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June Update: Stories, Service and Community Spirit with SI Richmond & Dales

June Update: Stories, Service and Community Spirit with SI Richmond & Dales

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What We’ve Been Doing This Month June has been another lively month for Soroptimist International Richmond & Dales, with plenty of friendship, local community involvement and practical action to celebrate. From hearing the remarkable life stories of newer members to supporting awareness campaigns and planning future fundraising, the club continues to bring women together to make a positive difference. Inspiring Stories From Our Members One of the highlights of our June meeting was hearing from two of our newer members, Beki Bulmer and Kate Cozens-Wythe, who shared stories from their lives, careers and travels. Beki reflected on the importance of sharing family stories after a recent visit to her mother, who has dementia. She then took members on a journey through her childhood in Kenya, her years connected with Army life, and her work supporting children from military families. Her warmth, resilience and practical approach

‘Sharing our Skills’ Students and Soroptimists Deliver Milestone Donation to Darlington Baby Bank

‘Sharing our Skills’ Students and Soroptimists Deliver Milestone Donation to Darlington Baby Bank

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In a powerful display of community spirit and youth leadership, students from the Soroptimist International (SI) Richmond and Dales club Sharing Our Skills (SOS) programme have successfully completed a major donation drive to support Growbaby, a baby bank based in Darlington. On Friday 8 May, SOS students Cara and Freya, supported by the president of SI Richmond and Dales club, hand-delivered a car full of essential baby supplies to the charity. This marked the culmination of weeks of dedicated fundraising and collection efforts. The project was driven by Cara and Freya, who identified the growing need for infant essentials in the region. To gather the donations, the pair: Established collection points throughout Richmond School Sixth Form. Coordinated with peers and faculty to raise awareness of Growbaby’s mission. Partnered with local Soroptimists to bridge the gap between student activism and community service. The resulting donation included a vast

March Meeting: A Global Perspective and Local Action

March Meeting: A Global Perspective and Local Action

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This month, our club has been buzzing with activity! From inspiring talks to exciting upcoming events, here’s everything you need to know: A View from the UN: The Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) We were privileged to welcome Susan Mendoza, a member of SI Bingley, as our guest speaker at the March meeting. Susan shared her incredible experiences as a delegate at the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) in 2024 and 2025. Did you know? SIGBI and Soroptimist International (SI) both hold special consultative status at the UN, enabling members to participate in critical global discussions on gender equality. Susan gave us a fascinating overview of the CSW, which has been fostering global awareness of women’s issues since its first meeting in 1947. Each year, the CSW focuses on a priority theme—this year, it’s Justice, while past themes have

February Meeting: A Night of Community Support and Future Planning

February Meeting: A Night of Community Support and Future Planning

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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

Driving Ukraine

Driving Ukraine

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SI Richmond and Dales has donated £200 to support the Driving Ukraine project, in which there is local involvement.  This is an all female convoy of donated vehicles and medical supplies going out to the Ukraine to be presented to a team of female medics. This is our contribution to International Women’s Day! Here is more information about the project:

Start the New Year

Start the New Year

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  In December members of the club enjoyed a very pleasant evening at The Station, Richmond, sharing a Christmas Dinner. Then in January, we gathered to start the New Year with our big planning meeting at our usual venue, The Holiday Inn, Scotch Corner.  Our club programme year runs from April to March, and we hold a special meeting in January to plan the next Club Year, so that we are ready in good time. New Members This year we were delighted to formerly welcome two new members to the club, and present them their badges and welcome packs.  Two of  our other new members also volunteered for committee  roles in the club next year. They will take over as Programme Action Lead and Comms & Website when the current incumbents complete their term in March.    We were also  pleased to be joined by

November Meeting in Colburn

November Meeting in Colburn

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Colburn Community Hub As has become traditional, we held our November Meeting in Colburn, at the village Community Hub. We handed over an impressive array of donations – food, toiletries, gifts – towards the Christmas Hampers which the community group provides for those in need in the area.  There was also a heap of warm clothes donated for the Community Warm Rail. It is a privilege to help the magnificent work of the Colburn Community volunteers.                 Lady Chaytor Our speaker was Kate Streatfield, who gave us a tour and talk about the Easby Abbey ruins earlier this year. This time Kate’s gave us a fascinating insight into the extraordinary life of Lady Isobel Chaytor, ‘ A Titled Northern Lady’.  Although she came from a modest family in Middlesbrough, in 1912 she married the third son of  the

Update for October

Update for October

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Save Our Swale At this month’s meeting we were joined as speakers by 3 representatives of Save Our Swale (SOS). They came to address the meeting about their campaign against pollution in the River Swale.  Brian Benson spoke about the poor history of water supply and sewage disposal regulation, in particular since the privatisation of the multiplicity of Water Companies under the Conservative Government in 1989 into a few large regional monopolies.  Nationally, management since then has resulted in massive dividend payments to the small number of shareholders, build-up of billions of pounds in debts, increasing charges and – most critical – ongoing underinvestment in the infrastructure.  This has resulted in leaks of 2-3bn litres of water a day, and chronic release of untreated sewage into our rivers.  Together with chemical run off and spills from farms this means widespread river pollution. SOS is one

September Meeting

September Meeting

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This was the first “regular” meeting attended by our 3 new members, who joined us last month for the outing to Easby Abbey.  Babs was able to present them with their badges and formally welcome them. Richmond Refugee Support Our speaker was Annette Clarke from Richmond Refugee Support group. This is a voluntary group who provide social support for resettled people from Syria, Afghanistan, Iran and Ukraine.  They have arrived in our area by various different routes, though many are linked with the Ministry of Defence.  They and their families may have been given a settlement agreement for up to 3 years through work they performed for the MOD.  We were very impressed at the range of support the group gives. The group helps provide a befriending service which provides many things. This includes explaining where local facilities are, taking people to medical appointments or