Torquay and District Soroptimist International is a small club (14 Regular Members) but we’re certainly buzzing.
We are happy to help sister clubs and have knitted long sleeved chip shop baby vests and bed socks for SI Tiverton. Donations of red Polo tops and gingham dresses have been given to SI Brixham for a school they support in Northern Kenya. We have provided pillow cases for SI Plymouth to make into dresses for an overseas school and we are still collecting ourselves for back packs in support of Mary’s Meals. A box of twiddlemuffs has been sent to a contact in Ireland and we share out twiddlemuffs and blankets to our local memory cafe.
In the last two months members volunteered at the Rowcroft Distribution Centre, World Rocks Against Dementia event at Hannahs, Seale Hayne and are continuing to help out on a Saturday afternoon at the Purple Angel Memory Cafe.
At our Speaker Meetings recently, members learnt about the Torquay Child Contact Centre and the Storybook Dads both enlightening evenings. We were able to make a donation to both causes.
Our latest idea is to collect copper coins amongst ourselves and anyone else we can persuade – they are just a nuisance in a purse don’t you think?
The Bank will count them for free and the amount soon adds up. We will use our first £40 towards our upcoming Fun Event for Torbay Young Carers – twenty children from age six to eleven. (I do think those fiddly five pence pieces could be next.)
We are pleased to have welcomed two new members – actually, two humans and one four legged friend. JJ is a most handsome guide dog and Shirley trusts him to bring her to our meetings. She is getting into the swing of things and has already knitted blankets for us. We are pleased to have offered membership to another three ladies who have attended meetings and hopefully they will sign up soon!
Linda Churchward