SI Folkestone selects local, national and international projects to work on. These projects fit into one of Soroptimist International’s key Programme Areas:
SI Folkestone’s Current Projects
Women’s Refuge Garden
Our ongoing project for 2017 which has continued in to 2018 is the garden at the Women’s refuge. We have provided play equipment for the children, painted the sheds and benches, provided hanging baskets and plants, as well as grass seeding an area all to try and make the environment better for the guests that are staying there.
Women’s refuge
We support the local women’s refuge by providing “Welcome Boxes” for the women who stay the refuge, providing some of the basics that they may need on arrival. We have also donated fair trade Easter Eggs for children at the refuge at Easter. We also provided gifts for the children to give to their mothers at Christmas
We partnered with the Folkestone Creative Quarter and their Women of the World Festival in 2016. The club are grateful to the Quarterhouse for curating and hosting the Skirting Science event to encourage girls to think about careers which embrace the STEM subjects – Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths. It was attended by approximately 50 girls from local schools in years 9 and 10.
The day started with a keynote address from Ann-Marie Imafidon co-founder of Stemettes an organisation which inspires the next generation of females into Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) fields by showing them the amazing women already in STEM via a series of panel events, hackathons, exhibitions, and mentoring schemes.
The girls then split into workshops which delivered by young women all working in their chosen field of STEM which areas such as Soil Sciences, Environmental Health, Physics, Clinical Psychology, Air Pollution. There was also a session on “alternative routes and overcoming obstacles and determination”.
At the end of the day staff accompanying the girls commented how worthwhile it had been and we were asked whether there would be a similar event next year!
Hythe Food bank
We regularly support the Hythe Food bank, by taking part in collections at the local supermarket, where we persuade members of the public to purchase tin and store cupboard items to donate to the Food bank whilst they are doing their weekly shop. We also support with transportation back to their storage facilities. In addition to this, on a regular basis a number of our members support the Food Bank administration by donating their time to the Food bank Office.
Rainbow Centre, Folkestone (2015-2016 SI Folkestone Charity)
Our Fundraising for 2015-16 was in aid of The Rainbow Centre, Folkestone. We raised £1,000 for them to put towards a shower room for the homeless. Our fundraising was through various different means including boot fairs, afternoon teas and simple suppers.
SIGBI 2016-2019 Project
SIGBI’s Federation project for 2016- 2019 is the Meru Women’s Garden Project.
Part of our fundraising during this time will be to support this project
