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Soroptimist East London member Alison Charles
Who is She? Alison Charles

Who is She? Alison Charles

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Who is she? Alison Charles! Alison Charles, a member of Soroptimist East London, has been celebrated as one of some hundred women who have made a difference to the lives of women and girls. We are so proud of her and what she has achieved for herself and others. So, we want to tell you all about her! Why is Alison being celebrated? Alison has been celebrated for her commitment to the mental health and well-being of others. In her professional life, Alison helps companies develop wellbeing strategies that put employees at the centre of their agenda with a focus on good mental health and stress management. And, to do that, she brings her 30 years’ of working experience with military, government, and large corporate organisations. Beyond this, Alison is a keen advocate of volunteering. Passionate about mentoring and supporting women, Alison was a volunteer
Soroptimist East London Luminary Bakery
Soroptimist East London wins award!

Soroptimist East London wins award!

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Yay, Soroptimist East London wins award! We’re excited to announce that Soroptimist East London has been recognised for its work in mentoring vulnerable women into employment or education and a more secure future with Hackney’s Luminary Bakery.  The group has been awarded the prestigious Best Practice Award in the category “Prosperity” by SIGBI (Soroptimist International of Great Britain and Ireland) in October 2020. What did Soroptimist East London do – and why? Soroptimist East London members mentored around seven women participating in a training program for vulnerable women run by the Luminary Bakery. The program offers a safe space to train and grow towards a more positive future to women experiencing “multiple disadvantages” (including gender-based violence such as domestic abuse, prostitution, sexual exploitation, trafficking and honour based violence). Alison Charles, a member of Soroptimist East London who lead the Luminary mentoring project explains: “The Luminary
Soroptimist East London member Mary with Sa Pune bags ironing on labels.
Empowering women – with a bag!

Empowering women – with a bag!

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Soroptimist East London has been empowering women with a bag!  It’s a simple, eco-friendly, shopping bag made of off-white cotton. And yet – this simple bag has empowered and connected women survivors of trafficking in London, marginalised Roma, Askhali, and Egyptian women in Kosovo, and members of Soroptimist East London. And, we did it during Covid-lockdown! To find out how and why Soroptimist East London empowered women through using a bag, read on ...... How did Soroptimist East London empower and connect women with a bag? Here in London SIEL members volunteer with HERA.  It’s a great organisation that supports women survivors of trafficking and/or domestic abuse. In London, HERA run a summer school for women survivors. Held at Imperial College, London the summer school teaches HERA students business skills and entrepreneurship.  On graduating from the summer school each student is paired with a mentor
Soroptimist Literary Prize Announcement
We’re standing up for BAME women authors!

We’re standing up for BAME women authors!

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Yes, it’s true, here at Soroptimist East London, we’re standing up for BAME women authors! We’re doing it by helping choose the “Readers Prize Award” for unpublished fiction written by black and Asian women living in the UK. What’s the Readers Choice Award? The 2018 Shortlisted Authors. Photo: M. Farrar The SI Leeds Literary Prize is an award for unpublished fiction by UK-based Black and Asian women, aged 18 and above. Established in 2012, it’s a loudspeaker for fresh and original literary voices and aims to help under-represented authors reach new audiences. 2020 is the fifth year of the biennial award and there are a record number of entries. It’s not surprising, since previous entrants like Mahsuda Snaith, Kit de Waal, Stella Ahmadou and others have gone on to land publishing deals, agents, and critical acclaim for their writing, including winning the “Not the Booker
Halimot with her cakes
Introducing Haliberry cakes!

Introducing Haliberry cakes!

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Who likes Haliberry cakes? Here at Soroptimist East London, we do! We’re impressed by Haliberry cakes and by Halimot, who bakes them. So, we're introducing Haliberry Cakes to you! We asked Halimot to tell us about her journey to set up a baking and catering business in east London, her cakes and what she’s doing now. This is her blog. Who is Haliberry Cakes? Hi! I am Halimot and I run Haliberry Cakes and Catering based in east London.  I also run on-line baking classes. I love cooking. When people enjoy eating my cakes or food, I feel really happy. How did I get into baking and catering? You might wonder how I got into baking and catering. The answer is: it’s been a long, long journey. When I was young I wanted to be a doctor.  I never imagined that I’d be running a