President’s message
President Helen Byrne
If you are unfamiliar with the work of the Soroptimists in St Albans we have been working to transform the lives of women and girls for over 50 years. We continue to make a difference through our lively and effective Programme of Action and enjoy ourselves in the process.
The watchword for my Presidential year, which encapsulates what we do, is GIFT:
G is for GIGGLES – “Being a Soroptimist is fun”
There will be plenty of entertainment from my programme of speakers, events and outings and chance to learn at the same time.
I is for INVOLVEMENT – “Soroptimists do stuff” –
With our fundraising and Programme of Action (see below for details), there is plenty of scope for everyone to be involved in a way that suits them.
F is for FRIENDSHIP – “Soroptimism is about being welcoming and supportive, being a friend to everyone”
We are always glad to welcome new members into the club to refresh our ideas and build our talent bank and we partner with other organisations and individuals, so together we can do more.
T is for TOLERANCE – “Soroptimism is about valuing diversity”.
This doesn’t just mean equality, welcoming different faiths, cultures and perspectives from our own. It is more than that – it is about seeing the way other members, other partners, do things differently, and appreciating and supporting, understanding how this diversity offers opportunities for us all.
We meet twice a month, usually on the 2nd and 4th Mondays. Our meetings include hosting speakers relevant to our causes, attending to club business, and working on our Programme of Action – the work we do to tackle issues including women’s education, human trafficking, the environment, health and domestic violence. For more information please click on the Club Programme of Events on the left of the screen.
The club’s main charitable focus for this year is our International Project ,supporting the NGO, International Peace Initiatives in Meru, Kenya – see www.ipeacei.org . We will fundraise and sell jewellery on behalf of their jewellery makers, a group of HIV-positive women, to boost their income so they can support their families. We also contribute towards keeping a small group of secondary school age girls in education.
We continue to support the St Albans and Hertsmere Women’s Refuge, fundraising and assisting them in practical ways. We have a number of smaller projects on the go including providing a bursary for female engineering students at The University of Hertfordshire and supporting a Hertfordshire girls cricket league and helping train women cricket coaches.
But it is certainly not all work and no play! We arrange social events to raise funds for the charities we support and outings and visits when we can enjoy each other’s company. This year will include events such as a 70s night in October, a guided walk in Heartwood Forest and a visit to Cliveden, home of the first women MP. As our organisation is international we have links with clubs all over the world from Osaka in Japan to Warsaw in Poland. For more inforamtion please click on the Club Friendship Links on the left of the screen,
If you would like to attend an event, be a speaker, or are considering joining us, please click on Contact Us on the left of the screen, or email sistalbans@hotmail.com
We would love to hear from you
Helen Byrne
Club President 2012/13