Members got together online using Zoom for our June Meeting. Much of the discussion was about things we hope to be able to do when the coronavirus limitations are eased enough to allow fundraising events. Our planned July Coffee morning is moving to February 2021, and our March event with Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson is now rescheduled to March or April 2021. We are also preparing ideas for our Sharing our Skills project with Richmond School, which will start in January.
Next year we aim to provide trees from the Woodland Trust for planting by Just the Job, one of this year’s President’s charities. Tree planting links both the Centenary of Soroptimist International Great Britain & Ireland, and Richmond 950 – a celebration of 950 years since the building of the Castle and founding of the town. A new woodland is being planted to commemorate this.
We agreed to donate £100 to Family Help – the women’s refuge in Darlington, which is struggling during the current crisis. It faces both an increase in demand for help to sufferers of domestic abuse and a hug reduction in income due to lockdown limited their fundraising.
Soroptimist Richmond & Dales member, and expert beekeeper, Sandy Baxter has been delighted that her bees have defied ‘lockdown’ and continued to produce their wonderful honey! For every jar sold Sandy is very kindly donating £1 to Soroptimist charities in Zimbabwe, and she has also produced dozens of face masks for people to purchase.
Soroptimist Richmond & Dales have now added to the £250 donated by the ‘Sharing our Skills’ students from Richmond School, to the money raised from the honey donations, and generosity of club members. This will now be sent by Western Union as US Dollars to Soroptimist Harare, in Zimbabwe, who are having a dreadful time – as reported last month. The dollars will then be used to help the various charities in and around Harare. The most urgent is the contribution to work on a borehole at Chikupo School – to enable the children to have clean water.
President Faye and Jane send their thanks to the wonderful members of Richmond & Dales, especially in these difficult times.
