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Singing after our supper

Singing after our supper

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THE unusual sounds of ukelele playing and singing voices rang out at the October speaker meeting and what a happy occasion it was. Janet Ayres, pictured on the right of the picture, is a natural voice practitioner who has been running a choir for six years. With her is club member Kathleen Durning, a singer in her choir. Janet explained how the Alzheimer’s Society began Singing for the Brain sessions initially to help carers but had since extended the idea to dementia sufferers, allowing them to socialise with others in a fun, stimulating and supportive group. After describing how the process worked – including exercises to help with breathing and even yawning to loosen the throat and warm up the voice – she had her audience singing. She said singing was connected with emotion and that as emotional memory was preserved it was a good

Never mind the weather!

Never mind the weather!

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Picture the scene – a wet Sunday by the sea. It is dank and drear. Even the hardy dog-walkers have forsaken the beach. But at the Wheelhouse at Hill Head (borrowed from a local Rotary Club for the occasion) is a scene of merriment. Members of SI Gosport, Fareham and district, led by this month’s president Stella Astbury are hosting a Friendship Lunch. Good food, good friends, a glass of wine, good chat that’s all you need. Good weather’s an extra!  

Outrage led to action

Outrage led to action

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WHEN her husband died of pancreatic cancer in 2003 Maggie Blanks was so outraged at how little research was done into the disease that she decided she wanted to do something about it. Having discovered that survival rates for pancreatic cancer had barely improved in forty years she told club members that “there was a crying need for more research.” Only three per cent of sufferers survived for more than five years, she said. So she set up the Pancreatic Cancer Research Fund a year after the death of her husband Alan at the age of 56. Maggie, pictured above left with member Sue Baddeley,  found that the big organisations spent a tiny amount of money on pancreatic cancer research so she was determined to encourage more research that was targeted specifically at the disease. The charity was funding research into improving early diagnosis because

A lovely day on the farm

A lovely day on the farm

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One of our ongoing projects is to support the Women’s Refuges at Gosport and Fareham and this year in the school holidays we arranged a day out for 15 women and children from at Manor Farm Country Park where visitors can see a working farm in action. There is an old church in the grounds, as well as a farmhouse and schoolroom all furnished as they were in the 1930s The farm animals proved very popular with the children , particularly the pigs and piglets! As well as handling some of the animals, feeding the ducks and hens, and taking part in a baking session in the old farmhouse kitchen, some of the children enjoyed rides on a Shetland pony. Others had their faces painted. Club members provided goodies for a picnic which gave everyone a chance to chat. It was a lovely day for

More to public health than checking kitchens

More to public health than checking kitchens

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Grime doesn’t pay…… ….was the intriguing title of the talk given by Robert Heathcock, the, intriguingly entitled, Assistant Director (High Quality Environment) at Winchester City Council. Robert explained that life in Environmental Health is nothing like the strereotype of a health inspector depicted in an episode of ‘Fawlty Towers’ (and we were treated to a short clip as a reminder). It’s not just inspecting kitchens and killing rats! Environmental Health is far removed from the Public Health Inspector of old and is now a highly technical profession covering a wide range of areas vital to the health, safety and welfare of the community. Food safety is still an important area of work and includes inspecting restaurants and other food providers. The council issues food hygiene rating certificates indicating the level of hygiene in the kitchens to help customers decide if it is a place they

£300 given to help children with HIV

£300 given to help children with HIV

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Sue Dyer from SI Woking, pictured above right with Rosemary Bell, one of our executive members,  came to talk to the club about SOS Mamelodi House. The SOS Children’s Charity helps children whose lives are at stake as a result of being part of HIV affected families and are sick themselves.  The charity sets up educational and social opportunities and the Mamelodi Houses provide homes in a children’s village.  Mamelodi House No 1 is supported by SI South Africa with assistance from SI Southern England.  A former president of SI Southern England, Sue was keen during her year of office to strengthen the link that existed with SI South Africa and was instrumental in providing help from Southern England. Mamelodi, a mainly black township, is situated in the high plains 30k north of Pretoria.  It is estimated that there are more than 1.2 million HIV

The inside story on Dickens’ exhibition

The inside story on Dickens’ exhibition

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CLUB members were given an insight into the enormous amount of planning and work that had gone into the Dickens 2012 exhibition being held at Portsmouth museum this year to mark the 200th anniversary of the writer’s birth in the city. Rosalinda Hardiman, collections manager at the museum and a club member, said that the idea for the “A Tale of One City” exhibition was first mooted six years ago. The fascinating number of items on show offers an insight into the lives of ordinary people who lived in the city in Dickens’ day related through themes such as crime, work, money, health, education and love. Exhibits range from projects created by community groups in Portsmouth to something particularly special – part of the original manuscript of Nicholas Nickleby, the only Dickens book to mention Portsmouth. This was borrowed from the British Library in London

Annual General Meeting 2012

Annual General Meeting 2012

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The AGM of Gosport and Fareham club was well attended, held on Thursday 19th April at Holy Trinity Church Hall in Fareham. The meeting ran smoothly, covering the club accounts and reports from the club officers. Outgoing President Margaret, shown during the meeting, will be coordinating the running of the club with the rest of the Executive next year as there is no incoming President. The formal part of the meeting was followed by supper, allowing members to socialise and celebrate the achievements of the club through the year. Save

Bookmarks, bees and brains!

Bookmarks, bees and brains!

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The 9th lean lunch was held in Whiteley, Fareham this Saturday. It was originally set up by 6 local Soroptimist clubs to promote the International quadrennial project – first Project Independence then SIerra. This time members from Southampton, Winchester and Chichester, as well as regional President Rita from Reigate, joined Gosport and Fareham club for the event. Any money surplus will be sent to Mamelodi House, for AIDS orphans in South Africa. There were 3 speeches after the ‘lean’ lunch of bread and cheese with fruit and coffee. Christine Wilkes spoke first about the club’s project to put bookmarks into secondary schools, showing on one side the characteristics of a loving relationship and on the other the indicators of abuse. The sides are labelled: Loves me…, Loves me not. Tracy Gardiner then talked about the Bee Plus project that had been developed by the SI

Gillian celebrates her 90th birthday

Gillian celebrates her 90th birthday

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Gillian Harris, a Soroptimist since 1967, has celebrated her 90th birthday. She transferred to SI Gosport and Fareham from South Shields 25 years ago. Friends from the club helped Gillian mark her special day and the sun shone to add to the special occasion.  She’s pictured above surrounded by some of them at a party held at her good neighbour June Powell’s home. Earlier at a club supper meeting she was presented with two birthday cakes made by Rosemary Hampton and iced and decorated by Alison Jenkins. Gillian is pictured below with club president Margaret Smith and Alison Jenkins.