At our Club meeting on Monday 26th January, we were pleased to welcome Jenny Benson from Somerset and Avon Rape and Sexual Abuse Support (SARSAS). SARSAS is a local charity dedicated to supporting anyone affected by rape or any kind of sexual assault or abuse at any time in their lives. They listen, believe and support survivors. SARSAS provides a wide range of services and consult with people to best meet survivors’ needs. The charity started in 2008 as Bristol Rape Crisis, before expanding in 2013 to cover the whole of Avon and Somerset. They then started to provide much needed counselling services and changed their name to SARSAS. The charity is part of Rape Crisis England and Wales which has 38 member organisations covering the whole of the UK. There is a huge emotional toll as a result of the trauma of rape and

Our Club had a stall in aid of Mary’s Meals at the Westbury-On-Trym Christmas Fayre this morning. The fayre had a very Christmassy atmosphere and a very good number of people wandering through the various stalls. Pauline, Ruth, Carol, Susan S and Susan W did a wonderful job manning the stall and we were delighted to raise £174.84 which will benefit from being doubled to £349.68 if sent to Mary’s Meals before Christmas. Well done everyone!

A Very Moving Candlelit Vigil: 27th November 2025 Nine Soroptimist Bristol members joined Next Link’s Candlelit Vigil walk from Queen’s Road to College Green yesterday evening to mark the UN’s International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.   SI Bristol members met at the Victoria Rooms which was illuminated in orange for a photoshoot and were pleased to be joined by some QEH students. We marched from there to Next Link to join a large number of participants. At Next Link Domestic Abuse Services’ office in Queen’s Avenue we were offered a cup of hot chocolate and collected a candle to take on the walk. Despite the drizzle which accompanied us, we estimate that approximately 200 people took part on the Candlelit Walk from Queen’s Road holding placards and a lit candle.  It was good to see many male allies at the vigil.

  Funlola, Lucy, Ruth, Lizzie and Ivete delivered 50 Orange Bags of HOPE filled with toiletries to offer support to women looked after by Next Link Domestic Abuse Services in Bristol. We know many women only have a small window of opportunity to flee their abusers, often taking nothing with them as they leave to seek refuge. We hope the Orange Bags of HOPE will serve as a demonstration of Soroptimist support and bring a ray of brightness for a better future.  

    Six members of Soroptimist International of Bristol (SB, LC, BJ, DM, MR, SS) supported SI Weston-super-Mare and District at their annual Railing Against Abuse march on the 25th November 2025.    This is the date of the UN ‘International Day for Elimination of Violence Against Women’ and begins 16 Days of Activism. The statistics regarding violence and abuse are still alarmingly high. Members from several Soroptimist Clubs from throughout the SW&CI Region met outside the Weston-super-Mare Railway Station. About 60 attendees walked from the station through the town to Grove Park, handing out Relationship Bookmarks (that explained the difference between good and bad relationships) on our way. We were highly visible in our bright orange coats and accessories and bold banners. Following talks by Ruth from SI Weston super Mare, the Deputy Mayor and a representative from NextLink, we tied 101 orange ribbons