Yorkshire

 

Yorkshire Region has the largest number of clubs (24) in the UK.  The Region is actively involved in a range of Programme Action activities. For information on individual clubs, see the links at the foot of the page.

For more information on this Region, visit their website.

 

 

 

Parliamentary Outreach Workshop

Yorkshire Region hosted a “Get Involved” Parliamentary Outreach Workshop recently. The workshop presenter promoted awareness of the work of Parliament and how the work, debates and decisions of the House of Commons and House of Lords are relevant to our region. The Parliamentary Outreach operates in, and offers free workshops in every region of the UK.

The programme included presentations, case studies and questions. The focus was on how we as individuals and our clubs can influence the parliamentary debates and decisions to the advantage of our projects.

The three-hour session started with an overview of Parliament – what it is, what it does and what issues it affects.

The Parliamentary Processes considered were:
• Select Committees
• Raising Parliamentary Questions
• Parliamentary Debates
• Early Day Motions
• All Party Parliamentary groups
• Communicating with MPs and Peers

Each process was outlined and the ways in which we can make most effective use were identified.

Members agreed that it had been an excellent session where we had learned a lot and felt more empowered to make better use of our Parliamentary contacts. Further meetings will be requested.

The Parliamentary Outreach website gives information about what is happening in Parliament relating to your region and the business of the day.
 

Linking Hands for Peace

Members of SI Yorkshire Central East Cluster Group organised another successful event at the Royal Armouries in Leeds last September for International Day of Peace. Children visiting the Armouries were encouraged to colour in card hands, write their names and messages of peace. The hands were then linked and pegged on to display lines to promote ideas of peace.

Over 80 children with their parents chatted with club members about peace and talked about the other peace displays set up. Regional President Pat Shore coloured in a hand to peg to the line. President Elect Pat Drake encouraged her grandchildren to do the same.
 

Lobbying Group

This regional sub-group meets regularly as a discussion group on topical issues. The group prepared responses on behalf of SI Yorkshire, to government consultation initiatives such as the equality and diversity legislative framework. Current discussions centre on the problems of old age, and the need for a Minister for older people. The leader of the group, Sheila Miller, has already been interviewed on BBC Look North in this connection. 

Tea Shops to Savour

A guide to the region’s teashops has been published by the Yorkshire Region, and is on sale for £2.50 (inc. postage). Copies can be obtained from Sylvia Wilson.

Yorkshire has taken part in the national Soroptimist rail survey of stations in the region, and has been astonished at the poor levels of safety and security at most stations. The result of their survey has received publicity in the Yorkshire Post, a regional daily paper, and in the local press. Negotiations are now continuing with rail companies. 
 

Current Club activities include:

Bradford Schools Drug Prevention Initiative
This is a long-standing project, which promotes a peer-led training programme in Bradford secondary schools. Training is given to students on practical skills to help them talk to younger pupils at their schools on drug issues. Soroptimists are recruited as volunteers trained to evaluate how far the schools have met external standards.

Dewsbury Pink Evenings
SI Dewsbury raised money for breast cancer research, by holding an annual 'pink' evening, when everything possible is pink, including the food and the raffle prizes.

Links with South Africa
Two clubs have continued their links with clubs in South Africa, forged at the Durban conference. Both relate to HIV/Aids projects with children. One club supports a family, to provide for their education and daily needs, in Mafeking. The other club supports a centre for children affected by HIV/aids in Pretoria.

Healthy Eating
SI Leeds is into healthy eating, and encouraging young school children into healthy eating habits. They provide 120 bowls of 5 items of fresh fruit for a local primary school on one day each week. SI Leeds received the Best Practice Award (Education) at the Federation Conference in 2004.

SI Keighley pursues the health theme by talking to groups of older people about minimising the risk of falls. A member of the club who works for the local Primary Care Trust undertakes to train her colleagues.

This is Your Life
Soroptimists have remarkable life histories, and this has been encapsulated by SI Ilkley in a This is Your Life book, which includes short biographies of members, showing how they managed demanding careers. This has contributed to a university study on the way in which women of all ages manage home life, work and voluntary work and how they cope with change.

Children's Home
A local charity which funds community-based care projects in Romania has benefited from the support of SI Bingley, who have collected money for the roof of a children’s home, and goods, from sewing machines and bicycles, to bulk supplies of disabled equipment and clothing from a local Damart factory. They have visited the projects in Romania and are working with one of the Romania Soroptimist Clubs.