At our recent (Oct 2024) Charter Lunch we were very pleased to welcome Jan Flynn, Chair of the Board of Trustees of Stockport Without Abuse. SWA is a domestic abuse charity that operates a refuge in Stockport and two dispersed properties, along side extensive victim support services in the community.  For many years our Club has supplied welcome packs for the service users on their arrival at the refuge.  A recent donation to our charity account from one of our members, Wendy, on reaching her 9oth birthday has funded amongst other things a trip for children to visit our local Reddish Vale (petting-type) farm.

SI Stockport are delighted to support Lendwithcare  – an initiative of the poverty fighting charity, CARE International UK.  CARE have innovative projects that enable people access to financial tools and training needed to lift themselves out of poverty.  Loans are made to ‘entrepreneurs’ in developing countries and those loans are repaid to the donor, in this case SI Stockport, for reinvestment in other projects.

At our October 2024 Charter Lunch we were delighted to welcome CEO of Arc Jacqui Wood. Arc is an amazing organisation that has become SI Stockport’s 2024 charity.   Arc works across Stockport and Greater Manchester to provide arts programmes and services to improve people’s mental wellbeing.  It is based at the rather famous Stockport Hat Works  – www.Arc-Centre.org More specifically, we have provided funding for a facilitator for a monthly Mum’s Meet and Make session throughout the year. This started with a Dec 2023 Xmas card making session attended by our President and Treasurer. (Permissions were given by all participants for the publication of these photographs).  We are now into our second year of supporting this fabulous project.        

Stockport Soroptimists are delighted to have made a financial contribution to the work of CLAPA – http://www.clapa.com  – given that every day in the UK three babies are born with a cleft. Much needed support with all aspects of cleft management are given by this amazing association.  One special little girl, Halle, is the niece of our current President and Halle’s Mum Charlotte has given permission for us to show some of her daughter’s pictures. This is little Halle before her surgery – little love: And here she is again following 2 repair operations – what a cutie!

Sue Wagstaff Sue joined Stockport and District in 1990 and was Club President from 2005/6 and again in 2012/13. She served as Club Secretary between her time as President and became PAC Officer in 2019 – a position she held at the time of her death. Sue regularly attended Regional Meetings and was a committed Soroptimist. Her career began as a physiotherapist but she went on to hold senior managerial roles at Stepping Hill Hospital and after her retirement from the NHS served on benefit appeal tribunals in Manchester until shortly before her death Sue was passionate in her support for the NHS – all our Club members and her former colleagues at Stepping Hill feel that she would be very happy with the money raised in her memory going to the Blood Bikes. Blood Bikes Manchester is a registered charity, which offers an out

Well, who does not love a pudding.  In moderation, of course! SI Stockport and our Friendship Link neighbour Buxton jointly held a fund raising Pudding Night.  Monies raised were sent to the Hearing Dogs charity.  Who can resist this?:

The recent Cop 26 Climate Conference in Glasgow really concentrated minds on the dire state that we, as human beings, have placed our planet and its future for life as we know it.  It would be easy to despair in the face of what our western nations have done since the Industrial Revolution and how the emerging nations now feel thay must catch up in a similar fashion.  We can all contribute in small ways to averting a climate crisis for future generations however. Reusable bags were sewn and put together by our oldest members pamela Brown, and given over to St Ann’s Hospice for sale in their shop, to aid raising much needed funds. Pamela is not new to recycling, have had a display of hats constructed/knitted  from old plastic bags exhibited at the Hat Works hat museum here in Stockport – Stockport of

Time goes sooooo quickly, doesn’t it?!  October 2024 saw us all back at the Alma Lodge Hotel here in Stockport for our annual Charter Lunch.  This year we were delighted to welcome Mayor Cllr Suzanne Wyatt and representatives of the local projects that SI Stockport are supporting.   The 2022 Charter Lunch was held at the Alma Lodge here in Stockport and was enjoyed and well attended by members, guests and dignitaries alike. October 2021 saw SI Stockport hold their ‘annual’ Charter lunch – the first time in 2 years given the on-going pandemic.  Adhering to all the recommended Covid-19 safety measures over 60 people attended the Alma Lodge Hotel.  Along with Club members we were joined by Soroptimists from nearby Clubs and from across the Region.