About our Club
President Ingrid with Guernsey President Karen at the Friendship link weekend
Handing over the 160 dementia Muffs to Stepping Hill Hospital Matron Florence Bawak
Stockport Club has 27 members and benefits from a wide variety of talents and knowledge which enables us to work together taking part in local community activities, helping a number of charities and enjoying representation on various committees within the Borough.
Members include educationalists, doctors, nurses, health visitors, members in industry and retail businesses, as well as a graphic artist, and a travel agent.
Stockport Club was chartered in 1938.The Club kept going throughout the war and has always been greatly respected in the Borough for the work that it does and a source of support and friendship to its members.
There are club meetings once a month on the 3rd Tuesday at Hazel Grove Bowling and Tennis Club starting in March. There are dinner meetings during the year at the Alma Lodge Hotel.
At the club meetings we discuss business, report back from committees, plan programme activities etc. We may have speakers at the dinner meetings, usually with relevance to our projects and programme activities.
The club is part of the Great Britain and Ireland Federation which, in turn, is part of Soroptimist International. One member was pleased to attend the last International Convention in Montreal in 2011. Several members attend the Federation Conferences which are held each year, usually in the UK but occasionally abroad. In 2008 this was in Barbados. This year 2016 it is in Malta.
The most important part of our work as Soroptimists is our programme action. This is what we call our projects which aim to enable, empower and educate women and girls. We have a range of local, national and international projects. Our current projects are:
President’s Report: Sept-Oct 2016
Towards the end of September a number of us attended the funeral of Sue String’s partner, Peter. It was a moving, fitting and uplifting tribute and I want Sue to know that we continue to think of her, are pleased to have welcomed her back to Club events and are here for her if she wishes.
The end of September also saw the Club welcome Mr Tod Bulmer to speak at our last dinner/speaker meeting of the year. Accompanied by his wife Barbara, Mr Bulmer engaged us with his account of the history and development of Kenyon Hall Farm out at Croft in Cheshire, and its subsequent diversification into selling local, and importantly, seasonal farm produce, a small market garden and the opening of a buzzing café area, both are well worth a visit.
Later in the same week I undertook a further visit to the GM Police 2-suite witness/victim unit. Sue Gledhill and Liz McConnell were with me on this occasion with Liz retaining the strong links that we have with (the now) DCI Julia Bowden. Julia has put together a realistic, manageable and affordable series of items that will alter the unit from its current bleak and utilitarian appearance to somewhere more comfortable for often traumatised individuals and the people who accompany them. We will review and discuss the list at the October business meet. I have a number of photos on my phone that illustrate the current state of the unit environment and will endeavour to make these more viewer friendly. This is becoming a great PA, service and club project on the back of the ‘President’s charity’ status with the hopes of continuing ‘service’ into forthcoming years.
I am writing this piece on the Sunday evening just a few hours on from our Charter Lunch at the Alma Lodge. We received over 60 guests including Mr Mayor Councillor Chris Gordon and his wife Madam Mayoress Dr Margaret Gordon. Madam Regional President Sandy Taylor was also able to join us. The Mayor acknowledged our service and charity work and flagged up our evolving interest in STEM subjects for girls. Our speaker Dr Rod Manton, accompanied by his wife Dorothy, spoke of his career in primary care and education, along with some ‘misadventures’ therein. Rod was amusing yet with a serious message about the future of General Practice in our current NHS. The Alma did us proud and as ever there are so many people to be thanked for their contributions to the success of the event.
If the following acknowledgements exclude anyone then apologies – it will be an error omission not commission. By name alphabetically:
Pamela for the fab programme & menu – got me to a tee (samples available!)
Pat for a cheerful meet & greet, & maintaining our valuable visitor’s book
Joyce for the amazing & beautiful flowers
Phil Garside for responding on behalf of the visitors
Sue Gled for thanking our speaker
Eleanor for excellent toastmasting, gavel wielding and & general control
Sue Wag for aiding the complex (and not always enviable) task of table planning
Ruth for saying Grace & undertaking various transport duties
Myra for the fantastic and detailed organisation of the Charter Lunch. I never underestimate the thought, effort and inevitable worry that go in to planning and executing these events. Feedback from the guests was so positive and rewarding. Thank You.
And as they say at the Oscar’s – ‘to anyone else who knows me!’
If you are interested in furthering our work in any of these areas or in helping us consider future projects why don’t you join us.