Did you know?<\/em><\/strong> SIGBI and Soroptimist International (SI) both hold special consultative status at the UN, enabling members to participate in critical global discussions on gender equality.<\/p>\n Susan gave us a fascinating overview of the CSW, which has been fostering global awareness of women\u2019s issues since its first meeting in 1947. Each year, the CSW focuses on a priority theme\u2014this year, it\u2019s Justice, while past themes have included Poverty.<\/p>\n Susan described the intense process of negotiations and meetings, where delegates work tirelessly to finalise statements. At the last CSW meeting, SIGBI delegates even met with UK parliamentarians, including Harriet Harman, the UK Special Envoy in 2025.<\/p>\n One significant proposal was to categorise FGM as Child Abuse, though it faced resistance from some states. Despite the challenges, Susan\u2019s talk was a powerful reminder of the importance of our advocacy work.<\/p>\n She urged all SIGBI<\/a> members to complete their Programme Action reports. These are crucial for SI to maintain its permanent CSW status and continue being a global voice for women and girls.<\/p>\n We discussed our special event with club patron, Baroness Hale<\/a>!<\/p>\n Lady Hale has been a champion of diversity in the judiciary throughout her career. On becoming the first female Law Lord in 2003, she created her new coat of arms bearing the motto \u201comnia feminae aequissimae\u201d, meaning \u201cwomen are equal to everything\u201d; something Soroptimists everywhere would surely endorse. An inspirational trailblazer, she was the first woman and first family judge to sit on the Supreme Court, and the first woman appointed as law lord in the Supreme Court\u2019s predecessor, the House of Lords appellate committee.<\/p>\n The event included a talk by Baroness Hale, followed by a delightful afternoon tea. Her new book was also available for purchase and she kindly signed copies.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Our Sharing Our Skills (SOS) students, Cara and Freya, are launching an exciting new project to support the Growbaby<\/a> charity in Darlington.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s what they are planning:<\/p>\n During the March meeting, we discussed how we can extend our support for this cause further in to the community. If you have good quality baby items looking for a new home, please let us know.<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n We had a lovely morning of coffee, biscuits, and community spirit!<\/p>\n Guests enjoyed hot drinks, sweet treats, and a fun tombola.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Our club has been hard at work, and we\u2019re proud to share some of our recent achievements:<\/p>\n We\u2019re thrilled to announce a new initiative to recognise our members\u2019 dedication. Long-service certificates will now be awarded for 10, 15, and 20 years of membership, in addition to the longer periods already recognised. These will be presented at future AGMs.<\/p>\n A huge congratulations to the following members for their incredible milestones:<\/p>\n Thank you to all our members for your hard work and dedication. Together, we continue to make a difference in our community and beyond.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n We were delighted to welcome Claire Bunting and Sarah Holland from the Hambleton & Richmondshire Specialist Palliative Care Team<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n Following a successful bingo night organised by SI Richmond & Dales, we were thrilled to present the team with a cheque for \u00a31,421. This donation was gratefully received.<\/p>\n Treasurer Babs hunt confirmed that other recently agreed donations have been made:<\/p>\n We hold a significant volume of historical paperwork from past years, which prompted a decision to review and digitise our physical archive.\u00a0 We will form two groups for this.\u00a0 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.<\/p>\n Some of Shirley\u2019s 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<\/a>.<\/p>\n We were reminded to vote for our member Lyndsey.\u00a0 She has been nominated for both ‘Volunteer of the Year’ and a ‘Forces Family Award’ for her work in Scouting<\/a>. We wish her the very best!<\/p>\n Well done to both for great ideas!<\/p>\n Acronyms & Jargon Sheet:<\/strong> Sue Eastham has produced a helpful sheet explaining Soroptimist acronyms and jargon, to help new and potential members.\u00a0 It was well-received, particularly by our student Cara.\u00a0 A separate sheet for Programme Action terms was suggested.<\/p>\n Community Involvement<\/strong>: Emma is now helping \u00a0The Unicorn Centre,<\/a> a Riding for the Disabled stables in Middlesbrough<\/p>\n <\/p>\n SI Richmond and Dales has donated \u00a3200 to support the Driving Ukraine project, in which there is local involvement.\u00a0 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 Da<\/a>y! Here is more information about the project:<\/p>\nKey topics discussed included:<\/h3>\n
\n
<\/h2>\n
Exciting\u00a0 Events<\/h2>\n
Baroness Hale Afternoon Tea<\/h3>\n
\n
![\"March](\"https:\/\/sigbi.org\/richmond-and-dales\/files\/2026\/04\/Official_portrait_of_Baroness_Hale_of_Richmond-225x300.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nSOS Students Launch New Project<\/h3>\n
\n
Fundraising Coffee Morning<\/h3>\n
\n
Programme Action & Club Highlights<\/h3>\n
\n
<\/h2>\n
Membership News<\/h3>\n
\n
<\/h1>\n
February Meeting: A Night of Community Support and Future Planning<\/h1>\n
Supporting Specialist Palliative Care<\/h3>\n
![\"Cheque](\"https:\/\/sigbi.org\/richmond-and-dales\/files\/2026\/03\/Palliative-Care-cheque-300x166.jpg\")
<\/a><\/h3>\n<\/h3>\n
Other Donations<\/h3>\n
\n
![\"Ukraine](\"https:\/\/sigbi.org\/richmond-and-dales\/files\/2026\/03\/Driving-Ukraine-300x288.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nClub History<\/h3>\n
Member Recognition<\/h3>\n
Programme Action<\/h3>\n
\n
\n
\n
Other Activities<\/h3>\n
Driving Ukraine<\/h1>\n