Newsletter No 2 April 2019
KNITTING – In November last year SI Pendleside handed over 18 brightly coloured baby blankets and 5 baby cardigans which were forwarded to the Fistula Clinic in Addis Ababa to help mothers keep their new babies warm. This is a long-standing project and is, of course, ongoing so come on ladies – get those needles out!
Members and some of the ladies who come and sing with us at Tunes on Thursdays are thanked for their continuing contributions, together with Kathleen’s lady friends in Clitheroe who in recent months have been adding to our collection and stitching squares together to make the blankets. Everyone’s support is very much appreciated – thank you.
Heather, Barbara, Irene, Maureen and Val
displaying the beautiful blankets that Kathleen and friends have stitched together. Also a photograph of a child wrapped up looking warm and cosy in one of the blankets.
THE MERU WOMEN’S GARDEN PROJECT is now in its third year and drawing to a close at the end of October 2019. Soroptimists have raised nearly £140,000. Wonderful.
M.I.N.D.
Maureen, as Regional President last year, chose the charity M.I.N.D. and £500 has been passed from Pendleside Soroptimists to Region. We have decided to continue raising funds for this very worthwhile cause.
SI PENDLESIDE HELP WOMEN AND GIRLS IN CUSTODY
In November 2018 SI Pendleside handed over 60 bags of police-approved toiletries to Custody Sergeant Gill Gilbert of Greater Manchester police. These bags of essential items should assist the women and girls temporarily held in custody suites to keep clean and fresh. Sanitary products are no longer needed, thank you, as the police are now providing them. Thank you very much for all your donations.
Our collection of mini-toiletries is on-going and Val would appreciate any donations of socks / small knickers / shower gel /cheap toothbrushes / face cloths / toothpaste / packets of tissues / underpants. (NB – We were approached recently to see if we could also help men in custody and we were able to provide additional toiletry bags and underpants).
From left to right ;-
Mary Pickup, Janet Pearson, Barbara Shaw (President) and Janet Cookson with the toiletry packs. Val Thomas was the photographer.
PROMOTING SOROPTIMISM
Newly installed Regional President, Alison Driver, and Regional Development / Membership Officer, Karen Rainford, promoted Soroptimism on Radio Lancashire during the Week of Action. They hope to do it again.
READING WITH LOCAL PRIMARY SCHOOL CHILDREN
Mary, Janet Pearson and Val are helping Lomeshaye Primary School children with their reading.
OTHER FUNDRAISING EVENTS HELD THROUGHOUT 2018 – 2019 INCLUDED:
Throughout the year we raised £500 for MIND and fundraising continues this year. Events included a donation of £20, Pennies for Pounds (lbs) (£8.51), Name the Scarecrow (£65), Bran Tub (£110), sale of apples from Irene’s garden (£5), a speaker donation (£25), monies raised by Maureen (£130), the Christmas party raffle (£93), Christmas card donations (£45) and surplus conference (£26.50).
Irene held a lunch at her home in the summer 2018 and £360 was raised. Edna held a Cheese and Wine afternoon at her home in March 2019 and £249 was raised. Thank you, ladies, very much for opening up your homes and thanks also to everyone who supported these fabulous fundraising events.
McMillan Coffee Morning raised £220. Club raffles raised £248 and Themes on Thursday raised £308. We raised £52 for Life Education and £19.40 for Water Aid. The Region Raffle raised £65 and we received a donation of £10.
CHRISTMAS MEAL 2018
What a wonderful evening at the Higher Trapp Country House Hotel on 3rd December. We were joined by members of Burnley Soroptimists and together we had a delicious meal and a lot of fun and laughter. We entertained ourselves by singing Christmas carols and Val dressed as a fairy and read a beautiful poem. Pam challenged us with a brainteaser concerning a quote from a well-known book and the book was won by Val.
After the raffle prizes were drawn, we ended the evening by splitting into two teams and we all sang The Twelve Days of Christmas. It was a very funny and energetic rendition – let’s just say we needed a sit down so we could catch our collective breath afterwards!!
JANUARY 2019
First speaker of the New Year was Brian Topping who gave a very interesting talk entitled, “My Life as a Customs Officer” which was both informative and thought provoking.
LIVERPOOL CONFERENCE
Val Thomas gave us a resumé of the Liverpool 3-day conference she attended with President Barbara. Very interesting speakers again this year. If you haven’t been to conference it is worth considering attending if you can. This was the second conference Val had attended and she found it fun, friendly and very informative.
MUSIC
Our singing group was invited back to Favordale Care Home for the Elderly in Colne on Friday, 1st February, 2019 to help the residents celebrate Dignity in Care Day.
Everyone enjoyed the songs from the two world wars and from musicals with the residents. A wonderful time.
A local newspaper article recording the event is shown left.
February’s Tunes on Thursday was held on the 14th – Valentine’s Day when we sang some beautifully romantic songs (we had tissues ready). Everyone wore something red to mark what was a very special and memory-stirring occasion.
February Speaker – Bryan Evans – North West Blood Biker
We were fascinated to hear that it’s not just blood that the bikers ensure arrives at its destination safely. Bikers can be called upon to transport medical files and all manner of items from one hospital to another anywhere in the country – often forming one part of a leg (if you’ll pardon the pun) on an across-country mission. A vital asset of our NHS, I’m sure you’ll agree. Unfortunately, Barry couldn’t bring his motorbike with him as he was going into hospital the next day for an operation. We hope all went well for him and that he is now on the road to recovery.
April Tunes on Thursday was held after Easter on 25th April 2019 at 1.30 pm in Higham Village Hall. 
We sang a mixture of songs from West Side Story and The Sound of Music. We had our usual interval midway through for tea/coffee and cakes.
Left is a snapshot of some of our Tunes on Thursday singers with pianist June.
HIGHAM VILLAGE HALL EVENTS
We hold our monthly Tunes on Thursdays (ToTs) singing for Dementia on the second Thursday in the month at Higham Village Hall from 1.30 pm until 3.00 pm.
It is a lovely setting where we meet up and sing the songs of Ira Gershwin, Elton John, Rogers and Hammerstein, the Beatles and Andrew Lloyd Webber. Our pianist June, in collaboration with Heather, select the theme and produce the song sheets for us. Suggestions for songs are always welcome. It is known that singing songs learnt in earlier years are often retained by people with dementia, so if you know of anyone caring for someone with dementia who might enjoy singing with us, why not encourage them to come and join us?
Midway through we take a break for tea and cakes – we are very civilised, having tablecloths, cake stands, plates with serviettes and refreshments served from tea / coffee pots into cups on saucers!!
It all makes a very pleasant afternoon where we can sing to our hearts’ content, have a chat and a giggle, wash up and put away and then finish our singing with a flourish. Everyone enjoys these afternoons and finds them a relaxing, uplifting escape from the normal day-to-day. If you’ve not been yet, why not come along and give it a try? You’ll be most welcome.
ANNUAL VILLAGE SCARECROW WEEKEND
AUGUST BANK HOLIDAY 2018
We regularly have a stall raising funds for our chosen charity at the Higham August Bank Holiday Scarecrow weekend.
Last year we had ‘Guess the name of the knitted scarecrow doll’ which was the prize. We also had a Bran Tub for children. Lots of fun for all and a good fund-raising event for the Soroptimists
MAY BANK HOLIDAY WEEKEND 4th, 5th and 6th MAY 2019
We provided a free craft and colouring experience for children at the Higham annual May Bank Holiday Weekend Arts and Crafts Exhibition. Children (of all ages) enjoyed either colouring in pictures with pencil crayons or felt-tipped pens or using a kaleidoscope of stickers to make their own cards, pictures or book marks. Everyone had fun with the huge variety of materials available and we were very busy each day. Thank you all, ladies, for volunteering to “man our stall”.
70th Charter Celebrations
Friday, 7th June, 2019
at the Higher Trapp Country House Hotel,
Simonstone, Nr Burnley. BB12 7QW
6.30 pm for 7.00 pm
Lounge or Dinner Suit / Posh Frocks please
Saturday, 8th June, 2019
Social Evening
at Higham Village Hall,
Higham Hall Road, Higham, Nr Burnley. BB12 9EU
7.00 pm