The Wakefield club was officially formed on the 19th February 1934 with Leeds as the mother club and Harrogate as the sister club. It was the 28th club within the National Union of Soroptimist Clubs, with an initial membership of 24. The Charter was presented at the inaugural dinner on 19th March 1934 to the first president and founder member Miss Elsie Schofield BA (HM Inspector of Factories). The chain of office was designed by another of the founder members and depicts the City of Wakefield coat of arms, the fleur-de- lys.
The members of the new club were soon instrumental in providing many services, including hospital visiting, transporting patients to hospital and also serving on many social councils. Donations were made to many charities, the first of which was a donation of the sum of £3 10s. to the Gresford Colliery Disaster Fund.
During the war years, the members gave valuable service to wartime activities and committees, especially after Dunkirk, when many of the troop trains passed through Wakefield rail stations. Tea and refreshments were served to the troops by the SI Wakefield members and they felt very proud to give this service.
Our sister club is Harrogate and District and in 1987, we became the mother club of Garforth Elmet. Since the closure of neighbouring Castleford, Normanton and District club in 2021 Wakefield has been known as Wakefield and District club and covers the whole Wakefield Metropolitan area including Horbury and Ossett, the Five Towns – Pontefract, Normanton, Castleford, Featherstone and Knottingley and SESKU – South Elmsall, South Kirkby and Upton.
SI Wakefield has provided the regional council with five Yorkshire-wide Soroptimist Presidents:
- Mrs C Abell (1938-9 and 1948-9)
- Miss L Cooling (1955-6)
- Mrs J Heppenstall (2002-2003)
- Mrs J Alce (2009-2010)
- Mrs S Westwood (2024-2025)