FORTHCOMING EVENTS

Our next meeting will be on Thursday 31 May 7.00 for 7.30 p.m. when we will have a speaker from the Samaritans.  Ladies please feel free to join us or contact us by email to find out more about what we do. Watch this space for details of what we are planning for the future or check out our Programme of Events page.

Welcome

Welcome to the website for Soroptimist International of Carlisle.

We are part of a worldwide movement for women, who join clubs to give service to others.
This service operates on a number of levels:

· At club level to provide support and friendship for members.
· At local level to serve the community here in Carlisle and the surrounding area.
· At national level to address larger social issues.
· At international level to strive for human rights for all people
and foster understanding and goodwill.

Past President, Ann Durrant (right) hands the chain of office to
new President, Jan Jeffery

We have clubs on every continent and are currently the largest service organisation for women in the world. There are several hundred clubs in the UK and 95,000 members worldwide in 126 countries. Our club SI Carlisle was established in 1941 and currently has 27 members.

Vision

Soroptimist International is a vibrant, dynamic organisation for today’s woman. We are committed to a world where women and girls together achieve their individual and collective potential, realise aspirations and have an equal voice in creating strong and peaceful communities worldwide.

Mission

Through international partnerships and a global network of members, Soroptimists inspire action and create opportunities to transform the lives of women and girls by:

· Advocating equity and equality.
· Creating safe and healthy environments.
· Increasing access to education.
· Developing leadership and practical skills for a sustainable future.

Soroptimist International has direct access to the United Nations and works with many non-governmental organisations to alleviate suffering and promote goodwill.

Programme of Events

31/05/2012   Speaker from the Samaritans

OUR MOST RECENT PROJECTS

          Remembrance Sunday was celebrated once again this year
    with the laying of a wreath at the War Memorial in Carlisle City Centre.

Once again we've been knitting little woollen hats to go on the top of Innocent Smoothie bottles. This year's challenge was to knit 1,000! Here are some of the knitters with the end results. Jess Sinclair pictured centre knitted the majority of the hats. Innocent pay 25p for each hat to Age UK (Carlisle). 

This year our club celebrated its 70th Anniversary and we had a walk in the newly re-landscaped Chance's Park and members took part in a quiz  about the park before having a celebratory meal together. Shown here are some of the participants with President Jan cutting the Birthday cake.
A display of club memorabilia was on show and caused much discussion and amusement.

                     
                         
                        Once again we collected for Marie Curie

                                 Cancer Care and did extremely                
                                     well  raising over £1,100

                                 despite there being a recession!

                           Our thanks go to everyone who donated

                                  in locals shops and businesses.

On 7th November the club held a Charity Luncheon and Fashion Show at the Shepherds Inn in Aid of Eden Valley Hospice. We raised £1,800 for the charity. It was a great success, everyone enjoyed the day and our heartfelt thanks go to everyone who was involved and attended.

In October the club collected funds for  SAFETY NET by filling Smartie tubes with 20p pieces (having eaten the Smarties first!). We raised £160.00 which will help Safety Net towards essential refurbishments.

We celebrated International Literacy Day (8th September) by presenting story sacks to the children and staff of the Eden Valley Children's Hospice. Members of the club used their needleworking skills and put together all the ingredients for ‘Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you see?'.  A popular story for nursery age children. Story sacks encourage youngsters to enjoy reading as and to participate in an active way with stories. The Soroptimists also gave a story sack to Inglewood School.

Immediate Past President, Daphne Roberts

and President Elect, Jan Jeffery, took part

in the 2010 Carlisle Midnight Walk on 25

June to raise money for Eden Valley Hospice. Together they raised almost £200.

Anglers will be delighted to know that several members went Himalayan Balsalm Pulling on the banks of the River Petteril near Calthwaite with Eden Rivers Trust on 12 June.

Himalayan Balsam (Impatiens glandulifera) is an introduced plant which has escaped from gardens and is rapidly colonising river banks and other areas of damp ground. It is an annual plant which grows to about 2 m with purplish-pink slipper shaped flowers in June - August. When the seed pods are mature, they explode when touched, scattering the seed. It is likely that the seeds are further spread by water movements. Himalayan Balsam forms dense stands which suppress the growth of grasses and native British plants leaving the banks bare of vegetation in autumn and winter and liable to erosion. Because Himalayan Balsam regrows annually from seed, any form of control carried out after the seed pods have formed will have no long-term benefit. This is the second year we have helped the Trust with Balsalm Pulling. (Photo courtesy of Eden Rivers Trust).

On Saturday 5th June (World Environment Day) members bag packed at Morrison's Supermarket and raised £254.61 towards our target for our nominated charity, Eden Valley Hospice. Reducing the environmental impact of carrier bag use is one element of Morrison's policies to prevent waste through a sustainable waste management strategy that focuses on reduction, reuse and recycling.

On Saturday 8th May members of the club attended a Fashion Show at Carlisle Cathedral where Casualty and Hollyoaks actor James Redmond presented the event which featured well-known Fairtrade brands and ethically-sourced items from High Street stores.

 

 President Ann Durrant and Past President Daphne Roberts

held a stall to promote Soroptimism.

President Daphne Roberts gave a cheque for £1,000 to Hospice at Home on 9 March 2010.

On 25 February 2010 we held an evening to mark Fairtrade Fortnight. Ruth Taylor from the Shared Interest Society Ltd gave an enlightening talk on their work as a co-operative lending society that aims to reduce poverty in the world by providing fair and just financial services.   We also held a raffle and put on a display of Fairtrade items available locally. 

SI of Carlisle

Great News! Not only was SI Carlisle awarded First Prize for Programme Action in the Northern Region (SINE) for 2009/2010, but we were also been awarded an international award for supporting programmes and policies that eliminate HIV/Aids.

2009/2010 President Daphne Roberts (left), Jo Chexal (PA Officer, SINE),
Jess Sinclair (right)

Carlisle Club is one of 14 in Northern England. You can find out more about them here .

Soroptimist International has 95,000 members in over 3000 clubs in 126 countries worldwide. These are divided into four Federations and those in England are part of Soroptimist International of Great Britain & Ireland (SIGBI) which has ten and a half thousand members in 365 clubs in 28 countries. The countries are listed on the website.

The UK Programme Action Committee helps all the clubs in Britain with their service to the community and fund raising projects. This makes it easy to share ideas and work together.