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Platinum Jubilee
#HM70 Soroptimist Tiara Jubilee Tea for the Platinum Jubilee

#HM70 Soroptimist Tiara Jubilee Tea for the Platinum Jubilee

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UK #Soroptimists in the UK have so often been welcomed at Her Majesty’s Garden parties over the years and congratulated by family members in person at events, with awards and recognition, indeed including our very own Dorothy Clarke has an MBE! We at SI Weybridge & District are simply delighted to wish #HM70 huge congratulations in her #PlatinumJubilee year. She remains an absolute inspiration, credit to her country, a wonderful world leader and much loved family member alongside her royal success. She insprioes women around the world. We can’t let the moment pass at #SIWeybridgeandDistrict. #SIWAD  – Brenda is very kindly hosting this summer special #Jubileetea on August 7th in her garden in #Weybridge. A chance to enjoy a high tea, fizz, tombola, meeting friends old and new and of course the tablecloth competition. You can even wear your very own tiara! Tickets £15pp from Brendagsaunders@hotmail.com.

May Business Meeting – Planning for STEM success!

May Business Meeting – Planning for STEM success!

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In May Dee reported progress with the new project to fund a Soroptimist Award/Bursary for female home students studying STEM subjects where women are truly under represented. The summary of university feasibility meetings will be circulated in June in readiness for a debate and decision making at the meeting. We are seeking members with expertise in access to higher education, STEM, academic and legal expertise to help our treasurer define the project in full over the summer. Come along to the meeting everyone, let’s ensure we have 100% buy in and the optimal working group for this Surrey/Elmbridge project.  

Soroptimists attract 5 new potential members and fly the SIWAD flag in Weybridge

Soroptimists attract 5 new potential members and fly the SIWAD flag in Weybridge

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#OatlandsVillageFair – How great to be back! We were there! Soroptimists in Weybridge and Elmbridge have supported this excellent community fair for many years and we were delighted to be “back” at a wonderful in person event held on such a sunny day. Danny and Jeannie set up early to get a spot near the arena, they were supported by many club members and wore the new SI sashes which drew a lot of questions as we walked about the fair. Sue provided a good variety of beautiful handmade cushion covers and bags from the South African club Maripula women’s project and these were quickly  ‘reserved’ bringing in welcome income to the project. Five women asked for more information, we engaged with many more. We had the opportunity to host #DrBenSpencer local MP and #CharuSood,  Charu serves on the Runnymede & Weybridge South Area Planning

AGM on April 19th & Save the Dates!

AGM on April 19th & Save the Dates!

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  SI Weybridge & District (SIWAD) held their 44th AGM at The Wheatsheaf Esher recently. The Treasurer and Officers reports, Annual Accounts and Officer openings were covered and proposers and seconders ensured we fulfilled the statutory obligations. The Elmbridge based club meeting was followed by a speaker from the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire. Peter joined us on Zoom to provide information on the history of the amazing NMA and to take us on a tour of the amazing gardens, monuments and background to their erection and associated planting.   We had sight of the SIGBI Soroptimist Centennial monument erected in 2021 to honour Soroptimists around the world  and celebrate 100 years of Soroptimism. The club plans a trip to visit the NMA in October 2022. The monthly business meeting followed with 2 prospective members from Cobham and Kingswood joining the meeting at that stage.  Both

SI Weybridge & District drive membership in March & April

SI Weybridge & District drive membership in March & April

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SI Weybridge & District drive membership in March & April Sincere thanks to Dorothy for writing up our Pink Tuk Tuk 2021 success story. #Soroptimists got a very good mention in April’s Elmbridge Magazine. We’ve had 3 new member enquiries in the last month following the IWD2022 posters and this article. Thank you for the interest and support to #sheengatepublishing. We hope to soon welcome Mary of the #Rosiemayfoundation to a face to face meeting to hear about our Tuk Tuk ‘Dorothy’ and to meet our three potential members. Interested? The next meeting is May 19th but come along to our stand at Oatlands Village Fayre in Weybridge  on Saturday 10th May  to chat informally. More at https://oatlandsfayre.org.uk/ Do ‘Share’ to widen the news spread please!! We do such good work gals!

Eggstra Foodbank delivery
Job Done! Elmbridge Easter Eggs gratefully received by Foodbank

Job Done! Elmbridge Easter Eggs gratefully received by Foodbank

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Despite the rain this morning we met with a warm welcome at #walton&hershamfoodbank depot in Faulkner Road. Soroptimists in Elmbridge bought 70 eggs for the donation. We hope they bring some smiles to families locally at this busy holiday time. Many thanks to SI Weybridge & District club members for their generosity, help in choosing the eggs and in delivering them. Jeannie and Ann then treated themselves to a trip around Squires garden centre and coffee, a chance for developing a true soroptimist friendship.  

March 30th – SI Soroptimist Southern England Region (SISE) Ukraine Donation

March 30th – SI Soroptimist Southern England Region (SISE) Ukraine Donation

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March 30th – SI Soroptimist Southern England Region (SISE) Ukraine Donation Today Weybridge & District Soroptimists generously donated £1010 to Soroptimist Southern Region (SISE)  Ukraine Fund. All southern regional clubs donated before March 30th. The overall regional sums collected will now be distributed to SI local Clubs in  Lviv in Ukraine and Chisinau in Moldova where soroptimists are actively helping local displaced Ukrainan families in Ukraine and nearby locations with food and medicines. A SISE club member has recently visited these clubs to see the valuable work soroptimists have been and continue to do on the ground since the war started. Generous individual club members have been helping with incredible neighbourly support, food donation and assistance with job search to a local family in Weybridge who are housing a significant number of Ukraine family members. Others are helping with organised community shipments from Walton on

Eggstra Special Easter – Soroptimist Egg Donation to @Walton&HershamFoodbank

Eggstra Special Easter – Soroptimist Egg Donation to @Walton&HershamFoodbank

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Soroptimists in Elmbridge met on 17th March. Following the success of last years’ Easter egg, sun cream and Aldi voucher donations to mark the centenary year of Soroptimism globally, club members brought along Easter eggs to donate again in early April. Today soroptimists Jeannie and Ann  added from cash doantions and packaged up 70 eggs for the foodbank in readiness for distribution across the local sites. With food poverty increasing and huge demand for help Weybridge & District Soroptimists continue to support local foodbanks as a priority in 2022 as part of our community program action.   Soroptimists meet in many cities each month to plan and orchestrate global, country, regional and local projects alongside making new friends and accessing social events. SI Weybridge & District meet in Esher, get in contact for more information.

Soroptimists in Elmbridge learn about Ovarian Cancer to share the facts

Soroptimists in Elmbridge learn about Ovarian Cancer to share the facts

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On March 17th Susan Booth of Target Ovarian Cancer, the UK’s leading ovarian cancer charity presented facts, information and stories to Weybridge & District Soroptimists at the monthly meeting. The charity provided leaflets, symptom booklets and information ahead in March and local Soroptimists delivered and popped up the posters in libraries, GP and ante natal clinics and on council boards during the month. Susan told us the cancer is often missed as the symptoms mimic those of other GI complaints. Recognising the symptoms, recording frequency and consistency to present at GP consultations and their national GP training have improved outcomes despite early prejudice that much could be done. The charity has a helpline for those seeking advice. The 2 tests used most often (in addition to a complete pelvic exam) to screen for ovarian cancer are transvaginal ultrasound (TVUS) and the CA-125 blood test. TVUS