About our club

One of the many good things about Soroptimism is the opportunity to develop contacts and friendships with women in Soroptimist clubs all around the world. Clubs are always delighted to welcome fellow Soroptimists from anywhere in the world to their formal meetings, or more informally in a social setting, perhaps for a meal or a drink. Clubs also forge official Friendship Links with one another to share projects and offer support and friendship. SI Cambridge has links with: SI Bruges, Belgium, SI Heidelberg, Germany (Heidelberg is one of Cambridge’s formally twinned cities), and SI Melbourne, Australia. We have been pleased to welcome members of Bruges and Heidelberg to Cambridge and have enjoyed visits to them in recent years.

Marie Schutt, a building company director, joined the club in 1952, and was a member for over thirty years, until her death in 1983. Having no children or other close relatives, Marie left her house to the club, her Will specifying that it was to be used for “the provision of housing to women of limited means”. This led to the formation of a charity, The Marie Schutt Trust, to administer such provision, with four club members acting as trustees. Marie’s house needed extensive maintenance and modification before it could be used for this purpose, so it was agreed that it should be sold, with the proceeds used to purchase a smaller, more modern, property, with any surplus to be held against future maintenance etc to the property. A one-bedroom house in the Histon Road area was purchased, and the first tenant arrived in January 1985. Since then the property has been continuously occupied by a variety of tenants.