BACKGROUND TO LINCOLN & DISTRICT CLUB
Members of Soroptimist International,
Lincoln and District, England.
Welcome You
WHERE IS LINCOLN?
Lincoln is a cathedral city situated on the East of England
A brief history of Lincoln and District Club
The inaugural meeting of the Lincoln and District Club was held on 20th October, 1945, with Miss Joyce as its first president. Our mother club is Nottingham.
In its first year it achieved 37 members who went to a regular monthly meeting and joined together in the first charter ceremony on 16th October, 1946. The club’s service to the local community started early with members holding a party for 30 girls from the remand home in January, 1947. During their evening meetings members heard talks on various topics including art, crime and travel. Magazines were collected for women in prison and a parcel of toys and clothes was sent to a children’s nursery in Italy.
Times were still hard; petrol was rationed so travelling to other clubs was difficult and minutes also record members’ thanks to the Beverley Hills Soroptimists in the United States for the parcels they had sent.
During 1948 club member Mrs Turner donated a solid silver Georgian spoon to be melted for the president’s badge, designed and made by students from the Lincoln School of Art. Miss Spence-Whyte gave moonstones and garnets. The insignia, which depicts St Hugh of Lincoln and his swan, was finished in 1949.
Early friendship links were made with clubs in Santa Anna in the United States and Esbjerg in Denmark.
By the early 1950s membership was up to 50 and that number has remained fairly constant ever since.
We currently have 50 members from a wide range of professional and business organisations in the area.
Membership is by invitation but we are always eager to welcome new, lively members willing to commit themselves wholeheartedly to the club’s aims and activities.
The club meets on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month with the exception of August when there are no meetings. We meet at Bishop Grosseteste College, Longdales Road, Lincoln At one monthly meeting we discuss the club’s business and at the other we enjoy speakers on a variety of topics. In addition retired members take it in turn to entertain each other in their own homes at a monthly ploughman’s lunch. Club members also meet once a month at the supper meetings which are relaxed and informal gatherings at local restaurants.
There is a varied programme of fundraising events which have included a barbecue, quiz night, car treasure hunt and “beau jolly” evening. Proceeds from these events go towards the President’s charity which this year is Project Sierra.
In the past we have raised money to buy a special mattress and reference books for our local hospice, a baby-changing unit for NCH Action for Children, the restoration of a precious book in Lincoln Cathedral library, Save the Children Fund, Share the Care, Diabetes Uk, British Heart Foundation and we also support the Nomad Trust, our local homelessness charity.
We have also formed friendship links with Soroptimist clubs in Pisa, Italy; Zaanstreek, Holland;Aukland, New Zealand; and Kwe Kwe in Zimbabwe. We have supported this last club by sending the money to pay its capitation fees enabling it to donate more of its own money to its local project. The Kwe Kwe club has been providing soup, mince and fruit for patients at the local hospital
The club also contributes to the Soroptimist International appeal.