Our new club President Ruth was joined by a group of members and guests to enjoy a delicious afternoon tea at Woodbank House on the outskirts of Aberdeen in celebration of King Charles’ Coronation. Tasty savoury items, cakes, wine and a variety of teas were served up and everyone agreed that the afternoon had been a good opportunity to relax with lots of chat. Following our afternoon tea members made their way to the edge of the garden to enjoy the very welcome sunshine.

Aberdeen City Lord Provost thanked all volunteers from a variety of  charities and organisations present at the Big Help Out on Monday 8th May which was organised by Aberdeen City Council of Volunteer Organisations (ACVO) and the charity, We Too. He spoke of his gratitude to the many people of Aberdeen who volunteer with a number of  organisations.  Certificates were handed out to all volunteers who had taken part on the day and to club members who spent time talking to other volunteers and to members of the public.

Come along to the plant sale at  Bonnymuir Green Community Trust Garden on Saturday 20th May between 10.30am and 1.30pm when members of our club will join with the garden staff to sell a variety of fruit and vegetable plants and flowers. On sale there will be a selection of perennial plants, summer bedding plants including sweet peas, vegetable plants including speciality black cherry tomatoes, lollo rosso lettuce, broccoli and strawberries, as well as house plants. There will also be craft items for sale. Enjoy a cuppa or a meal at the on site Bonny Cafe which will also be open on the day. http://www.bgct.co.uk                  

To mark the forthcoming Coronation of King Charles  organisations across the country are getting together to encourage more volunteering in our communities. This initiative is called ‘The Big Help Out’. It launches on Monday 8th May and will continue throughout the summer. Club members will gather at the Trinity Centre in Aberdeen on the day between 11 am and 2 pm to meet up with members of the public to promote and discuss opportunities to volunteer with our club, Soroptimist International of Aberdeen.                                     COME AND MEET US AND HEAR ALL ABOUT WHAT WE DO!

This week members congratulated our new club President Ruth and wished her every success for the coming year. Our Immediate Past Louise was presented with a rose bowl to thank her for her leadership last year and to mark the end of her time as Club President.

As part of local activities for Climate Week North East (CWNE) a group of club members joined other volunteers from a variety of organisations including the Marine Conservation Society http://www.mcsuk.org and the East Grampian Coastal Partnership  (Turning The Plastic Tide) to clean up Aberdeen beach http://egcp.scot. In spite of the cold the busy participants collected a total of 92 KGs in a couple of hours!

Club members attended a very informative talk about the inspiring and extensive work of the charity, Sue Ryder. Founded by Margaret Susan Ryder, a compassionate and caring humanitarian, to help displaced people after the Second World War, the scope of the  work of the organisation has widened to support those with complex needs and life threatening conditions across the UK and internationally. Today Sue Ryder’s dedicated staff including Sue Ryder Nurses, registered mental health nurses, care assistants, physiotherapists, and occupational therapists support people through the most difficult times of their lives giving them the care they need including support following bereavement. The local facility, Dee View Court, is the charity’s purpose built specialist Neurological Care Centre providing expert care and rehabilitation for adults with neurological conditions, with a total of 42 fully accessible en suite rooms with two supported living apartments. By focusing on what

  On International Women’s Day we celebrate the social, cultural, economic and political achievements of women worldwide while bringing attention to issues like gender equality, women’s rights, reproductive health and violence against women and girls. This year the United Nations theme is ‘DigitALL: Innovation and Technology  for Gender Equality.’  The aim is to highlight the crucial need to provide better access for women and girls to digital education and encourage more of them into careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths.   To mark International Women’s Day club members have visited three care homes in Aberdeen to present pots of crocus bulbs grown by members to the residents.    

Club members enjoyed a fascinating talk from a representative of the Aberlour Trust outlining its wonderful work. Aberlour is a national children’s charity helping children and their families across Scotland have a brighter future. Its mission is to be brave for children and families and to provide support at the earliest opportunity in the belief that all children deserve to flourish since not all are born with an equal chance. Staff challenge themselves to be the best they can be and to listen carefully to children and their families about their experiences. They also use their campaigning voices to strengthen policies that promote equal opportunity and equality. The charity provides a wide range of services including residential care and fostering with loving homes for children who have experienced trauma and abuse. It gives babies a brighter future by building confidence in their parents, makes life

For one week in early December club members, with the help of volunteers from the charity, Aberdeen Cyrenians, took over the Aberdeen City Charities Shop selling a wide variety of donated stock that included clothing, toys and games, baby goods, books and bric a brac. We were raising funds for the charity which relies on public donations to provide care and support for vulnerable people and anyone experiencing homelessness or at risk of losing their home through poverty. Money raised goes towards keeping food and essential items stocked up. This will ensure that everyone who needs a food parcel will get one. It is also used to provide fuel vouchers to help people heat their homes. It will ensure that service users have access to support when experiencing a difficult situation, when acquiring information for what matters to them, seeking skills training, employability opportunities or