AT THEIR first speaker meeting of the new presidential year, president Irene Kerr welcomed Louise Hanen, branch chairperson, and Jill Quinn, branch manager from Ripon and Harrogate Branch of the Alzheimer’s Society.

President Irene and SI Harrogate and District have chosen the branch for their charity of the year and will be raising funds to support their work throughout the year. Louise gave a very moving account of her involvement with the society and the local branch, which began after her very personal experiences when her late father Luke was diagnosed with dementia at the age of 55. Her dedication to helping ensure that other families do not have to face the lonely, largely unsupported journey through this illness, led to the further development of the Ripon and Harrogate branch of the society. Jill Quinn shared the platform and spoke with devotion and compassion about the services the branch provided to over 200 people with dementia plus their families within Harrogate, Ripon, Knaresborough and the surrounding areas.

The speakers inspired and educated their audience about the ongoing work to help people live through their diagnosis and journey also the battle to find adequate funding for their work. They outlined the plans for an even brighter future for their clients, the ongoing campaigning for better services, for drugs to be available for all who need them and a better quality of life for people with dementia and their carers. This was both humbling and heart warming which motivated the audience to ask many questions. Louise and Jill were offered the club’s warmest congratulations and a commitment to do all they could to help.

Our next speaker meeting will take place on July 16 at the White Hart Hotel, Harrogate. For more information on club meetings or the young members’ group, contact the secretary, Janet Morrow, on 01423 501612. For more information on Soroptimist International of Harrogate and District visit our website on wwwsiharrogateanddistrict.org.uk