As 2021 draws to a close and I start to reflect on the many events which have taken place in our Region over the past year, I realise just how busy all our members have been despite the ongoing restrictions we have been experiencing due to COVID-19. By December 31, 218 Programme Focus Reports had been submitted showing that a total of £16,211 had been raised since the beginning of the year.
Four clubs have celebrated milestones – Bromley 50 years, Canterbury 60 years, Tunbridge Wells 75 years and Medway and Maidstone also 75 years.
Penny Robbins, PA Chair, and Isobel Groves, Sevenoaks PAO, attended the unveiling of the Soroptimist Statue at the National Arboretum in Staffordshire in September. In October, IPP Grace Onions and President Elect Lynne Chiswick, joined other Soroptimists from our Federation for a Soroptimist International (SI) Centenary Lunch Reception at the House of Lords, and members from our region also joined the online SI Centenary Celebrations.
We now look forward to supporting our new SI President, Maureen Maguire from Portadown in Northern Ireland, as she takes up her role in January 2022. Congratulations to Carol Infanti, APD Prosperity, on her appointment as the SIGBI Representative for the new SI President’s Appeal 2021- 2023 “Opening Doors to a Bright Future”
IPP Grace, completed her year as Regional President at the end of October having successfully managed to visit all clubs in the region, either virtually, online or in person, or both. It was good that we were able to meet together for our Annual General Meeting, albeit for only a few hours.
I am hoping to visit all clubs during 2022 and have written to club presidents/secretaries asking when they would like me to join them either for a meeting or an event in person wherever possible. I will also be monitoring the situation very carefully with the Executive Committee with regards to possible face-to-face Regional Meetings, but we will always ensure the health and safety of our member is paramount.
Our next Regional Meeting will be on March 19, and in line with my theme for the year ‘Healthy People, Healthy Planet’, our speakers will be Susan Booth, Executive Director, Development with Target Ovarian Cancer, who has over 20 years’ experience leading fundraising in a range of well known national charities, and hopefully, a representative from the World Wildlife Foundation, who will talk to us about the work they are doing to protect endangered species.
Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a Happy and Healthy New Year and I look forward to meeting and working with you during the coming months.