The evening had been both formal and relaxed, a fitting end to a week that had celebrated International Women’s Day and acknowledged the role of women in creating strong and peaceful communities worldwide.

Project Sierra involves every Soroptimist member worldwide, working together to achieve our goals for the project. Together we know we can achieve something which none of us could achieve alone. For more information about how you could help support this vital work visit www.projectSIerra.org .

Leicester Soroptimist’s celebrated their third series of networking lunches with a bumper attendance at their first lunch in 2010. The lunches, which have a theme of “Enterprising Women” have a strict one-hour time span; offer valuable networking opportunities, a healthy light lunch and interesting speakers.

The speaker on this occasion was Ruth Ingman (second from left) an Employment Law Consultant with 15 years’ legal experience who is currently President of Leicestershire Chamber of Commerce. Previous speakers have included Hilary Devey, founder and managing director of Pall-Ex (UK) Limited and “Midlands Businesswoman of the Year; Priscilla Morris, Loud & Clear Voice Coach, Kathy Murdoch, Fosse Park Management and Rachel Dickinson, Strategic Director Children’s Services. The lunches also provide excellent opportunities to promote Soroptimism and Leicester Club resulting in five new members in 2009.  

If you would like to know more about our network lunches or would like to join our mailing list, please send your details via ‘Contact Us’.  

Leicester Soroptimists, family and friends looked out onto a very snowy scene at their recent new year lunch held at Leicester University’s Charles Wilson Building and enjoyed by all who attended. Everyone commented on the excellent meal and service. The popularity of the event yielded a profit of £100 which has been donated to the Haiti Earthequake Appeal. We know that our Soroptimist sisters in the Caribbean will be working hard to help their Haitian neighbours and send them our thoughts and best wishes for all that they do. 

It was definately frosty and the snowman really did come to call when members of SI Leicester ran their annual Christmas Stall at Loughborough Market to raise funds for SI International Project - Project Sierra a Family and a Home. The sale of scrumptious cakes and delectable preserves (all homemade) raised a magnificent £589 for the project.

We wish everyone a happy and peaceful Christmas and our thanks for your goodwill and support throughout the year. 

Programme Action Officer Melanie Sursham receives a Golden Giver Certificate from Helen Everett on behalf of Leicester, City of Sanctuary, Golden Giver Challenge.

Members of SI Leicester have donated and continue to give quantities of food and toiletry items to the City of Sanctuary project which gives aid and comfort to asylumn seekers and refugees in the city.

President Joan presents long-service certificates to members Vera and Hilary after welcoming new member Rosemary Hamilton into the Club.

The school aims to ensure that children and young people with ill health attend and enjoy school, developing self-confidence and skills to successfully deal with significant life changes and challenges and any continuing ill-health, to grow into successful adults. This aim is the same for all children including those with life threatening conditions or those who can no longer achieve as well as they did as a result of illness.

Following a recent Ofstead inspection the school was deamed to provide ‘an outstanding quality of education and care reinforced by positive and open management attitudes. The support that pupils receive from teachers and teaching assistants is second to none’.

New member Anne-Maria Olphert (centre) is welcomed into the club by President Joan and Anne-Maria’s sponsor Patricia Mansfield.

Coffee, car-boots, carvery and skittles all in a good cause. Members, their families and friends supported all these events to raise funds for the many projects SI Leicester undertakes.