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Soroptimists Go Green?

Soroptimists Go Green?

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Soroptimists in South Lancashire got together in-person and on-screen for a ‘hybrid’ winter meeting. Guest speaker at the Programme Action session was Dr Niall Macfadyen. A volunteer with Greenpeace, Dr Macfadyen presented a spirited gallop through Greenpeace's history, plus local and national initiatives to investigate and combat climate change. (He is a team member of UKCCSRC - the UK Carbon Capture and Storage Research Centre.) Beef cattle, hydrogen networks, fast fashion, peat bogs, 'active travel', palm oil, tree-planting – the topics followed thick and fast. All have relevance to our daily lives, and all come under the research and campaigning umbrella of Greenpeace. Questions following the talk showed Soroptimists probing for more detailed answers. It was a lively, informative and thought-provoking morning. At the Regional Council meeting, President Dorcas Akeju took the opportunity to hold a change-of-insignia presentation. Past Presidents Yvonne Gibbon and Josie Carter
Down the Rabbit Hole – Virtually

Down the Rabbit Hole – Virtually

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Just like Alice, Soroptimists went ‘down the rabbit hole’ for a ‘wonderful’ experience. The 2021 federation conference was held in Llandudno by Soroptimist International, Great Britain and Ireland (SIGBI). However, being streamed online this year, rather than taking place in the town, it could be viewed all over the world. SI South Lancashire’s club in Wigan was selected as one of only six to showcase their successes as part of the membership session on Day 1. SI Wigan’s billboard ‘An Equal World is an Enabled World’ featured two members making the ‘equals’ sign. The poster was on display at a roundabout in the town for 12 months. This high visibility was instrumental in getting the club new members and in raising awareness of Soroptimism. The club’s conference presentation announced ‘SI Wigan is shopped!’. The club’s secret? Social Media, Uniqueness, Celebrations, Credibility, Evolving, Simplicity, See and

Soroptimists Celebrate

Soroptimists Celebrate

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New members and awards in focus. Over one hundred Soroptimists from the South Lancashire Region gathered for a celebratory lunch. The spotlight was on women who have recently joined their local club. Josie Carter, Region President, welcomed them. This special event was an ideal opportunity for new members to find out about clubs’ projects and achievements. Plus, they were able to get to know many other Soroptimists. Guest speaker was Shana Begum, a new member of SI St Helens. Shana is the founder of ‘St Helens The Best Me’. This is a training and coaching consultancy, working for positive changes within the community. President Josie commended two outstanding South Lancashire Soroptimists – Maureen Walsh and Dorcas Akeju of SI Liverpool. Both have been featured as part of ‘#WhoIsShe?’, which celebrates the centenary of Soroptimist International. An exhibition of memorabilia from clubs illustrated the long history
Soroptimists Focus on ‘Planet’ and ‘People’

Soroptimists Focus on ‘Planet’ and ‘People’

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South Lancashire’s Soroptimists in action … At the recent regional Programme Action meeting several South Lancashire clubs took the opportunity to showcase their projects. ‘Planet’ and ‘People’ featured strongly. These relate directly to the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals. SI Manchester’s members are taking a 12-month ‘Green Footprint’ personal challenge. How easy is it to reduce our carbon footprint? The Soroptimists will find out. Another Manchester project focussing on the environment is a local directory of recycling and collections. This brings information together in a handy – and easily updated – format. In Crosby, the club has a partnership with the Wildlife Trust (Lancashire, Manchester & North Merseyside). The Soroptimists have nurtured hundreds of native wildflowers from seed at home. They have now planted out the flowers at Lunt Meadows Nature Reserve. These will increase biodiversity and enhance the environment. Wigan Soroptimists have an active
Dogs, Disability and Devotion

Dogs, Disability and Devotion

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Dogs? Yes, they can be man’s (and woman’s) best friend. At their recent regional meeting Soroptimists in South Lancashire discovered a whole new way in which trained dogs make life-changing differences to people’s health and wellbeing. Anna Prosser, a volunteer ambassador with Dogs for Good explained how the charity trains animals to work with people with disabilities. An assistance dog can enable an adult or child to enjoy greater independence with everyday, practical tasks. Think of opening and closing doors, retrieving items, pressing a pedestrian crossing button – what a difference that help can make. Specialist autism assistance dogs transform the lives of families affected by autism. They help a child remain calm and focused in busy places. There are community dogs who – with their handlers – work with teachers and therapists in special schools. Other community dogs work in health and social care

Soroptimists Showcase Autism Support

Soroptimists Showcase Autism Support

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Learning and development – empowering children with autism and associated neurodevelopmental conditions. This was the theme of South Lancashire Region’s recent ‘virtual’ Programme Action (PA) meeting. The Soroptimists heard from Vanda Reeves of Addvanced Solutions Community Network. This organisation offers community-based programmes aimed at supporting families in Merseyside and beyond. Understanding individual needs, and managing day-to-day challenges are central to the work. Vanda worked through the complexities of ‘autism’, highlighting key features of the condition and the wide-ranging nature of the ‘spectrum’. There is so much overlap. Sensory processing deficit and its implications is, for example, a complex topic. To hear that eight senses – including some from inside the body - need to be considered was a revelation to most. Yet Vanda enabled her audience to grasp the basics of this condition. The Soroptimists’ personal accounts and questions brought the morning session to a
International Women’s Day 2021

International Women’s Day 2021

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South Lancashire’s Soroptimists showed their commitment to campaigning for an inclusive world. At the recent region meeting their hands show that they choose to challenge to highlight gender bias and inequality. On International Women’s Day – and every day – we can all choose to seek out and celebrate women’s achievements. Raise awareness! International Women’s Day is a time to reflect on progress made. It’s a day to call for change; to celebrate acts of courage and determination by ordinary women. The United Nations’ agency UN Women campaign theme for 2021 is ‘Women in leadership: achieving an equal future in a Covid-19 world’. This theme celebrates the ongoing efforts by women and girls around the world to shape a more equal future. They face the challenges of the pandemic and campaign for equality as the world recovers. From challenge comes change: Soroptimists choose to challenge.

Eyes, Ovaries, Diamonds

Eyes, Ovaries, Diamonds

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Soroptimists from all over South Lancashire Region joined members of the Widnes club for their annual speaker event. First on the 'Zoom' podium was Gwyneth Millard from Wigan Rotary Club. She explained about Rotary International's own project ‘Global Sight Solutions’. This addresses the plight of millions of people who suffer from 'avoidable blindness'. The geographical focus of the work is India, with plans in hand for expansion. Run as a charity through partnerships between Rotary clubs and the communities 'on the ground', it offers free eyecare. People with cataracts and glaucoma, for example, receive appropriate high quality treatment locally. These local facilities are 'seeded' through the Rotary network but are managed within the community. The second speaker, Siobhan Ferguson, is a trustee of the ‘Dianne Oxberry Trust’. This charity exists to raise awareness of ovarian cancer symptoms. The message is aimed at women across north-west