Anti-Slavery Day 18 Oct 2016 18 October every year: Raising awareness of modern-day slavery and human trafficking. Whilst the transatlantic slave trade was outlawed in 1807 and slavery is prohibited internationally by Article 4 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, there are still an estimated 12.3 million people across the world in slavery today, forced to work for little or no pay. The UK Anti-Slavery Day Act was passed into law in April 2010, and the first Anti-Slavery Day took place on 18 October 2010. The Day aims to raise awareness of the dangers and consequences of modern-day slavery and human trafficking. Find out more on the Anti Slavery Day website >>  If you would like some ideas to help your school mark Anti-Slavery Day and learn about slavery past and present, have a read through our articles about the Transatlantic Slave Trade or Child Labour or Migration and Trafficking. You can also find teaching resources by browsing through the ones listed on our database under

Following a successful and interesting year as President of Soroptimist International of Cirencester and District, Kathy Kerr-Rettie handed the chain of office to the incoming President Pat Wright at the AGM on 6 April. Pat has plans for a series of events and meetings during her year of office with the theme of “Roman Corinium”. Look out for more on this in the coming year. Soroptimists inspire action to improve the lives of women and children worldwide

Emma Stuart, Learning Development Officer at Cirencester Corinium Museum, was warmly welcomed by President Pat Wright to a recent meeting of Cirencester Soroptimists. Emma gave a very informative and enjoyable presentation about the Corinium Mosaics, among the finest in Roman Britain. It is believed that a Mosaic School existed in the Corinium area, but it is yet to be found. Soroptimists inspire action to improve the lives of women and girls.

Soroptimist International of Cirencester & District are holding a Get Together to celebrate International Women’s Day on 8th March at 5.30 at the Churn Project in The Waterloo (next door to Argos car park) in Cirencester. Come and join us for tea/coffee and cake. You will be able to find out more about Soroptimism and about making the Pledge for Parity, the theme for International Women’s Day in 2016 International Women’s Day 2016 Members from Cirencester travelled down to Taunton to join with the whole South West and Channel Island region in a march to the town hall to meet the Mayor of Taunton

]S I Cirencester achieved a major triumph when the Literacy Competition it organises was named the overall winner of the Learning Opportunities award, at the Soroptimist International of Great Britain & Ireland annual Federation conference,  held recently in Glasgow. The club formulated a Literary Competition which is now in it's 6th year. The aim is to improve literacy in local schools, and in 2015 fifteen local schools took part, which is more than previously. The Literacy Competition, which has been running for six years, is open to primary schools in the Cirencester area with a growing number of pupil entries each year so that most recently it exceeded a thousand. The Competition is intended to encourage creativity and use of language in children and meets one of the Soroptimists’ principal objectives, to promote education. Pat Wright, President elect of the Cirencester Branch said, “It is

SI SWCI Regional President Kay with SI Cirencester President Kathy at Si Cirencester's Annual Lunch & Friendship weekend. 5-7 June 15 SI Cirencester enjoyed a beautiful weekend of fine weather and fine dining during our  Friendship Weekend.

Newly appointed President Kathy welcoming two new members to SI Cirencester.  Lynne Knight and Laura Retttie. Laura is President Kathy’s daughter! So this was a particularly special occasion for them both.

Literacy Competition: 2015 Cirencester Soroptimists recently held their annual Literacy Awards evening where we were very lucky to be joined by Mark Harris, Mayor of Cirencester and children’s author Christopher Edge.  Mark and Christopher gave a presentation to the parents and children followed by the prize giving. Literacy Competition Summer 2014 with the prize giving in November This project goes from strength to strength with 12 schools taking part and 1000 entries. It is a mammoth undertaking, sending out the competition packs to all the schools, collecting the entries and marking them! The prize giving is an opportunity to showcase our club and was held at The Royal Agricultural University. The assembled company watched the children being given their awards and prizes included the Mayor of Cirencester, Cllr Joe Harris, staff, pupils, Governors of the schools and  parents  and grandparents of the winners

YOUNG GUITARIST, ALEX KIRLEY, ENTERTAINS SOROPTIMISTS Young guitarist, Alex Kirley, entertained the Cirencester & District Soroptimist Club members at their Christmas evening in December, with a programme of classical guitar pieces. Alex, who is 11 years old, is a member of the Corinium Players Guitar Ensemble. He had successfully applied to the Soroptimist club’s charitable trust, the Minnis Trust, for a grant to attend the World Youth Guitar Festival held last year inLeicester. To show his appreciation, he offered to entertain Soroptimist members at their Christmas dinner meeting, held at Ingleside House. Alex was warmly thanked and congratulated on the quality of his performance by club member, Anne Croft, who is secretary to the Dorothy Minnis Trust. The trust welcomes applications, usually in June each year, from local groups and individuals, needing help with training or re-training, the relief of hardship, or the cost of