Our February meeting was held on Thursday, 19th February 2026, at the Holiday Inn Scotch Corner. This was a bustling evening of community support and future planning.
Supporting Specialist Palliative Care
We were delighted to welcome Claire Bunting and Sarah Holland from the Hambleton & Richmondshire Specialist Palliative Care Team as our guest speakers. They provided a moving and informative overview of their vital work. Their team gives end of life care and support to patients and their families. They work in both community and hospital settings. This essential service relies on funding from both the NHS and charitable donations.
Following a successful bingo night organised by SI Richmond & Dales, we were thrilled to present the team with a cheque for £1,421. This donation was gratefully received.
Other Donations
Treasurer Babs hunt confirmed that other recently agreed donations have been made:
- £100 to the Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAA) to support their valuable work
- Driving Ukraine: £200 to support Angie Stirk and an all-female team with their next convoy. They will be delivering aid to female medics working within the ongoing war in Ukraine. This was in support of International Women’s Day 2026. The ladies reported on March 12th that they had reached Dover although the sea was very rough!
Club History
We hold a significant volume of historical paperwork from past years, which prompted a decision to review and digitise our physical archive. We will form two groups for this. One will sort and identify important documents, and another will scan and save these in digital form. The remainder will be shredded. We will also approach our oldest Honorary member, Shirley Thubron, who has additional historical material to include.
Some of Shirley’s material could also be used when we celebrate our 70th Charter Anniversary in 2027/8. Member Sue Bromby has proposed creating an Oral History of the club, potentially involving the Richmondshire Museum.
Member Recognition
We were reminded to vote for our member Lyndsey. She has been nominated for both ‘Volunteer of the Year’ and a ‘Forces Family Award’ for her work in Scouting. We wish her the very best!
Programme Action
- Microfinance: Wendy Arrowsmith confirmed that the club’s Lend with Care account will be linked with other SIGBI donations.
- Coffee Morning: Our next coffee morning fundraiser will be on Thursday, 23rd April, at Richmond Town Hall. Members will be donating for the usual cake and book stalls, tombola and raffle
- Sharing our Skills: Our SOS student, Cara, reported on two excellent ideas she and Freya are exploring as their fundraising project:
- Growbaby, Darlington – a charity supplying baby clothes and equipment to families who cannot not afford to purchase such items. Cara had been in touch, and they will be delighted to receive donations
- Women and AI: Research into Deep Fakes and the Grok tool. They are linking this with the End Violence Against Women charity and are researching this.
Well done to both for great ideas!
- Baroness Hale Event: Members are encouraged to display posters and promote ticket sales for the Lady Hale event. This will take place on 25th April at the Holiday Inn, Scotch Corner
- Project ‘Reel Women’ Festival: Sara-Louise’s exciting idea for a film festival/weekend featuring women directors and producers, titled ‘Reel Women’, is moving forward. Chris, Faye, and Beki forming a team to work with her on this. This will be our contribution to International Women’s Day 2027
Other Activities
Acronyms & Jargon Sheet: Sue Eastham has produced a helpful sheet explaining Soroptimist acronyms and jargon, to help new and potential members. It was well-received, particularly by our student Cara. A separate sheet for Programme Action terms was suggested.
Community Involvement: Emma is now helping The Unicorn Centre, a Riding for the Disabled stables in Middlesbrough