SI Slough Windsor & Maidenhead have a tradition of sending donations to local charities at Christmas.  One of the ways of funding this is to hold a Jumble Sale during the summer months which also helps some of the local residents.  This year the sale raised over £150 and the donation of a number of different hats enabled the helpers to enjoy a mini  ‘Fashion Show’  and choose a favourite toy before the sale started!!!  President Irene is on the left of the photo.

At the Annual General Meeting last Wednesday, outgoing president Pam Robotham passed on her chain to Irene Brookes.  President Irene presented Pam with a brooch and a scarf as souvenirs of her year in office and also a bouquet of flowers.  Pam expressed her enjoyment of her year and thanked all members of the club for their help.  President Irene is looking forward to her year in office and will be raising funds for the local Air Ambulance Service.

President Pam was delighted to have the task of meeting all three of the  local charities which she had chosen to benefit from fund raising events during the year on Tuesday 9th April.  People to Places, Braywick Heath Nurseries and Slough Child Contact Centre each received a cheque for £700.  The presentations took place at Braywick Nurseries.

It was wonderful to be back at Dorney Lake for the annual President’s Lunch on Sunday 7th April after the break whilst the venue was taken over for the Olympics.  Even the weather was playing its part with plenty of sunshine and much warmer temperatures.  Around 65 members and guests got together to enjoy the occasion.  The three course meal was quite delicious and the wine was greatly enjoyed too.  Toasts were drunk to Soroptimist International and to The Guests.  The highlight was a talk by Angela Leslie, Manager of Dorney Lake, about the impact of the Olympics and all the work that went into getting the site ready and then the ongoing task of getting back to normal and converting from Eton Dorney to Dorney Lake.  President Pam Robotham presented Angela with flowers.

SI Slough Windsor &n Maidenhead have been supporting EBSBWA for many years but it was very interesting to get an update on the current situation from new Chief Executive Delia Donovan.  The demand for services is always considerable and recent funding cuts have affected the staffing levels but the Refuges are still in place:  two for women and perhaps a little more surprisingly – one for men.  Outreach work is still a priority and the charity has undertaken ground breaking work with its support for children. Club President, Pam Robotham presented a cheque to Delia and pledged continuing support from all the members of the club.

Members heard the most fascinating talk with slides from Ted Sutton about the story of the Mary Rose – the first English warship which sank with the loss of 700 lives during a battle against a French invasion.  The work that has been undertaken by the Mary Rose Trust to recover the ship from its resting place in the Solent has been extraordinary.  As a result it is now possible to understand far more about daily life for the seamen.  The ship’s carpenter had a significant role and his own area for carrying out essential repairs.  Feeding the usual crew of around 400 men was also quite an undertaking with huge pots needing to be heated to provide a meaty broth each day.

Gill Labrum took over as Head of Windsor Girls in 2007 with a determination to overcome many girls dislike and fear of maths.  She also wanted to make the girls proud of their school and more ambitious.  In all respects she has been successful.  The school uniform has been updated and the badge and motto changed to be more appropriate for the 21st century.  Her talk at the meeting on Wednesday 16th was most uplifting and it was clear that her example would make her a great role model for all her pupils.  Club members were fascinated to hear her views on the need to  educate girls for a world of work which may include jobs and technologies that have not yet been created.  The Mayoress of the Royal Borough was also a guest at the meeting and is pictured with President Pam and Gill

Christmas shopping started early with a visit to the Salisbury Christmas Market on 3rd December.  This proved to combine some pleasant shopping with a chance to visit the cathedral or pop into a very convivial pub for a light lunch next to a roaring fire! On the 5th the club held its Christmas meeting at the Sun and Stars in Holyport which  provided a varied selection of meals and got everyone into the Christmas spirit.  The raffle raised £121 for the President’s charity. Donations of £50 were sent to three local charities during the month:  Thames Hospicecare, SHOC and East Berkshire Women’s Aid.  To round off the month, there was an evening of carol singing on 17th December with some mulled wine and mince pies.

Soroptimists in Slough have been busy recently both raising money and enjoying social events.    The speaker at the September meeting was Toni Gowland who spoke about the modern Girl Guide movement. This was followed by a rather more indulgent afternoon with President Pamela at her home when ‘pampering’ was the order of the day.  In October it was rather more competitive when members met for a skittles match.