This year has been quite unprecedented with the pandemic and lockdown forcing us to become Zoom, Teams and GoToMeeting experts. Since May 2020 we have been using Zoom for our club meetings and informal coffee mornings. A relief from lockdown during late summer enabled us to meet for tea in President Sue’s beautiful garden and to have a very enjoyable afternoon whilst raising money for Ocular Cancer. That was the only time we met during the year.
However, we have not been idle and have managed to continue supporting the local community.
Little Sprouts
Our president selected Little Sprouts as a local charity that she wished to support during her year of office. Little Sprouts primarily provides food education but since the pandemic began has been providing many hot meals each day to vulnerable families and has set up pop-up shops to provide non-perishable food items. The club has collected food items which have been delivered to the charity on a regular basis. In addition we have made financial donations.
A Way Out
A local charity that works with vulnerable children, women and families asked us to supply selection boxes and toiletry items to be given out at Christmas. Many members had spent time turning out wardrobes and we also donated bags of clothes.
New Start Bags
We received money from the Cleveland police commissioner to supply new start bags containing basic clothing, toiletries and a mobile phone for the Vulnerable, Exploited, Missing and Trafficked victims identified by the VEMT a team. We have supplied 10 bags for female victims and 5 for male.
Stockton and Billingham Food Bank
We normally supply sanitary products on a monthly basis as part of the end period poverty campaign. During 2020 we decided to supply 100 items as 2021 is Soroptimist’s centenary year. We also supplied non-perishable food stuffs.
Rainbow Room
North Tees and Hartlepool hospitals have set up a wobble room using money from Captain Tom’s fund raising. The wobble room is for staff to use to relax and recuperate from the stresses experienced during the pandemic. It has been renamed the Rainbow Room and the club is providing treats in the form of speciality tea and coffee, chocolates, toiletries etc.