What is Fairtrade Fortnight? 25 February – 10 March 2019 For two weeks each year, thousands of individuals, companies and groups across the UK come together to celebrate the people who grow our food, people who live in some of the poorest countries in the world and who are often exploited and badly paid. This year we are focusing on the people – in particular the women – who grow the cocoa in the chocolate we love so much. She Deserves £1.86 £1.86 is the amount a cocoa farmer in West Africa needs to earn each day in order to achieve a living income. Currently, a typical cocoa farmer in Cote d’Ivoire lives on around 74p a day. Almost all cocoa farmers in West Africa live in poverty. For the women the situation is even worse. They may plant and harvest

New Start Bags As part of Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Violence Awareness Week, President Judy and Programme Action Officer Anne were invited to the Police Station in Middle Engine Lane by Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner Dame Vera Baird and Acting Superintendent Claire Wheatley. A photo was taken for a press release to celebrate the joint working of Northumbria Police and local Soroptimist Clubs in the New Start Bags Project. Soroptimist International Tynemouth, Whitley Bay and District have have completed 94 New Start Bags since Autumn 2016 through generous donations from members and private donors and grants from The Greggs Foundation and Newcastle Building Society.

We’re thrilled to CELEBRATE  that  the founder of our local Independent Cinema ‘THE JAM JAR’,  Dan Ellis is one of two winners of the first ever BAFTA ‘For The Love Of Film’ competition. We’re all so proud of him here in our club as he has been so supportive of our cause for many years!! He’s gone above and beyond to bring cinema back to Whitley Bay and North Tyneside and he is so deserving of this award. Putting his heart and soul into our community he was chosen after a national search and a judging panel of BAFTA members and celebrities. As well as national recognition; part of the prize is that he’ll be walking the red carpet at the BAFTA Film Awards.    WHY NOT VISIT THEIR WEBSITE – https://www.jamjarcinema.com/

An easy way to raise a bit of cash, with very little outlay – why not have a healthy frugal lunch – a selection of vegetable based soups and home made bread – what’s not to like?!!!  As they say, it’s a ‘no brainer’!  We raised £70, including £5 from Anne’s Mum – thanks Nancy + we have a few promises from members who couldn’t attend. We might just get to £100.  Monies raised will help kick start the WBHS Sorops fundraising for Nightstop and to provide a healthy snack for the girls at the end of the school day.                            Nightstop UK Nightstop provides a bed for the night for young people who need it, in a moment of crisis. Providing a safety net to those forced to leave their home, Nightstop

Just trying to raise a wee bit of money to support WBHS Sorops with the running of their club & to kick-start their fundraising for their chosen PROGRAMME ACTION – watch this space!!   Spicy Thai Coconut soup Minestrone soup Lentil & Vegetable soup   served with a selection of home made breads (French batons, seeded wholemeal & walnut and cranberry)

  FOLLOW THESE STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS Wait for the sales. Write a huge shopping list Visit the shops – 50+ times is a reasonable amount! Neatly make piles of clothes in a members spare room …………and repeat ……………….and repeat AND WE’RE NOT FAR OFF 100 ALTOGETHER!

We have a strong group of 14 young women committed to improving the lives and opportunities of young women in our region.  Let’s remind ourselves of what the GLOBAL BLANKET is all about!  The Global Blanket Campaign invites consumers from around the world to join the movement for greater transparency in the fashion industry. In 2015, 14 clubs in the Northern England region targeted for each member to add a square to the petition. The original regional Global Blanket visited 10 Downing Street and had support from our local MP’s.  Inspired by this our amazing group of girls at Whitley Bay High School have started their own Global Blanket.  Last year 23 squares were added to the blanket and we have another 14 currently being added.  Each square represents a signature for the worldwide petition to STOP THE TRAFFIK of women and children with the tag line #IWantTraffikFreeFashion- you

When you only have £1000 (A HUGE thank-you to Newcastle Building Society for this grant to our club!) to spend it’s best to hit the January sales to get the best bargains to put together at least 12 NEW START BAGS. Now into our 3rd year and aiming for 100 bags for Acting Superintendent Claire Wheatley Here is a summary of our actions so far and an update from Northumbria Police. 29th October 2016 21 bags given to Claire from several clubs in our region region 12th December 2016 – 12 bags donated to Claire thanks to donations by generous individuals £1500 grant from GREGGS FOUNDATION June 2017 – last of 40 bags handed over to Claire, 8 of which were used to support Romanian £3000 grant from NEWCASTLE BUILDING SOCIETY & COMMUNITY FOUNDATION February 2018 -President Judy accepts our award from Newcastle Building Society

  Have you heard of the RED BOX PROJECT?  Donations of sanitary products, knickers, tights and money donations are used to provide free sanitary protection to those girls who’s families cannot afford this monthly expense.  In March, 2018 it was estimated that more than 137 700 girls missed school in the last year because they couldn’t afford sanitary products. Our club, instead of Secret Santa at our Christmas celebrations, chose a charity and this year will be using the £150 raised in one evening, to buy sanitary products to support a local secondary school. More about this to follow but why don’t you check out their website by following the link below. http://redboxproject.org/          

  Can you believe that Harbour Refuge received 582 referrals in the last quarter. Most of these are from the police. The majority arrive at Harbour with very little, therefore all donations are gratefully received. Our contact at Harbour, Sarah, was full of praise for our four girls from Whitley Bay High School, impressed by their commitment to supporting the vulnerable residents of Harbour and those supported through the outreach service. The PJ’s will be used on Christmas Eve for the 29 children who will be spending Christmas at the refuge for a film night.  £60 remaining from the fund-raising quiz will be used for their Hardship Fund to buy items such as school uniforms.  Along with a safe place to live residents have access to legal advice, debt advice + money management, supported health care and many other essential services that work towards helping