● Local and UK Projects
We also support local and national concerns. This year these include:
● Skills for Success
Coaching and mentoring young women in the development of relevant skills to achieve success in employment.
● Winchester Young Carers Project (WYCP)
Ben Hogbin, the Project Manager of the Winchester Young Carers, gave us a talk on all aspects of the support that he and his team give to young carers in the Winchester district. This highlighted the plight of these young people, some as young as 8.
It is hoped that Winchester Soroptimists will become involved by joining the Management Committee, as a Trustee or as a Volunteer.
Planning for the Holly Fair, our major fund-raiser for this charity, is well advanced with all the tables ‘sold’ well ahead of the event. This has allowed us to be more selective in our choice of stallholders so there will be a rich variety of festive crafts and gifts on sale.
This project was adopted to find grants to provide a Realcare baby for a school as an educating parenting tool to discourage teenage pregnancy.
We have found a school that is very eager to participate in this project. At a recent meeting a representative from the school outlined why she felt her school would benefit and how she would like to implement the programme.
President Carol Force gave positive feedback from a school that had been using the Realcare system donated by SI Newbury ten years ago. On the strength of this the club has decided to fund the starter kit from our own charity fund and to use that as a springboard to raise funds so that additional dolls can be purchased including ones designed to demonstrate the effects on a baby of shaking and of drug and alcohol abuse during pregnancy.
● Abbeyfield Winchester
Club members work with the local Abbeyfield residential home for the elderly in many capacities. We run a 300 Club to raise funds. We sit on both the executive and house committees which, this year,means that we are involved in managing an extension project which will more than double the size of the home. The new building has been named Thornton House in honour of Pat Thornton, one of our members, now deceased, who was very instrumental in establishing the original house. Now the building work is completed we have provided funds for improvements to the garden.
● Age Concern Winchester
We sponsor one of Age Concern’s lunch clubs, providing a hot balanced meal and social interaction four times a week for the elderly within 15 miles of the city. Member Arlene Fisher is Chair of Winchester Age Concern. She invites small groups of members to a splendid lunch or dinner at her house throughout the year. By charging a relatively small amount for a very pleasant social occasion she raises the necessary funds for the sponsorship.