Here is our usual monthly update on March activities, the final month of our 2023-24 year before our AGM in April.
International Women’s Day Exhibition
The main programme event in March was our International Women’s Day Exhibition, which was a real success. This has already been posted about separately, so does not require further detailed reporting. However, it was decided at our meeting in March to build on this success by planning another Exhibition for 2025. The working group will retain the exhibition entries as a permanent record by laminating them. They also plan to expand the project next year to include ‘hidden women’ – those who work behind the scenes and who had not been represented this time.
March Meeting Speaker
Our guest speaker was Steph Pybus, who talked about “Starting a Business and Running a Family”. Steph is the proprietor of Mini Explorers Nursery. She recounted how she came to start this successful business at her home and farm at Crabtree Hall. Having looked for childcare facilities that she felt happy with while working as a textile designer, she found none of them met her hopes and expectations. She decided that she could change focus, and provide what she wanted herself. Using a building that had become available on the farm, she created her own outdoor nursery where her children and others could benefit from a happy, carefree, healthy, outdoor lifestyle. Probably the country’s first Farm School, Mini Explorers has grown into a successful and busy nursery catering for 93 children daily and employing 40 members of staff.
The children love attending and they are given nutritious food – freshly prepared on site – throughout the day. Parents can deliver their little ones early in the morning and collect them ready for bed at the end of the day if required. Offering places to children with special learning needs was a later development that has also been highly beneficial. Many parents have found positive and noticeable results for their children. Steph was thanked for her informative, enjoyable talk about her impressive outdoor school.
Spouse Force
President Babs has been busy this month. Her cheque presentation to the Northallerton & District Breast Cancer Support Group has already been posted, but she also recently met up with the ladies running Spouse Force in Catterick Garrison. They reviewed our relationship with them so far, which has been based on offering a similar experience for their members to the Sharing Our Skills project for Richmond School students. Spouse Force are keen to continue in September-November this year, though it is acknowledged that the number of attendees may need to be fluid depending on childcare requirements. They also offered to share experience with us on developing the use of social media for the Club, which we are keen to follow up.
Reminiscence Sessions
Member Lorna Garrity has held further Reminiscence Sessions at care homes in the area, including Nightingale Hall in Richmond and a second one at The Millings in Bedale. These were very successful and well attended. Event Organiser at Nightingale Hall told Lorna that there had been a higher level of engagement in her session than other types of activities, and that it was an “absolute success” with “good connection between the residents – and the Staff enjoyed it too!”.
Sharing Our Skills
With our guidance and support, the two students from Richmond School who are participating in this year’s SOS project are organising a fundraising and awareness event against domestic abuse. With the support of the Head of Sixth Form, they are arranging a walk for the Sixth Form students into Richmond Market Square wearing pink clothing, as well as high heels and fun accessories, on Monday 22nd April 2024 at 9am. They are liaising with Family Help Darlington, their chosen charity, for which they are also raising funds.
They have conducted a photoshoot to make advertising posters for this event, and arranged for it to be captured by the Richmond School photographer. It will also be advertised on this website and the Richmond School website and social media pages. They will be setting up a Just Giving page for donations. We were very pleased to hear about their impressive work.