For every woman silenced, for every girl living in fear”, Soroptimist Bristol turns the world orange.
Our Soroptimist Bristol project to collect and donate 60 Orange Bags full of essential toiletries for the women survivors of domestic abuse in Bristol culminated today when 8 Soroptimist Bristol members presented the bags to Sarah O’Leary, CEO of Next Link Domestic Abuse Services, and other members of staff at their office.
The donation of orange bags are part of Soroptimist Bristol’s action to mark the UN’s International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women in 2024. We hope the welcome bags will bring a small amount of comfort to women and children fleeing abuse, often arriving at Next Link Domestic Abuse Services with nothing, that many people care.
On this occasion our treasurer also presented Next Link with a cheque for £250, the proceeds of a garden party at a member’s house during the summer. A huge thank you to our members for the generosity of their donations over the year. Fabulous effort!
Then on Monday evening sixteen members of Soroptimist Bristol participated in a
Candlelit Vigil march from Next Link offices to College Green to mark the UN’s International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and Girls.
Before the walk started we stopped at the Victoria Rooms which was illuminated orange, the designated UN colour symbolising a brighter and more optimistic future for women.
A large number of women of all ages, as well as a few men, joined the walk along Queen’s Road and down Park Street holding small candle lights and placards urging an end to the violence which affects so many women and girls worldwide. Women are disproportionally affected by this widespread violence, often perpetrated by intimate partners.
On arrival at College Green, we heard three speeches, including a speech by the Avon and Somerset Police and Crime Commissioner, poems were read and the evening ended with a song written specially for this occasion.
The lighting of two candles to honour women who lost their lives to gender based violence was very moving and was followed by a one minute silence.
Working together in partnership with several organisations, including Next Link Domestic Abuse Services, @Safe Link, The Bridge Foundation, One25 Charity, The Green House Bristol,
SARSA Support , Southmead Project, Womankind – Bristol Women’s Therapy Centre, Bristol Women’s Voice, IRISi, Kinergy and Soroptimist Bristol to end Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence is essential to achieve more.
Today is the beginning of #16DaysOfActivism leading to Human Rights Day on 10th December. We will raise awareness throughout these 16 days and this year we’ll focus on
In addition to all of this nine SI Bristol members planned to join SI Weston-super-Mare’s Railing Against Abuse.
They set off to join our colleagues in Weston-super-Mare for the Railing Against Abuse March through Weston-super-Mare.
Unfortunately, the after effects of Storm Bert and resulting train cancellations thwarted our attempts to get there. However, by no means daunted by this set back we changed our plans and instead marched from Temple Meads through the centre of Bristol! With our placards held high and dressed brightly in orange we attracted plenty of attention and received many hoots of car horns, waves and words of encouragement from passers by. One lady was overheard telling her young son that our placards carried a very important message – a stand out snapshot moment in our work to highlight awareness of this important issue.