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About Our Club

Who are the Soroptimists?

Our members come from a range of different backgrounds and have different interests but we all want to make a difference for women and girls everywhere. Members can get involved in as much activity as they choose or can commit to – we all have busy lives – and everyone has a valuable contribution to make to our club.

What are club meetings like?

We have a varied programme, but most meetings are planned and led by small groups of members. There may be a guest speaker, or we might spend time finding our more about what members have been doing in relation to Programme Action. Programme Action is central to the work of our club so there’s a section dedicated to this below.

There’s usually some club admin to carry out and opportunities for sharing news about what is happening in the wider Soroptimist world. Being a Soroptimist is also about fun and friendship, so there’s always time for catching up with people and enjoying each other’s company.

In between meetings, we sometimes get together for social events – perhaps a meal out together, or a shared activity. Some of us recently spent an evening at Hotpotz in North Shields, creating painted pottery masterpieces, and we’ve been to exhibitions and the theatre together. Every August we hold our annual fundraising garden party and the meeting in December sees us get together for a Christmas meal.

Have a look at our club calendar for 2023-2024 to see what we’re doing over the next few months.

What is Programme Action?

Programme Action (or PA) is the term used to describe the things we actually do to make a difference for women and girls; action is key to being part of the Soroptimist movement. This includes fundraising for causes we support, projects, volunteering, advocacy and lobbying. Some examples of our PA work are listed below:

  • We support Harbour women’s refuge in North Shields, including donations of essential toiletries and other items, gifts at Christmas for women and their families and Mother’s Day gifts. In 2022-2023, we raised £1000 for Harbour which is being used to create a positive outdoor environment for the residents.
  • We work with Northumbria Police to provide New Start Bags for women and girls who have left an abusive environment or been rescued from trafficking, and we also donate hygiene packs for victims of rape and sexual assault.
  • A group of members submitted bids for external funding and received £5,800 to create hygiene packs for local organisations to distribute to families in need.
  • A group of members volunteered to create a bee friendly garden in the grounds of St Paul’s church in Whitley Bay and have been active in promoting awareness of the threats posed by single use plastic.
  • We take part in activities to support the UN 16 Days of Activism against Gender Based Violence.
  • £3,685 was raised to support Ukrainian refugees. The funds were sent to our sister club in Krakow to be used to help those crossing the borders into Poland.
  • Members use their crafting skills to create baby clothes and blankets which support projects in Sierra Leone and eSwatini.
  • We take an active part in community events, including regular stewarding duties and running the tombola at the Whitley Bay Fiesta.
  • We supported the charity Toilet Twinning by getting Toilet Twinned Town status for Tynemouth and Whitley Bay.

We can’t do all of this on our own so we often work with other community groups and organisations. Some of these are mentioned in the list above and others include local schools, churches and food banks and charities such as  Smart Works. You can see a full list of our partners here.

This action all matters. Details of our work, and the work of clubs across the world, provide the evidence that sustains the Soroptimists’ role at the UN and the data we provide is used to inform the work of the movement’s UN representatives. Our local action has a global impact.

Read more about the United Kingdom Programme Action Committee (UKPAC) which promotes work across the Federation here.

Do I have to pay to join?

Yes. Soroptimists pay an annual subscription, part of which funds our membership of the wider movement and part of which is used for club purposes, such as the hire of our meeting room and production of information about our work.