Leamington Soroptimists raise £1,100 for local homeless charity

Left to right: Lianne Kirkman (chief executive of Helping Hands) and Catherine Williamson (president of Leamington Soroptimists) with the speaker at the event, Richard McCann.

The new Leamington branch of Soroptimists International have held their first charity fundraiser, raising over £1,100 for the charity Helping Hands.

The money raised will directly assist the charity’s latest initiative the Esther House Project which is supported living accommodation for women who are struggling to live independently as a result of trauma.

Lianne Kirkman, chief executive of Helping Hands, said “Helping Hands is enormously grateful to the Leamington Soroptimists for raising a fantastic amount of money for the ladies at Esther House.”

The event, held at Whittle’s Restaurant at Audley Binswood, featured a talk by renowned speaker and author Richard McCann, the son of Peter Sutcliffe’s first victim.

His harrowing story features in the new ITV series ‘The Long Shadow’, starring Katherine Kelly and Toby Jones, which dramatises the five-year police investigation hunting down serial killer Peter Sutcliffe.

The series airs on a Monday night and is available to stream on ITVX.

Catherine Williamson, president of Leamington Soroptimists, said: "Richard was delighted that the money directly went to women who are struggling with domestic abuse and addiction."