What is Programme Action?

                                   packing boses for our troops

 We call our voluntary work “Programme Action”. Programme Action is the reason for being a Soroptimist. It reflects the Vision and the Mission of Soroptimist International. Programme Action works towards ensuring that women and girls -

  • Enjoy equity and equality
  • Live in safe and healthy environments
  • Have access to education
  • Have leadership and practical skills

The Barry and District Programme Action group meets regularly to focus on specific projects. These are some of our current projects and campaigns:- 

Marine Conservation Society ‘Adopt a Beach’

Barry and District Soroptimists have adopted Jacksons Bay, Barry, under the Marine Conservation Society’s national scheme to monitor the UK’s coastline. We are responsible for surveying the beach four times a year, and recording the volume and nature of the rubbish left on the beach or washed up by the tide. We then submit a survey to the Marine Conservation Society’s national database. This project is about far more than just cleaning the beach. We sort, count and weigh everything, and this helps the MCS keep track of trends and changes in patterns of pollution. It also helps protect wildlife, because even a small piece of fishing wire or a cotton bud stick can kill an animal or bird. 

Residential Homes Project

Club members regularly visit a local residential care home, and organise a range of different activities for the residents. We try to vary the activities, so, for example we may do some pampering, by offering residents manicures. We also organise board games, sing songs or ‘memory sessions’, encouraging the residents totalk about their memories of the past.

Contributing to the campaign to restrict the use of sunbeds by minors

For several years, our Club has been concerned about the lack of adequate restrictions on the use of sun beds, especially the use of unstaffed salons by young women under 16. We were horrified to hear about a local teenager being badly burnt in an unstaffed salon. We wrote to both the Welsh Assembly Government and Westminster asking for clarity about plans to tighten up usage of sun beds, and have fed into the Welsh investigation into use of sun beds. Having monitored the situation closely, we were very pleased that there has been real progress on this.  

Vale for Africa

We are represented on the Vale for Africa steering group. Vale for Africa is part of the Wales for Africa initiative, and is building community links between the Tororo region of Uganda and the Vale of Glamorgan.  The emphasis is on three specific issues, education, libraries and eye care. At some stage in the future it is hoped to organise exchange visits between Uganda and the Vale of Glamorgan.  

Support for initiatives challenging violence against women and girls

This is something our Club takes very seriously. We have been committed to supporting the local Women’s Aid group for many years, and one of our members sits on their management committee. We organise donations of toiletries etc regularly, for the benefit of the refuge residents. We commemorate International Women’s Day every March, and also International Day to Eliminate Violence Against Women in November. The November event is known as White Ribbon Day, and this year we approached the local Rugby Club, to ask if they would support White Ribbon Day and help publicise it. The rugby team will be showing their support by wearing white ribbons and taking part in a photo opportunity with some of our Club members, prior to the match. This is important in raising awareness locally of the need to support this initiative, among both men and women.  

Boxes for Troops

Club members donate items to fill shoeboxes, which are sent to forces       personnel serving in Afghanistan. We have been doing this for some time and we collect toiletries, magazines, sweets and chewing gum. These are donated at meetings and one of our members takes responsibility for packing shoeboxes, and sending them to troops stationed abroad. We’ve received letters of thanks from troops and we know that this work very much appreciated.   

Sheltered Housing Computer project

One of our members is a teacher, and she organises visits by groups of pupils to a local sheltered housing project regularly. They help teach the residents and the warden computer skills. This is another of our very successful projects, which has been running for several years.

Easter Chicks

For the past 9 years members, together with family and friends, have knited more than 10,000 chicks for the Velindre Hospital Easter Chick Appeal.  The Appeals Officer at Velindre Hospital, Julie Smith MBE, started the Appeal in 1997 and to date has raised well over £800,000.  Julie says she intends carrying on with the Chicks Appeal until it reaches at least £1million! Volunteers fill the knitted chicks with chocolate eggs and these are sold at just £1. each.  The Velindre Appeal is always looking for new knitters and if anyone would like to be involved please telephone Julie Smith on 029 2031 6211.