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“Voices Unruffled”

“Voices Unruffled”

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Our concert “Voices Unruffled” in aid of Off the Record on the 5th November at Oatley Hall St Monica Trust was a great event.  Special guests, friends and family all attended. The entertainment for the evening commenced with Tim Lewis presenting a Flanders and Swann repertoire, oh such fun!  We enjoyed their well-known songs such as The Gasman Cometh, Have some Madeira M’Dear and Slow Train. Tim was accompanied by Sheila Furneaux on the piano with a backdrop of comic illustration to accompany each song whilst Tim narrated the history of Flanders and Swann, sometimes very funny and sometimes extremely sad. The performance was really well received, and on discussions later took us all back to the early 50’s. A fantastic trip down memory lane. For the second half we were thrilled by the University of the West of England Showstoppers Choir, 27 strong included students

10th October 2016 The History of Halloween

10th October 2016 The History of Halloween

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On October 10, Professor Ronald Hutton gave a talk at the supper meeting. Professor Hutton is Deputy Dean of the Arts faculty at the University of Bristol, Commissioner for the Heritage Society and Chair of its Committee for the award of Blue Plaques, as well as Vice President for Life of the Sealed Knot Society. He has written 16 books on Early Modern Britain and Pagan Myths and Legends. He is an inspiring and very well informed speaker and gave us insights into the origins and traditions of Halloween, and discussed the facts, theories and mystiques which have been the subject of academic research and debate between prominent historians over many years. The traditions of Halloween go back to early Celtic Britain and to the ceremonies for celebrating the Dead at the beginning of the winter season. The idea of Trick and Treat comes from America

Great news from the Learning in Lima Project

Great news from the Learning in Lima Project

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This Summer Soroptimists received a welcome visitor from Lima.  Sylva Von Bomsdorff brought with her many photos and news of the progress of the latest project for a library at the School we have been supporting in Lima, Peru. This has been made possible by extending upwards on the original roof/play area. Work was well underway when we saw her and Sylva was presented with a cheque by SI Bristol to assist in the purchase of books and other educational items for the pupils at Padre Pio de Pietricina. This month we heard that the work was completed and the children had been present when a blessing was given to the School library by the local Priest.  Fitting out with bookshelves continues and the room is also capable of using modern technology for the benefit of the teachers and their pupils. This is an important extra

Visit to Bristol Port

Visit to Bristol Port

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  On Tuesday 13th September 4 members of S.I. Bristol ( and 2 Soroptomisters) joined S.I Weston-super- Mare on their trip around the Bristol Port. The group gathered outside the Priory Inn in Portbury and were transported by coach to the H.Q. of the Port at St. Andrews House to collect our official guide. There has been a port in Bristol since Roman times. The original Avonmouth Dock was opened in 1877 and The Royal Portbury Dock in 1977. Private investors bought the dock in 1991 to create the Bristol Port Company. It employs 600 people and over 10,000 jobs in the South West depend on the Port and businesses on Port land. A wide variety of imports and exports pass through the docks (apart from 600 thousand cars per year), including coal and wood pellets, animal feed,grain, food and drink, paper and wood products,

September 12th 2016 The Vietnam holiday makers don’t see

September 12th 2016 The Vietnam holiday makers don’t see

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At our supper meeting on Monday 12th of September, the speaker was Anne Woolley a member of SI Weston-super-Mare, who had a remarkable story to tell us of her adoption of a Vietnamese little girl called Tam. Anne had 3 little boys and she and her husband wanted to complete her family with a little girl. She saw the terrible, but now infamous picture of the little child running naked down the road having been burnt by napalm, and decided at that moment to adopt a Vietnamese child. She then related how she surmounted tremendous obstacles with great tenacity with the help of contacts that she made in Vietnam, and a campaign mounted by the Daily Mail editor David English to bring orphaned children to the UK and give them a fresh start in life. Anne recalled the terrible air crash in which many of the

Mary’s Meals: An SI Bristol member’s personal journey to Malawi

Mary’s Meals: An SI Bristol member’s personal journey to Malawi

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A video of the Mary’s Meals charity was shown at the SI Bristol business meeting on Monday, 25th July showing how the charity works together with details of various children who have received the food and education given from funds raised which appropriately have improved their lives.  Members could see and hear how over one million children now receive a daily meal and some education in Malawi, one of the poorest nations.  Anne Wike who, has recently visited Malawi for the third time, confirmed that 93% of funds donated went toward the charity’s commitments and activities.  Similarly, all funds are always held in a bank in Scotland in order to ensure complete control of all monies donated.  Anne likewise confirmed she had witnessed for herself the storing and issuing of the backpacks given by Soroptimists to the children to use at their schools. She suggested

SI Bristol supports Zero Tolerance 25.07.16

SI Bristol supports Zero Tolerance 25.07.16

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President Pauline Hurst seen here together with club member Gemma Green, signing the club members’ agreement to support the Bristol Zero Tolerance initiative.  The new initiative is working towards Bristol becoming a city free from violence, abuse, harassment and exploitation with the majority of people affected being women and girls. President Pauline stated ‘ As Bristol Soroptimists, we fully support this very worthy cause especially as Bristol is the first city in England to take on this important challenge’ For more information about the Bristol Zero Tolerance initiative please see here: http://www.bristolzerotolerance.com/

SIGBI Day of Action – Bristol raise money for Meru Women

SIGBI Day of Action – Bristol raise money for Meru Women

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On Sunday 17th July 2016, SI Bristol got together for the Soroptimist International of Great Britain and Ireland (SIGBI) Day of Action. The day aims to encourage all clubs across the world to raise funds for the Soroptimist 3 year project for Meru Women. Over the next three years Soroptimist Clubs will support the Meru Women’s Garden Project (MWGP), a collaboration with Child.org, that will educate, empower and enable women and girls in Meru County, Kenya. The project provides sustainable gardening techniques and tools, enabling women to become mentors and pioneers of agricultural sustainability within the community. It will also educate girls on their rights, empowering them to stand up to damaging cultural practices like female genital mutilation (FGM). By providing economic opportunities to women and girls, MWGP will achieve long term change by strengthening entire communities; improving the lives and opportunities for children and generations

Welcome Yuko

Welcome Yuko

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SI Bristol welcomed Yuko Tsuji to our supper and speaker meeting on  July 11th. Yuko was the Japanese Friendship  Link Officer when her club Kure Aquamarine  and SI Bristol  started their Friendship Link. SI Kure Aquamarine club is near to Hiroshima in Japan. Yuko took the opportunity to spend a couple of days in Bristol after collecting her son Huma from his school in Malvern. Yuko presented SI Bristol with a lovely collection of Japanese sweets. President Pauline presented Yuko with a gift to take to the members of Kure Aquamarine. This is the third time Yuko has visited us. It is always a delight to see her again.