Skipton Membership Officer Jocelyn Jones with members Jane Jolly, Valerie Mason and Maureen Pearce warmly welcomed new club member Tiwonge Cohn to the Skipton Club last week.  Due to the current restrictions we were  unable to welcome Tiwonge to a regular meeting but she has been joining us in our Zoom meetings.  We look forward to club members getting to know Tiwonge better and for her to become involved in our activities.          

During self-isolation Skipton member Jill Spensley didn’t spend her time on day time TV but used her considerable her sewing skills and made lovely reusable face masks for sale.  Due to the restrictions on our fundraising efforts this year for our regular Christmas charities,  Jill’s efforts have have made it possible for the club to help during this difficult time for so many worthy causes.  Seasonal face masks are in the pipeline so watch this space.  

Skipton member Helen Johnson has compiled a calendar with photographs of various activities/outings/walks/exercise club members did during lockdown.   Proceeds from the sale of the calendars will go to SELFA and Spring into Action, two local Skipton charities and a few are still available at £10 each.

Having our usual charity fundraising activities curtailed, in July Skipton Soroptimists held our own version of a Silent Auction/Auction of Promises.  This, we decided, was something all members could get involved in, bidding by email or post – even if some promises might have to wait a while to be fulfilled.  In total club members submitted 30 promises which included several afternoon tea, cakes, crumbles, lasagne, mulled wine and mince pies, hand knitted baby blanket, ceramic tiles, hand made necklace. beaded scarf, hampers, plants, greetings cards, music lessons and day trips out.  It turned out we were quite a talented lot!  A grand total of £1,000 was raised for the Federation Project “Empowering Girls in Nepal”.

.  Five Skipton Soroptimists took advantage of the garden facilities at our clubroom for a longed for face to face chat after meeting restrictions were relaxed last week.  We took advantage of the good weather and the opportunity to put the world to rights as well as catching up with family news and how we were spending our time during lockdown. Within that small  group we had medical, economic, research and the tourism industry expertise which led to a typical Soroptimist  exchange of views.  It is interesting to note we all slept very well that evening.  Here’s to the next time. The next time proved just as enjoyable and the plan is to continue and encourage other members to join in – perhaps with a glass or two of liquid refreshment.

Diana Chambers and Helen Johnson of Skipton-in-Craven Soroptimists presented a cheque for £210 to Skipton Food Bank.  The Soroptimists in Skipton have supported the local food bank regularly for some time and several members have recently raised funds to mark the start of the school holidays when there is extra demand on the service when many children miss out on free school meals.  Latest government figures for July 2019 show that 18.8% of children in the Skipton and Ripon constituency are living in poverty which can damage their well-being and future life chances.  There are 4 million children living in poverty in the UK today and the number is rising.

    At Skipton Soroptimists Annual Interclub Katie Peacock and Dale gave a fascinating presentation on Exclusively Inclusive, a local voluntary community group. The group works to reduce social isolation and to help people to connect and build meaningful friendships and relationships. Dale was enthusiastic to tell us about his experiences and how the group had helped him improve his confidence resulting in him volunteering in several local services. At a full house Skipton Soroptimist were joined by Regional President Pat Kilbane and members from Keighley, Ilkley, Bingley and Pendleside clubs.

      Skipton Soroptimists past Presidents Jane Jolly and Susan Mendoza were delighted to present a cheque to Anna Foster from IDAS at a recent meeting. Anna gave a thought provoking presentation on the work of IDAS both locally and nationally and how the organisation has and is still evolving to support all those who need their support. Past President Jane and Susan both had IDAS as their chosen charity during their year of office.

  Becoming Dementia Friends  At a recent meeting Skipton Soroptimists took part in a Dementia Friends Workshop during which they looked at the five key messages about dementia: Dementia is not a natural part of ageing. Dementia is caused by diseases of the brain. Dementia is not just about losing your memory – it can affect thinking, communicating and doing everyday tasks. It’s possible to live well with dementia. There’s more to a person than the dementia. At the end of the workshop the participants became Dementia Friends and were invited to commit to one action they would take in future to help support people living with dementia.

FAIRTRADE BREAKFAST Skipton Soroptimists, friends and family members hosted a Fairtrade Breakfast on Wednesday 27th February 2019 in our Otley Street clubroom, together with Liz Roodhouse  Fairtrade local organiser.  Various Fairtrade breakfast cereal items where available to sample as well as fruit, toast and tea and coffee.  Liz brought along an abundance of items for sale, ranging from socks, chocolate, biscuits (the ginger ones were lovely) and craft items. Thanks to everyone who supported a lovely fun morning  and £70 raised for Soroptimist MERU Project and IDAS.