Skip links

IWD 2025 For ALL women and girls Rights.Equality.Empowerment.

IWD 2025 For ALL women and girls Rights.Equality.Empowerment.

in Tags

According to the UN, “this year’s theme calls for action that can unlock equal rights, power and opportunities for all and a feminist future where no one is left behind. Central to this vision is empowering the next generation—youth, particularly young women and adolescent girls—as catalysts for lasting change.” Take a look at what Yorkshire Soroptimists did in support of IWD 2025:- SI Keighley – IWD walk with other local SI members, Keighley Healthy Living and girls from a local primary school.  Then a talk on the soft options for keeping safe followed by a lovely simple lunch – splendid. SI Bingley and SI Bradford – Members from Bingley and Bradford attended an IWD event organised by Rotary International. SI Harrogate & District – It was privilege, on the eve of International Women’s Day, to listen to Sheila Pantin share the story of her life. 

Yorkshire women volunteer in Nepal

Yorkshire women volunteer in Nepal

in Tags

Backed by a £2000 travel grant given by SI Leeds Georgina and Laura both involved in STEM education and employment went to Nepal to help make a difference to the lives of women and girls there. Laura’s summary “Volunteering in Nepal was a fantastic and transformative experience. I spent 4 weeks working in Okhaldhunga on the Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) project which aims to improve the resilience of rural communities to natural disasters such as earthquakes, floods, wildfires and landslides. Nepal is a developing country that faces many natural hazards, and rural communities are often the most vulnerable. Having a background in geosciences, I was able to deliver workshops in the community on immediate disaster response and how to pack emergency go-bags which were well received and hopefully helpful and thought provoking to the community! My favourite experience however, was working in the local schools.

SI SPEN VALLEY 25th January 2025

SI SPEN VALLEY 25th January 2025

in Tags
SI Spen Valley was chartered on the 25th January 2025.  Ruth Healey, SIGBI Federation President was the Chartering Officer.   Lindsay Green, SIGBI Director of Programme, Judith Clark & Sue Butler, Joint Yorkshire Presidents, Susie Westwood, Immediate Past Yorkshire President and two of our Yorkshire Honorary members, Elizabeth Hughes and Margaret Cook joined SI Spen Valley for lunch, together with members from 15 of our Yorkshire clubs.  Click on each photo to view.
Presidents Sue and Judith’s Newsletter

Presidents Sue and Judith’s Newsletter

in

How fast the Soroptimist months whizz round and now it is time to write to you again. As many of you know Judith has been sadly busy with family illness in the last few weeks so I shan’t hand over newsletter duties until next month. I’m sure everyone joins me in wishing you both well Judith. December is a month steeped in tradition and as in previous years the month began with Soroptimist and festive traditions coming together as several clubs took part in Christmas tree festivals, ‘oranging’ their trees to highlight the days of activism against violence against women. Our Christmas tree festival in Ilkley is brief, just two days and  the church then  emptied of trees to make space for weekend worship. (With the help of a generous ‘man with a van’ we have perfected the art of transporting our tree, complete with

President Susie’s last newsletter

President Susie’s last newsletter

in

I find it hard to believe that this is my last President’s newsletter. I have thoroughly enjoyed writing them and will take pleasure from reading them in the future as they give a chronological story of my year in office.   On October 3rd, I attended the Regional Event at St Crux Hall in York organised by our Membership Officers Avis Ball and Judith Parsons. This event was arranged to raise the profile of Soroptimism in York with a view chartering a new club in the city in the future. Jane Glendinning created wonderful placards for the event. They described who we are and what we do such as, support women and girls, educate, empower and enable to make a difference. We were blessed with fabulous weather and over two dozen Soroptimists from eleven of our clubs volunteered to serve coffee and cakes (beautifully home

Sharron Davies Evening

Sharron Davies Evening

in Tags

On Saturday 16th November, Soroptimist International Richmond & Dales held an event at the Scotch Corner Hotel featuring the great Olympic swimmer and campaigner for women in sport, Sharron Davies. The evening was a fundraiser on behalf of the Richmond Dales Amateur Swimming club, to help fund equipment for their girl swimmers.  This is one of our charities for 2024-25. Before the event, Sharron attended their training session, meeting their young swimmers and putting them through their paces: what a privilege! In the evening, over 120 people had supper followed by a talk by Sharron about her career and issues in women’s sport.  She was a terrific speaker, and very inspirational.  After the talk she spent lots of time talking to attendees, especially the youngsters, and let everyone examine her Olympic torches and her medals.  An outstanding evening with an outstanding woman!    

More than half a million pounds awarded to projects making West Yorkshire safer

More than half a million pounds awarded to projects making West Yorkshire safer

in

Earlier this year, Soroptimist International of Yorkshire Against Modern Slavery (SIYAMS) submitted a bid for a grant from West Yorkshire Mayor, Tracy Brabin’s Safer Communities Fund. We were delighted to receive a grant of £9550 to facilitate the training of safeguarding leads across West Yorkshire to deliver an immersive educational computer game to young people, Danielle was devised by Gill Kirkman of Bradford University. The game enables young people, in a safe environment, to explore and understand the extensive abusive dating behaviours involved, their impact and where to seek help. It was a pleasure to be invited by Mayor Tracy Brabin, and Deputy Mayor Alison Lowe, to an awards evening at Dewsbury Minster, to receive our grant. See Page 6 on the link for more information https://www.yorkshirereporter.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Yorkshire-Reporter-OCTOBER-2024.pdf

Raising Awareness in York

Raising Awareness in York

in Tags

Yorkshire Soroptimists were out in force yesterday (3rd October) at St Crux Hall in York.      We were honoured to meet with the Lord Mayor of York, Margaret Wells. As well as selling our own homemade cakes and tea and coffee, we were raising awareness of soroptimism and the work that we do. Several donations were made from tourists to support our work.           This event is part of our drive to start a new club in York.

What Susie has been up to

What Susie has been up to

in

The first ten days of the month were quiet on the Soroptimist front but busy for me personally! I was unable to attend the SIYAMS meeting on the 10th but I was delighted to be able to represent the Region on the 11th at the Awards Ceremony for Round 6 of the Mayor’s Safer Communities Fund.   SIYAMS, at very short notice had put in a bid for a grant to the West Yorkshire Mayor’s Safer Communities Funding to support Gill Kirkman’s project, the school’s game Danielle. Gill Kirkman (who had talked to us during President Ruth’s visit in April) had launched an immersive educational computer game called Danielle. The game enables young people, in a safe environment, to explore and understand the extensive abusive dating behaviours involved, their impact, and where to seek help. Julia Allan from SI Keighley had raised awareness of the