Cambridge is a city of great contrasts – two of the most expensive residential streets in the UK outside London, with houses in excess of £4 million, sit within two miles of a foodbank distribution centre.
Red Hen is a small local charity working with five primary schools in north Cambridge, one of the most deprived areas of the city. They support children and their families in overcoming barriers to learning and provide a link between home and school. Family support workers work 1-1 with children and their families, and there are also outreach group activities such as parenting courses, coffee mornings and workshops.
In addition to general donations to Red Hen, SI Cambridge held a literary lunch at Madingley Hall in May 2019 to support their work. Soroptimists and guests from across the region heard Simon Boyd speak about his book “Lady Sybil Grey – Empire, War and Revolution”. Simon is Lady Sybil’s grandson, and fascinated us with the story of his grandmother an indomitable Englishwoman who, as a nurse in Russia, led a field hospital and had a grandstand view of the 1917 revolution that toppled the Tsar.
For further information about the Red Hen project click here.