SI Tynemouth, Whitley Bay and District

Club steps up to the challenge to help beat breast cancer

Clubs and groups across the UK are being asked to take on a new challenge this year to help beat breast cancer by taking part in Breast Cancer Campaign’s £100 Club Challenge.

The £100 Challenge is open to all clubs and groups across the UK, whether you belong to a singing and theatre group, arts and crafts club or a ladies networking association, and it’s easy to take part. Simply hold a fundraising event, aim to raise £100 (or more!) and have fun. You can do anything from coffee mornings with club members and sponsored events to quiz nights and black tie balls.

Shirley Hallam and Linda Johnson encouraged members of Tynemouth, Whitley Bay and District, to fundraise for Breast Cancer Campaign last year by turning their home town of Whitley Bay pink for the month of October. Activities included turning the water at their local swimming pool pink, collections at their local football club, a ‘Best Dressed Pink Window’ competition among the local shops and a “Pink Pearl Auction”

Shirley said “Everyone in our Soroptimist group really got behind the cause and thanks to their support we managed to raise a fantastic £7,235 to help Breast Cancer Campaign get a step closer to beating breast cancer. We had a lot of fun organising all the different activities and it was a great way to help raise awareness of the need to support breast cancer research within our local community.”

The fundraising challenge is set at £100 however there are various fundraising levels in place for those who want to aim a little higher. If you’re feeling ambitious, why not aim for our Silver level (£500), Gold level (£1,000) or even Pink level (£2,500) to raise extra cash and help Campaign continue funding innovative world-class breast cancer research.

The £100 Challenge is open to all clubs and groups across the UK and last year over 500 clubs took part, raising over £270,000 to help beat breast cancer. We want to beat this target in 2010 but need your help, so sign your club up today.

 

Illuminating Hadrian's Wall

Back in December, club member, Linda Johnson, heard about becoming an illumator and Illuminating Hadrian's wall on Radio Newcastle; those interested to apply on line on Hadrian's Wall Site, whic she did. There was a questionaire to complete, including the question, why did you want to do it. Linda put down that sheI wanted to do it for all women who had died from breast cancer, all women who were suffering from breast cancer.and and all women who had survived breast cancer - to shine a light for them.
 
She didn't get to hear that she had been choosen till 22nd of Febuary and did not find out till the weekend befor where sheI would be standing: beside the river Eden near Crosby, about four miles from Carlisle.

The gas lamp and gas cylinder and other equipment everyone carried a mile across fields to get to their designated spots. Once there she set it all up and waited. She had been given a time to light the gas lamp but the flares did not have to be lit till they could see the helicopter at the light to the left.

Linda said, "It was magic seeing the line of light coming towards you then lighting up and it passing on to the next one. After it passed I waited because we had been told we would be able to see the fireworks at Carlise. It was a long day but one to remember for the rest of my life."

 

Water-Walkers

The water turned blue and "Water Walkers" came to Whitley Bay for WaterAid for the first time, recently. Club President, Shirley Hallam, Dave Whiteley - Northumbrian Water and "the loo on a bicycle" were to be seen riding/walking from Tynemouth Pool to Waves Leisure Pool in Whitley Bay.

They invited local girl Shirley Webb, Olympian and Gladiator to form the "longest loo queue in the world" and sign autographs and raised £180. President Shirleywas delighted with this result. "The support of North Tyneside Council, Northumbrian Water and the Manager and staff at Waves Leisure Pool are deeply valued and this amount will go towards helping Wateraid reach over 800,000people with safe, clean water and over 1 million people with sanitation".

 

 

 

Firewalking!

Members of the Rotary Club of Monkseaton Centenary were joined by Soroptimists and members of the public at their Family Fun Day on Sunday, September 27, where 19 plucky volunteers took part in a sponsored firewalk to raise funds for the Club's cancer care projects and their Javea in Nepal appeal.

After two hours training the firewalkers took part in the fun day finale at dusk, where they walked across burning wood that reached temperatures of 1,236 degrees Fahrenheit.

New Soroptimist club member, Maggie Wakely, raised over £600 and said she was delighted to have risen to the challenge.

  

Two Presidents

Incoming President Barbara Connors-Fowler of The Rotary Club of Monkseaton Centenary invited a special guest to her inauguration celebration at The Monkseaton Arms.

President Barbara hosted President Shirley Hallam of the Tynemouth, Whitley Bay and District Branch of Soroptimist International

Speaking at the event, President Barbara said that she was delighted that President Shirley had been able to attend the special occasion and looked forward to continuing to work in partnership with the Soroptimists in future and said that so many objectives were shared by both organisations.

Thanking President Barbara for her continued support, President Shirley said that she was greatly looking forward to joint ventures between their two clubs.

Pictured above are club president, Shirley Hallam and Rotary President Barbara Connors-Fowler.

The Big Green Seaside Station Day

This was held at Tynemouth Station on 31 August where members had a stall and raised awareness of how to recylce for Breast Cancer Campaign. Pictured left (in green) is President Shirley Hallam congratulating the Environnment Magician on his excellent magic show for children and their families in raising awareness of environmental issues.

Pictured right is President Shirley, explaining the importance of research in finding the cure for Cancer to a young Bangladeshi mother attending the Big Green Seaside Station Day. 

Breast Cancer Campaign recycles mobile phones and ink jets to support their cause. Focus is their magazine that keep women and men up to date with the current advances in research. It also shows how to have fun when raising funds for this worthy cause.

Carried away Whitley Bay

At the recent meeting of Tynemouth, Whitley Bay and Distict, members heard from local shopkeeper Susie Rutherford, Magpie Swop. She spoke of the devastation caused to sea birds and other wild life by the ingestion of plastic waste. She showed us film of a huge variety of objects; ink cartridges, golf balls, combs etc which had been found in the stomachs of dead sea birds in Hawaii. The density of plastic along our coastlines is increasing; 17 billion plastic bags are used in the UK alone per year. She asked for our vigilance and support.

Useful web sites include www.plasticbagfree.com and www.goodbeachguide.com President Shirley Hallam is keen to support any project that encourages members to recycle but particularly the banning of plastic bags from Whitley Bay. Susie is holding an awareness day on Saturday 12 September in Whitley Bay Shopping Mall.

The evening concluded with a light hearted art exercise lead by Member Sam Goodlet. As an artist she has worked with schools, community groups and with young people in Africa as well as locally at Tynemouth Station and on the beach at Whitley Bay’s Ocean day.

The next meeting of Soroptimist International Tynemouth, Whitley Bay and District is on Monday 13 July at VODA, Shiremoor. This will be an Open Evening when members of the public are most welcome to come along and hear the guest speaker Jim Mackey, Chief Executive Northumbria Health Care Trust, NHS Foundation Trust.
To book a place email President Shirley at shirleyhallam@madasafish.com

The photograph shows President Shirley Hallam thanking her speakers Susie Rutherford, Magpie Swop and artist Sam Goodlet.

Club supports North Tyneside Coast 09 programme

When artist Sam Goodlet joined the club last year, she never expected to be producing an installation for the celebration of Ocean Day and North Tyneside Coast 09 Programme of Events. "Beyond the Distance" was an environmental art installation situated on the beach bed near The Boardwalk Restaurant, where the ocean acted as a direct window to the world.

A 15-foot washing line constructed on the beach with nine visual panels represented the regeneration of life, re-growth, and layers of time. In spite of the bitterly cold windy weather over 300 people visited the workshops, including families, life guards and fellow Soroptimists who enjoyed the workshops over two days. They interacted with the installation by painting a stone in response to the works, the ocean and environmental place on the sand. They too became part of the works and a beautiful path of colour emerged below the panels’ text.

This was a wonderful opportunity for parents, children and adults to appreciate the visual result and reflect on it as they worked. The event was a true celebration of our beautiful coastline and Sam hopes to develop other installations in partnership with North Tyneside. 

Breast Cancer event at House of Lords

On Thursday 7 May 2009 Club President, Shirley Hallam, and Programme Action Officer, Linda Johnson, joined three hundred Breast Cancer Campaign supporters at the House of Lords for the Breast Cancer Campaign 'Thank You' Reception hosted by Baroness Morgan of Drefelin.

Pictured left are Shirley (left) and Linda, with Peter Johnson, liaison officer.

As dedicated supporters for Breast Cancer Campaign, Shirley and Linda work as volunteers to raise awareness, advocacy and action to help the charity achieve its mission of beating breast cancer by funding innovative world-class research. Last year the national newspapers reported on one of the charity's successful research projects that could improve existing breast cancer treatments and stop tumours from growing. The results could ultimately lead to improved chances of survival for thousands of women undergoing breast cancer treatment.

Linda and Shirley were introduced to Pamela Goldberg, Chief Executive, as well as meeting doctors, physiotherapists, fund raisers and survivors who are involved with the charity. After an inspiring Award Ceremony, and a moving and emotional personal statement from a lady with breast cancer, they returned to Whitley Bay even more determined to raise funds for this worthy charity.

After only two weeks, President Shirley is delighted to report that she has raised over £400. She hopes this total will rise to over £1,000 to support Breast Campaign's North East research projects.

 

Human Rights Day Open Evening

Club President Linda Billany was delighted to welcome Dr David Golding, CBE to their Open Meeting at Tynemouth Golf Club on Monday 8 Decembers. Pictured left to right: President Elect Shirley Hallam, Dr David Golding, President Linda Billany and PAO Linda Johnson.

Soroptimist International members from local clubs, Rotary and members of the public were invited to raise awareness and share Dr Golding's thoughts on where we stand on the implementation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Dr Golding's talk entitled, "Abused by Abject Poverty - Approaching the 60 Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights" reflected on his work with "Make Poverty History North East", and called upon the people of the North East to join others in demanding that our government , and indeed the governments of the world, should act to alleviate poverty for the world's poorer countries. He suggested that the following could be of assistance in this endeavour: Trade Justice, Dropping the Debt, Providing more and better aid, curbing climate change and promoting Fairtrade. He welcomed the work of Soroptimist International at local, regional, national and global level and encouraged them to continue to lobby for the rights of women and children across the world. Following mince pies and coffee President Linda Billany presented a cheque to David to support the work of Tearfund.

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