SI Sevenoaks have been collecting clothes and shoes to help Gatwick Detainees – one of our former members, Beverley, is a supporter of this charity.  On 14th March we delivered to Beverley a suitcase, a rucksack and a huge storage bag all full of clothes and shoes for the Gatwick Detainees. She thanked us profusely and asked us to continue collecting! Sandie Higgs SI Sevenoaks

SI Sevenoaks President Margaret Crabtree welcomed members and guests to our annual President’s lunch on Tuesday 17th March at the Nizels Golf and Country Club Hildenborough near Tonbridge. Our special guests were SEE Soroptimist Intl Region President Dr. Roxanne St Clair who spoke on the work of Commonwealth Girls Education fund;  Cllr Tony Clayton The Worshipful the Mayor of Sevenoaks Town proposed the toast to Soroptimist International of Sevenoaks; Gill Clayton Mayoress Sevenoaks Town; Pip Lawrence Interim Chief Operating Officer West Kent Mind – Presidents Margaret’s chosen charity for the year; Elizabeth Dolding Warners Solicitors South East and Past SEE Region President Sue Edgar. We were delighted that fellow Soroptimists members from Tunbridge Wells, Bromley, East Grinstead, Croydon and Folkestone were able to join us. The raffle was held in aid of West Kent Mind Sevenoaks raising the amazing sum of £355. Together with donations

SI Sevenoaks were delighted to hear a talk by member Shirley on 10th March about her wonderful work making trauma teddies.  Shirley knits these whilst watching television – she says it keeps her awake – and currently she has knitted more than 900 bears!  The teddies have been donated to schools, Police and Fire services, hospitals and the latest batch has just been delivered to Ukraine for children there.  Here is a report from the charity’s newsletter: ‘Is there anything that says ‘we care’ more than a box of lovingly knitted bears? Thanks to the enthusiasm of Shirley, one of our supporters, this box of 80 bears was  sent to Ukraine in a recent shipment.  Alla, from Ukraine on Palms, the charity we partner with in Ukraine, forwarded this note from a grateful recipient: “… this is the mother of a little boy, thank you

Several members of SI Sevenoaks club celebrated International Women’s Day by attending a lunch organised by the Sevenoaks Town Council and hosted by Mayor Cllr Tony Clayton. The event welcomes local working women and volunteers; girls from local schools and apprentices so that we can enjoy the speakers and lunch and network together. The speakers were excellent – Linden Kemkaran, Leader of the Kent County Council; Emily Heritage Assistant Project Manager at FM Conway Ltd Structures Division and Renee Imafidon author, creative portfolio entrepreneur specializing in gender equity, social entrepreneurship and community building.  After a pleasant lunch the Mayor called the raffle and a good sum was raised for his local charities.  We all received IWD badges and pens – a nice touch! Pictured are SI Club Members Linda Larter (our Town Clerk), Tracey Kemp, Eleanor Burns, Club President Margaret Crabtree, Mayor Cllr Tony Clayton,

The UN says ‘International Women’s Day 2026 (IWD 2026), under the theme, “Rights. Justice. Action. For ALL Women and Girls”, marks a moment to amplify our collective determination. No matter how deeply rooted the sexism or how discouraging the politics, we refuse to step back or abandon our mandate. Instead, we climb together – for the rights and empowerment of all women and girls. This year, IWD 2026 calls for action to dismantle the structural barriers to equal justice: discriminatory laws, weak legal protections, and harmful practices and social norms that erode the rights of women and girls.” https://www.unwomen.org/en/get-involved/international-womens-day

SI Sevenoaks had a successful and lovely time at the new members coffee morning at Sandie’s house on Saturday 17 January. Thanks to Kathy who did the coffees and Wendy who ran the tombola!  Thanks to everyone’s generosity, we raised £65 for West Kent Mind, a really successful morning! There were 7 members and 5 prospective new members. Three ladies have now completed their membership forms and were enrolled at SI Sevenoaks’ club meeting on Tuesday 10 February, Angel Gomes, Jagjeet Kaur, Vanessa Cuthbertson. We have three more ladies that are interested in joining so we are keeping our fingers crossed. It is lovely to see so many younger ladies getting involved. Kathy Jordan SI Sevenoaks

SI Sevenoaks entered a team for the Mayor of Sevenoaks charity quiz on 7th February – we decided to call ourselves “The Soroptimists” rather than “The Optimists” which is our normal team name, hoping to attract some new members!  It was good fun and we didn’t come last, and the Mayor announced that over £2,000 had been raised on the raffle alone for his charities, Sevenoaks Area Youth Trust and Sevenoaks Citizens Advice.  Pictured are team members Tina Fenner, Wendy Metcalf, SI President Margaret Crabtree, guest Liz Dolding, Vicky Tibbits and Margaret Nicholson. Sandie Higgs, SI Sevenoaks

Orange the World – Stop Violence Against Women and Girls SI Sevenoaks had a good turnout for Orange the World on Sunday 25 January at Basil’s Coffee Shop in Sevenoaks Town which included 8 members and 4 prospective new members.  All dressed in Orange with supporting flyers and balloons; we certainly could not be missed. Kathy Jordan Programme Officer  

Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas festive season and a joyous peaceful New Year 2026 #christmas #joyous #peaceful #merry #festiveseason #sigbi #2026

“SI Sevenoaks club members enjoyed a happy time at their Christmas party on Tuesday 9th December with some exotic food and fizz, plus some tricky quizzes from club member Margaret Nicholson.  We had a small collection in lieu of sending Christmas cards, and the sum of £45 was raised and forwarded to SIGBI for the Diamond Education Grant.” Club Member Sandie Higgs