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PROGRAMME ACTION

President Lesley and members have this year supported:-

HARV,  Nightsafe in Blackburn and The Pahar Trust – Building Schools in Nepal.

We were able to give The Pahar Trust a cheque for £200, HARV  £120 and Nighsafe also £120.

We also collected toiletries, underwear and female hygiene products for HARV and Nightsafe.

HARV is the local Domestic Abuse Team who support not only women but also men and children who have suffered abuse.

Nightsafe is a local charity that helps support homeless young people aged 16 – 24

Other charities which have also benefited from our funds were £22 to McMillan Nurses, and £75 to our International Presidents charity,  MERU Women’s Garden Centre.

We also support our Regional Presidents project which is against Trafficking.

 

Our members also work for OUR FOODBANK

Our Foodbank began in October 2014 as local churches and voluntary groups such as Soroptimists recognised that there was a local problem  in Great Harwood, Rishton, Clayton Le Moors and Altham, of people who did not have food to eat.

Our Foodbank was set up and approximately 12 families per week are provided with bags full of food to tied them over for a week or two until they can sort out their own finances and be independent once more.

Volunteers choose to either collect the food from various collection points, pack the bags or deliver the bags to clients.

Agnes, Jeanne, Joyce and Dorothy pack the bags and deliver them each week.

 

PREVIOUS CHARITIES WE SUPPORTED

CHILD ACTION NORTH WEST

President Pam named the charity Child Action North West as the main focus for our fundraising in the last two years as it is a local organisation serving our local families who may be in crisis and in need of help.

We have provided a chocolate tombola at Great Harwood Show, Rishton Festival and Accrington Carnival.

We have raised over £2,000 for the Charity

MARY’S MEALS

Members were entertained and informed about the work that Mary’s Meals carry out all over the world. Cecelia explained about filling a rucksack for the children and knitting small blankets. She also explained that 93p in every £1 given went to providing food for the children who were then given some education to help improve their futures.

Members were touched by Cecelia’s passion and enthusiasm for the charity and were pleased to contribute an extra £30 to the £100 already given to Mary’s Meals.

Last Year Joint President Dorothy presented an additional cheque to Cecelia for Mary’s Meals

We also supported:

MAUNDY

Members collected groceries for Accrington’s Maundy Drop-In Centre who provide food parcels for people who have no where else to turn.

HARV

Members have supported Hyndburn and Ribble Valley Domestic Abuse service for a number of years and this year raised over £315.

Dorothy and Jeanne were pleased to give this cheque to the service.

We raised:-

£409 for HARV

£382 for Sports Relief

£149 for Purple Teardrop

£150 for Mary’s Meals

£100 for Water Aid

£168 for Cambodian Maternity Care

£115 for Maternal And Child Health International in the Gambia

£40 for McMillan Nurses

We have also manned the Contact Centre 6 times,   filled approximately 40 Washbags for HARV, Lobbied our PM about Women in Prison, provided Maundy with food for distribution, collected old jewelry for Maternity care, recycled spectacles, and raised awareness of Ovarian Cancer and Osteoporosis.

At  Great Harwood Fair where we raised over £300 for HARV, and a good time was had by all!

Rishton Festival raised another £107 and a cheque for £410 was handed over to HARV for the Domestic Abuse Team in Hyndburn. Approximately 45 filled washbags were also given to the team for women and girls who need the toiletries.

Fairtrade Day was celebrated by a Coffee morning at Margaret’s.

Fairtrade tea, coffee, biscuits, chocolate, marmalade and wine were all in the raffle as members and friends held a coffee morning to celebrate International Women’s Day and raise funds for President Jean’s charity – Kidney Research.

Over £100 was raised as members enjoyed each others company and planned events to improve the lives of women and girls.

BODY SHOP PARTY HELPS RAISE OVER £100 FOR THE PURPLE TEARDROP

Christine from the Body Shop brought a selection of products and spoke about the principles and work of The Body Shop giving the club a commission on sales and a contribution to the raffle.

£108 was raised. £38 to raising awareness through Posters, badges and flyers and £70 as a direct contribution to the Purple Teardrop Campaign.
The Purple Teardrop Campaign supports women and girls support and practical care in Sexual Assault Referral Centres and safe houses. Victims are often traumatised by their experiences and need specialist help and sensitive care to help them stabilise their lives and plan how to return to normal life.
President Dorothy thanked Christine and everyone who contributed to the success of the evening.

Soroptimists Celebrate £1million for Project SIerra
Soroptimists of Rishton and Great Harwood contributed over £400 towards reaching the £1 million fundraising target for Project SIerra and Hope and Home for Children’s lifesaving work with women and children in Sierra Leone. Soroptimists International of Great Britain and Isle of Man raised an incredible £370,000 of this £1millon – SIGBI gave birth to the project and like a proud mother nurtured it right the way through to this momentous occasion.
CAMBODIAN MATERNITY CARE
Members sent Fob watches, hand gels and tiny knitted cardigans and hats to Cambodia to improve the care in Stung Treng Hospital.

President Jean’s Charity  – Kidney Research UK

Lindsey, Jean and Nicky from Organ Donation

Nicky Hargreaves, a Specialist Nurse from Organ Donation gave an informative and interesting talk to members, encouraging everyone to register at www.organdonation.nhs.uk   or 0300 123 23 23.

Lindsey, a kidney recipient, swam 50 lengths to raise money for Kidney Research UK.

Over £1,250 has been raised so far this year.    Well done Soroptimists!

Programme Action is the reason for being a Soroptimist. It reflects the Vision and the Mission of Soroptimist International. It encompasses the voluntary work carried out by our members.

Programme Action is the reason for being a Soroptimist. It reflects the Vision and the Mission of Soroptimist International. It encompasses the voluntary work carried out by our members.

Members supported Rishton Festival by organising and running a Jarbola raising funds for Kidney Research.

 

Members of Rishton and Great Harwood also support:

HARV Domestic Violence Unit,

World Water Works for Pakistan,

Hope and Homes in Sierra,

The Contact Centre,

The Purple Ribbon campaign against trafficking,

The Hospice,

Local Prospect Environmental Panels,

Air Ambulance,

Osteoporosis Society,

Great Harwood Community Action Group,