May 1st – East Grinstead May Fair.

May 3rd – James Ellson speaks on Real Cop/Literary Cop.

May 17th – Cub Night.

June 7th – Sophie Coletti & Vicki Soutar speak on Freedom.

June 11th – Summer Garden Party.

June 21st – Cub Night.

July 5th – John Madden speaks on Lingfield Nature Reserves.

July 19th – Club Night.

August 23rd – Summer Cocktail Party.

September 6th – Harry Burt speaks on Climate Change  – sub. Gillian Taylor speaks on Walking with Polar Bears.

September 17th – Magic Brunch.

September 20th – Club Night.

October 4th – Andrew Telling speaks on making films for animal charities.

October 18th – Club Night.

November 1st – Dame Helena Shovelton speaks on being a Charity Champion.

November 3rd & 4th SIGBI Conference.

November 15th – Conference feedback.

November 24th – Coffee and Mince Pies.

December 6th – Ginny Halcrow speaks on Christmas Traditions.

December 9th – Charity Christmas Grotto.

2024

January 3rd – Club Night.

January 17th – Sarah Greene speaks on Old Bones.

February 7th – Club Night.

February 28th – Elzabeth Gowen speaks on Kosovo.

March 6th – Vicky Griffiths & Richard Leman speak on Olympic Foundation.

March 20th Club Review Night.

March 24th – Presidents Lunch.

April 3rd – Charities Evening.

April 17th – A.G.M.

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This year’s President, Sue Darney, has overseen a weekend of celebration with a Tree planting on Friday 23^rd and a Celebratory Dinner on Saturday 24^th September. For a period of two weeks spanning the celebration weekend a display illustrating the history and work of the Club appeared in the window of East Grinstead Library.

The dinner on Saturday evening was held at a nearby Golf Club and we were honoured to welcome the Mayor of East Grinstead, Councillor Adam Peacock, SIGBI President Cathy Cotteridge, President of our Mother Club Tunbridge Wells, Caroline Auckland, South East Region President, Yvonne Freeman and South East Region President Elect, Lynne Chiswick. The room was beautifully decorated with floral displays prepared by a Club member.

Elegant and attractive programmes produced by the Club’s Art Group adorned each guest’s place alongside silver-painted pine cones holding the place names. The meal began with a selection of Italian meats, olives and bread followed by a carvery and dessert of fresh fruit pavlova. Cathy Cotteridge cut the celebration cake iced in white and blue with the Soroptimist badge. During the course of the evening the name of every former Club President was read out and those who were in attendance stood to enthusiastic applause.

ShirleyTricker (1982-1983) and Betty Deller (1983-1984) were the earliest Past Presidents who were able to attend.  As each decade was mentioned a candle was lit at the top table. Before leaving for home each guest was given an organza gift bag of fudge hand-made by a Club member.

This was definitely a weekend to remember and we look forward to celebrating our next milestone in 10 years’ time.

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Anne Richards took charge of some Lime saplings and nurtured them carefully which was quite a task during the long, hot, dry summer. They survived the extreme conditions and steadily started to grow and branch out. Jane Griffiths liaised with Mr David Mills MBE, the owner of the British Wildlife Centre in Lingfield, to provide a suitable planting area. Mr Mills kindly agreed and a space was secured.

The date was set for Friday 23rd September. The very deep holes had been dug by the staff at the Wildlife Centre – a task for which we were so grateful as it would have been a mammoth task to excavate holes of the necessary dimensions ourselves! Once again the weather was whimsical and this time “the heavens opened” and torrential rain poured down upon the fields of the Centre. Nonetheless, four intrepid Soroptimists, two “Soroptimisters” and Mr Mills arrived at the scene. It was hard work but under Anne’s expert guidance the four Lime trees were planted, protected from marauding rabbits and deer and without any need for watering!

Our efforts will now combine with the National Trust’s plans to establish 20 million trees by the year 2030 to create a strong natural defence against the climate crisis, the project to create a “green canopy” and our own very special 60th birthday celebrations.

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Once again this year, on a humid August evening, we were able to enjoy cocktails – some alcoholic, some non-alcoholic – and tasty nibbles in Past President Sue Edgar’s garden. There was standing room only by the time over 30 members and guests had joined the celebration. This was a great opportunity to meet together informally with plenty of time to mix and chat as well as introducing and encouraging some potential members. Each visitor was given a raffle ticket on arrival and three ‘special’ prizes were handed out at the end of the evening. The event raised funds for local charities supported by the Club including Crawley Open House, Being Neighbourly and a Women’s Refuge

As the revellers departed and feet were put up by a great team of helpers, the garden became a quiet space again until the dramatic thunderstorms that came later that evening. Strangely the garden decorations remained mainly intact to be put away ready for next year!

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The camp on the Isle of Wight accommodates around 30 children and young people aged between 7 and 16 years. QVH Charity, the charity dedicated to supporting the hospital, has to raise £8.000 every year to fund this camp. CREW is run by QVH staff and past patients now too old to attend but come as volunteers. The volunteer team also have the support of East and West Sussex firefighters. The children attending do not have to pay anything to attend ensuring that this vital camp is open to everyone. Our Club has been funding one participant on the weekend for a number of years but Covid has meant a two year break in the activity. This year, however, the camp has been able to take place once again and the impact it has had on the participants has been tremendous. The following is an extract from a report written by one of the nurses on Peanut Ward who organises the event each year.

‘After two years of CREW being on hold, we set off for an amazing weekend, the volunteers as excited as the children. As well as all the usual challenging activities – climbing, archery, beach fun and zip wire etc – we introduced a ‘Diamond Jubilee’ biscuit decorating competition.  By bedtime on Friday night they were buzzing on red, white and blue icing, all that sugar!  Seeing these young people overcome their fears, not dwelling on their disabilities and putting 120% into every activity however tricky for them as individuals was both awesome and humbling.  Watching a child with only one strong hand do the ‘leap of faith’ twenty feet in the air was utterly amazing with lots of wet eyes both adults and children.  Hearing them discussing and helping each other to make sense of their fears and feelings and the camaraderie and encouragement is fabulous. These young ones have so many hurdles to overcome one way and another and to witness them spending three days just being kids, not paying heed to their injuries and disabilities is truly priceless.’

We are delighted to be able to contribute to this life-changing experience for these young people, all the more so since Margaret Duncombe MBE, a founder member of the Club and chosen in SIGBI’s centenary year to be celebrated as an outstanding Soroptimist, was instrumental in opening the Peanut Ward with a private room allowing parents to stay with their children.

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What Is Forced Marriage?

Forced marriage is when one or both people do or cannot consent to the marriage, and pressure or abuse is used to force them into marriage.

Forced marriage is illegal in the UK.

It is a form of domestic abuse and a serious abuse of an individual’s human rights.

Statistics

The International Labour Organisation (ILO)estimates that 15.4 million people around the world are in situations of forced marriages and it is estimated that 84% of these are women and girls. There are three main types of forced marriage:

• Forced marriage of adults
• Early or child marriage
• Trafficking for marriage

Reasons for Forced Marriage

There are many reasons for forced marriages occur,

• payment of a bride price
• to cancel a debt
• to secure the residency of an individual in another country
• or by deception.

Once the marriage is entered into the risk of further abuse, exploitation, domestic servitude and sexual exploitation increases.  All poor outcomes for the individual.

The ILO estimates 37% of those in forced marriages were children at the time of their marriage, with nearly half under the age of 15.  Marriage at such a young age, impacts on the life of a child, educationally, and socially with potential health problems due to sexual activity and early pregnancies.

Forced Marriage and Modern Day Slavery

The UN Office on Drugs and Crime estimate that victims of human trafficking are trafficked for marriage.  Women are abducted or lured by false promises into marriages abroad, or are sold by family members, often due to poverty. These women might be confined, raped, and abused until they consent to the marriage.

The link between forced marriage and modern – day slavery is clear and ending these marriages would help in the fight against both human trafficking and modern- day slavery.

Whilst we continue the fight against forced marriage, we must be clear an arranged marriage is not a forced marriage as it is an agreed arrangement between consenting adults.

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April  

20        Annual General Meeting & Change of Insignia

May

4          1962 and All That

18        Club

22        Royal Garden Party / Jubilee Celebrations

June

1          Commander Dr Alison Heydari   Metropolitan Police Service

15        Club Night

29        Cheese and Wine

July

3          Coffee Morning

6          The Great Escape – Ms Sarah Greene

20        Club Night

August

3          Club Night

24        Summer Cocktails

September

7          ‘Diamonds are Forever’ Mr S Rogers, Penny Farthing Jewellers

21        Club Night

24        Diamond Jubilee 60th Anniversary Dinner – Sweetwoods Golf Club

October

5          Club Night

19        Surprise Night

27-29     Conference – Belfast

November

2          Post Conference Reports – BYO Supper

16        Club

25        Coffee and mince pies

December

7          Club / Christmas celebration

10        Christmas Grotto

2023

January

4          Club Night

18        Surprise Night

February

1          Quiz Night

15        Club Review and Reflection Night

March

1         President’s Dinner / St David’s Night Royal Ashdown Golf Club

15        Club Night

April

5          Club Night

19        Annual General Meeting & Change of Insignia

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AND

An introduction from our incoming President to the fun and celebrations planned for this our 60th Year!

FULL CALENDAR TO FOLLOW.

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Where has 2021 gone…. We seem to have ‘lost’ nearly two years of wondering can we meet, when, how many of us? Is everyone doing OK? And yet beyond all these restrictions and barriers we have managed to meet- enjoying each other’s company, making new friends at Being Neighbourly and keeping in touch with old friends, raising funds, donating to local charities, attending Region meetings, joining the virtual Conference, celebrating Tunbridge Wells’ 75th Anniversary, Theatre Night, Mince Pies and Coffee and the Christmas Grotto when we collected so many donations for Crawley Open House, Reigate Refuge as well as items for local Afghan refugees. We also responded to a plea from Crawley Hospital for toiletries to go to the geriatric wards!

SI Cape of Good Hope asked SI East Grinstead to join the meeting. Alison Tarada received the invitation but unfortunately could not make the date. I attended to represent the Club and as usual they made all their guests welcome.  Joining their meetings is always interesting with local speakers describing projects – particularly in the area of domestic violence. It is always a challenge too as access to the internet and power are issues they regularly have to adapt to.

Despite time apart we met over teas and coffees; made a good purple show; helped turn the town into a garden of knitted Forget-me-nots; celebrated #WhoIsShe and Margaret Duncombe in the roll call at Conference; enjoyed lunches; theatre performance with amazing raffle prizes; donations and purchases at the Grotto; turned many squares of differing sizes into a blanket for the Afghan Refugees (Thanks to Hilary and the knitters); and joined the Remembrance Sunday service.

It was interesting to see that the head of the march past were two women. Susan Pyper- Lord Lieutenant of West Sussex and Mims Davies- Mid Sussex MP.

We hosted some incredible speakers via Zoom and latterly in person!!  Hosted audiences (at the height of the Zoom programme) to 90 like minded women from around the world. What a year this has been in finding new friends and Clubs.  Thanks to those who found the speakers, persuading them to give of their time- often with no payment- to inform us of their work and how that resonated with Soroptimist goals.

A highlight for me was hearing Tania Cubison who turned out to be one of the best speakers I have listened to in a very long while. The content was so relevant to our town and hearing how Queen Victoria Hospital has operated through out the Pandemic was fascinating. Her organisational and logistics skills that she has fine tuned throughout her military and medical careers were certainly exploited to the full. Not to put too fine a point on the seriousness of the situation, QVH could have been put into mothballs – permanently – had Tania and the team not worked on different solutions to continue serve the community and patients from throughout the region and across the UK.

The virtual conference ‘in Llandudno’ was full of ideas from around the UK in how Clubs had continued to offer services and fund raising through difficult times. There was a focus on member- ship. I am delighted to say that Ann Kesteven, (our current membership officer) will work with Anne Sanders who, over time, will take over this role. Anne will be working with Lorna Blackmore who has been challenged to work with several Sussex clubs in preparation for the next Membership month in May 2022.

One speaker at conference was Dr Anne-Marie Imafidon MBE who will be on our screens as this month as she was named as the Countdown replacement whilst Rachel Riley is on maternity leave. She will provide the letters and numbers for contestants.  31-year-old Anne-Marie is a mathematician and entrepreneur and was voted the Most Influential Woman in UK IT 2020.  She is CEO and Head of Stemette a non-profit organisation.   Stemettes, focuses on helping people get into Stem (science, technology, engineering and maths) subjects.

One other highlight was watching the planets through Steve Pond’s telescope- after a very interesting talk. It was amazing to see the level of detail that was visible… in a Galaxy far far away ( just had to add that last bit for those Star Wars fans). Truly out of this world!

Through contacts, Rosemary was able to reach out to the refuge in Reigate to see how SI East Grinstead could help them during the Festive Season. (This refuge had been supported by SI Reigate which has now closed). I want to thank the Grotto ‘staff’ for their hard work in organising and sorting through the many donations received. This was a great team effort and a service activity that cost just time. Well you all dug deep and the contributions for the women and children were wonderful

As we move into the beginning of 2022 SI East Grinstead begins its 60th year with activities, events and celebrations in the pipeline that our President Elect- Sue Darney is planning.

What a year it will be!

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