SI Tamworth enjoyed a a very interesting talk at their March dinner meeting. They were joined by Yvonne Zena Stone, who spoke about Florence Nightingale and her links to Atherstone. They talk was informative and enjoyable and we all learnt a great deal about her life.
SI Tamworth would like to congratulate Chris Fulwell who has been a member for 25 years. That is an outstanding achievement and we thank you for your service.
Tamworth Soroptimists hosted an Afternoon Tea where guests enjoyed food and friendship and raised over £600 for The Eve Appeal and their other nominated local charities. The Eve Appeal, the President’s nominated charity, raises funds for research and raises awareness of gynaecological cancers. Monies raised at this and other SI Tamworth events throughout the year will be distributed to their charities at their Charter Dinner and cheque giving in June.
To celebrate International Women’s Day members of SI Tamworth gave out over 700 bunches of daffodils to ladies and girls. We had a wonderful day filled with kindness and smiles. Thanks go to Asda, Tamworth for letting us use the foyer and to Morrisons, Tamworth for a large donation of daffodils. Thanks to the generosity of the general public, we received donations totalling £90.
At our February dinner meeting we had a wonderful and informative talk by Dr Nicci Mcleod from Aston University. Her talk was about Forensic Linguistics which included her sharing with us examples of when she and her colleagues had helped the police solve criminal cases including murder. Her fascinating presentation opened our eyes to a whole new aspect of Forensic work and was much appreciated. Dr Nicci Macleod also has a engrossing podcast called Writing wrongs. It is a podcast from the Aston Institute for Forensic Linguistics.
Members presented Marie Ballard with items for the Tamworth Hygiene Bank we have collected over the last couple of months. Marie has subsequently confirmed the donations weighted in at almost 47kgs and has so far been used in providing bulk packs to two schools and in individual packs for two families via CAB. This is the 6th year that members have donated to the Hygiene Bank.
At our January Dinner meeting, we welcomed guest speaker Fiona Rouse. Fiona is the operations director of PI-KEM a company that provides scientific supplies. She was President of Lichfield and Tamworth chamber of commerce from 2022 until autumn 2025 and is now honorary president. For the past 25 years she has also been involved in various aspects of the local Scout Association. Fiona spoke about her journey to becoming Co-Owner of PI-KEM, a Tamworth based company, her honour at being the first female President of Lichfield and Tamworth Chamber of Commerce, and overcoming a sudden and unexpected chronic illness. Members were enthralled by her resilience in the face of such adversity.
The speakers at our October dinner meeting were Albert Wright and David Peace from The 4 Royal Observation Corps. They spoke about the history of The Royal Observation Corps and their time in it. They also spoke about the Nuclear bunkers we have in our area. It was very interesting and entertaining evening. Members of SI Tamworth also wore pink because it is breast cancer awareness month.
October is Breast Cancer awareness month and people all over the world show their support for everyone affected by breast cancer. Wearing pink is a simple but powerful way to show solidarity with those affected by breast cancer, to honour survivors, and to remember those we’ve lost. It also helps raise awareness about the importance of early detection and support. Through this gesture, we demonstrate our continued commitment to women’s health, compassion, and community awareness. SI Tamworth promoted the month by having an tombola stall to raise funds for Breast Cancer UK (https://www.breastcanceruk.org.uk/ ) and to provide members of the public with leaflets about breast care. Also, at our October Dinner meeting members were encouraged to wear pink.
At our September Business Meeting we presented Gill Pallett, Chris Arrowsmith and Barbara Tarpey with the President Elect regalia.
