President Chris’s charity

This year, instead of having a specific charity which we support only for the time I am president, I have concentrated on developing links with the local domestic abuse services. We began to set these up last year while I was programme action lead, with the intention that the partnership working will continue into the future.

I have always intended that my president’s charity would reflect the objects of Soroptimism and at the same time, we have become aware of how the current economic situation has affected fund-raising activities. As a result, I decided that I would like my year as president to be marked by the development of partnership working.

The club members are very supportive of this development and as a result we are working in partnership with the charity Independent Domestic Abuse  Services (IDAS) and the local community safety team. We have taken on the quarterly awareness-raising campaign for the Richmond area and we have donated monies raised at a recent History Wardrobe presentation.

Domestic abuse happens everywhere, regardless of class or income and Richmond and the surrounding area are no exception – indeed a rural area often misses out on services provided in towns. It is our aim to raise awareness among the general public of the warning signs of domestic abuse and to ensure that victims know what support services are available.