Ashtead Village Day
We always enjoy a ‘day out’ at the fair. This year proved as enjoyable as ever and so many women stopped to talk to us, especially about the WoW bags that we sell. These bags explain so comprehensibly what we Soroptimists believe in – ’empower, educate and enable’. Women in the Philippines make them, using the discarded juice cartons from the rubbish tips. The home industry gives the women an income, independence and enables them to improve their living standards whilst helping the environment.
Collecting unwanted mobility aids.
Some time ago, members pitched their tent in Sainsbury’s car park to collect unwanted mobility aids – wheelchairs, crutches and Zimmer frames, at the time not wanted for re-use by local health centres and hospitals. These were then collected to be sent overseas to nominated recipients. The pieces of equipment were refurbished by prison inmates before being sent abroad.
International Women’s Day 2017
We are proud to work in partnership with Sarb Athwal and her charity “True Honour”. To promote the amazing work that she and her colleagues are involved with in raising awareness of ‘Honour Killings’ and Forced Marriage, on March 8th, we set up a stall at Bourne Hall, Spring Street, Ewell to promote the organisation.
International Women’s Day is about us women and we are delighted to be able to raise issues that affect us locally and globally.
Pitching our tent in Cheam at the Charter Fair.
Cheam Charter Fair is a popular event in the London Borough of Sutton and whenever we can, we pitch our tent and enjoy this unique opportunity to meet like-minded women who live locally. This year, on May 20th, the weather was kind to us and and although it had rained on the previous 3 days, we enjoyed a dry few hours.
The fair is thought to date back to 1259 when Henry III granted Cheam a charter making it a town. Firm historical records of Cheam Charter Fair date back to the 1800s when a fairground accompanied the market. The fair is steeped in custom, with traders traditionally marking out their stalls with chalk in advance of the fair.
With so many women stopping to ask us about Soroptimist International, we went home tired but re-energised. We proved to ourselves that what we achieve and what we believe in is incredibly worthwhile.