Samaritans

Ipstones WI

Joy welcomed the members to our Annual General Meeting, and we were delightedtohave three new members to join our committee. Our very welcome members were Pauline, Margaret and Jean. Since we had alarge amount of business to get throughthe minutes of last month’s meeting were left out for members to read during refreshment time.

All the correspondence was included in our newsletter, but special mention was made of the 52 week Earth Day Challenge which will be discussed at alater date.There were some great suggestions made as to what we might get involved in. Our speaker for the Maymeeting will be Kelly Hubbard who will demonstrate Natural Skin Care Products and speak about the charity that the company Tropic promotes. Sheila Leeson and Jean Lowndes willprovide refreshments at that meeting.

Our President Joy gave her President’s address in which shedescribed theway in which we hadall coped with the problems of the past tumultuous years. She made special mention of our new members and her confidence that they may encourage some new ideas and initiatives. Joy thanked the committee for all their hard work and presented them with flowers. She thanked, a long-standing friend, Mel Smith, from Cheddleton WI, who had come along to help with thevoting etc.Mel gave us alittle insight into how her own institutehad copedwith Covid.

The officers were elected, and Joy retained her position as president which she carries out brilliantly.

The financial statement was read and duly proposed, secondedand accepted withafeeling of relief that we are still solvent. The raffle was won by First Rosie and Second Jeanne.

The welcome and excellent wine and cheese refreshments were then brought out and enjoyed by all. Thank you our committee. Report by Joan Mitchell

SAMARITANS

Atraining room at theLeek branch of Samaritans has been named after alongstandingvolunteer.

The surprisededicationwas revealed at ahandover ceremony thisSpring.

The ceremony marked achange in leadership as director VickieWhiteleggstepped down after three yearsinthe role.

Samaritans gathered at theLeek branch in Queen Street recently to bid farewell to Vickieand welcome new director SteveWilliams.

Vickiewas presented with gifts, including dollars towards aforthcoming holidayinCalifornia.

Long-servingSamaritan JudyMcDuell whohas trained morethan400 volunteers to supportpeoplein crisis, was surprised at theevent when it was revealed the Leek branch trainingsuite had been named after her.

Judyhas beenaSamaritaninLeekfor 37 yearsand has trained more than440 people to support callersin crisis. She has previouslyserved as director andin2018 was recognised by HM The Queen with an invitation to aGarden Party at Buckingham Palace.

Judysaid: “It was lovely seeing everyone again–a reminder of just how wonderful andselfless all Samaritans are.There’sa whole team in Leek andacross the country.

“Wegivequitea lot of a nightevery week and support peopleall the way through. “People thinkit’sall misery,but whenyou feel you havehelped somebody it’sreally rewarding. “Wecan saywehave saved lived and that’sa privilege in itself.”

Now servingina largely advisorycapacity, Judy wasinvitedto declare The Judy McDuell TrainingRoom officially open.

She said:“It wasanoccasion to thankthe retiring director and welcome the newdirector, so it was agreat surprise when Iwas somehowthe star of the evening. “The wonderful thing was abeautiful golden plaque on thetraining room door.Itwas covered with apairoflittle curtainsthat Ihad to draw– I felt like theQueen! “I feel so honoured –I neverthought I’dhave somethingnamed after me.”

To findout moreabout Samaritans, visit: Samaritans.org.