolation. Some will feel anxious, even a little scared about re-joining the world, I have spoken to a few members who feel like this and acknowledge that these fears are reasonable. The advice is to take things at their own pace and challenge

Good Morning Soroptimist Sisters Today we should have been watching the Wimbledon Men's Singles Final; on Friday next, the BBC Proms should have had their First Night and the following week our athletes would have been competing in the Tokyo Olympics. All, sadly, cannot take place, although there are some signs emerging of a slow recovery. I actually returned my library books on Friday, although I was not allowed into the library; the books had been borrowed in February!  I imagine, many of you, like me, were pleased to be able to visit your hairdresser this week! On Tuesday last, I was privileged to join over 50 participants at the online launch of Poems in a Pandemic. SI Sunderland member, Angela Richardson and her company 'Alliance for Care and Education' [ACE] who deliver vocational training and personal development for staff working in the Care Sector,

Good Morning Sister Soroptimists I begin my message today with thanks for all the kindness shown to me following last Sunday and the cancellation of the Regional Afternoon Tea. I received messages, cards, flowers and even a mini Afternoon Tea delivered by Margaret Clark, teabags, pastries and a posy of flowers for the table. I am saving many of your lovely words in a special book as a memory of this year. Thank you! It has been a busy week - when are the weeks not busy?- with a SKYPE Regional Officers Meeting which had a full agenda, much Programme Work reported by Karen and a decision taken going forward, which has been conveyed to your Clubs by our indefatigable Regional Secretary, Joan, who works constantly to keep the Region ticking over. We have also been looking ahead to September, and should we still not

Good Morning Soroptimist Sisters, Forgive me if this message seems to be more personal than in recent weeks! Today, Sunday 28th June 2020, is the day when I should have been celebrating a highlight of my Presidential year - the Regional Afternoon Tea at Whitworth Hall, near Spennymoor, County Durham. Whitworth Hall is the former home of Bobby Shafto; It belonged to the Shafto family for over 300 years. It is also a deer park covering extensive grounds.  I was hoping that many of you would be able to join me at this delightful venue, explore the grounds, relax, have fun and help raise funds for the Butterwick Hospice where I have volunteered in Day Care for eleven years.  The planning had begun 18 months ago when Margaret Wall, my registrar, and I made our first visit; the team was joined later by Maureen and

Good Morning Soroptimist Sisters, Not a pleasant morning for the Summer Solstice, windy with some rain here! It occurred to me when I was thinking about this weekly message that, during the last thirteen weeks, I have learned more about what our 12 Clubs are doing than in the three Regional Council Meetings which we have every year.  It is an impressive display of innovation, imagination and inspiration for which the Northern England Region is rightly known throughout the Federation.  Well done to everyone! As promised, I bring you the list of those Soroptimists who have been nominated for #Whoisshe? and whose names have been moved to the next level: DURHAM                                 – Judith Stirk MIDDLESBROUGH                 – Kathleen Manning,  Alwyn Kraus NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE   

Good Morning Sister Soroptimists, How are you all? It has not been a pleasant week with so much rain, although our gardens certainly needed it. Let me begin with some good news. The search for 100 4 100 outstanding Soroptimists to celebrate our centenary, has now been rebranded - #Whoisshe? and the panel met last week and have chosen the 100 plus Soroptimists who are to proceed to the next stage. Clubs who put forward their nominees should have received a message to this effect. I believe that Clubs in the Northern England Region submitted 14 nominations and whilst I would like to name them here, I am not yet aware if all 14 are in this select group. Once I know, I will be delighted to tell you their names. Only the Clubs will be aware unless they have informed Christine Lumsdon or myself.

Good Morning Sister Soroptimists How are you all?      It is a very wet Sunday here, so a walk is out of the question.  Today marks the end of Volunteers Week 2020, an annual celebration of the contribution millions of people make across the UK through volunteering. I am aware that many of our Soroptimist family give countless hours of voluntary service for charitable and statutory organisations, maybe not always in the name of Soroptimist, but because they are Soroptimists and Soroptimists love to give service! I pay tribute to all volunteers with the following: "Volunteers are not paid.   Not because they are worthless but because they are priceless!" My only attachment (see above) this week shows something very special - it was inspired by an idea from Hilary Clavering - probably my longest standing friend in Soroptimism, outside of my own club -

Good Morning Sister Soroptimists It is hard to believe that this is my 10th weekly message to you all and that tomorrow will be June when so many events had been planned and are now cancelled. I hope that you are all keeping safe and well, and with Lockdown lifting ever so slightly in the coming days - some of you may be able to have socially distanced contact with your families. That will no doubt be a rare treat - I think that 'hungry for hugs' is being suffered by many.  I am aware that this easing does not apply to our members who are 'shielded' and who will need to stay isolated for a while longer. It must be endlessly frustrating for you and you are in my thoughts. To any of our teacher colleagues or if you have teachers in your family