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Club Members celebrate International Women’s Day 2019 at the Scottish Parliament

Club Members celebrate International Women’s Day 2019 at the Scottish Parliament

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Eight members of SI Glasgow City joined over 400 women at the International Women’s Day celebration at the Scottish Parliament on Saturday 09 March 2019. The event was organised by Scottish Women’s Convention and the club members were delighted that three staff from Tomorrow’s Women Glasgow also attended the event. Attendees were welcomed to the Scottish Parliament by Deputy Presiding Officer Linda Fabiani and Agnes Tolmie, Chair of Scottish Women’s Convention. A stimulating programme of speakers engaged all the attendees. Anne, Andrea and Sharron of TWG thoroughly enjoyed the speakers as well as the surroundings as none had been in the Scottish Parliament. Some Club members enjoyed a walk in the moonlight up the Royal Mile as they headed home after a great day!  

Club Donates £2150 to Mary’s Meals

Club Donates £2150 to Mary’s Meals

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At a recent Club meeting, President Myrtle presented a cheque for £2,150 to Graham, a volunteer, from the charity Mary’s Meals. The money was raised at the Club’s fund-raising Matinee Cabaret held in Glasgow’s Merchants’ House last November. Accepting the cheque on behalf of Mary’s Meals, Graham thanked members for their generous gift and pointed out that the Club’s donation would provide a daily meal for 154 school children, in some of the world’s poorest countries, for an entire school year.

A special celebration!

A special celebration!

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On 5 December 2010, the day SI Glasgow City was Chartered, members attended a dinner at the Grand Central Hotel to celebrate this special event. SI Glasgow Central and SI Glasgow West had amalgamated, and were subsequently to be joined by former SI Glasgow South members. The Club has since then gone from strength to strength. To mark its 8th anniversary, members gathered on 5 December at Lok’s Bar and Kitchen in Glasgow to enjoy a Christmas meal, a slice of specially baked ‘Charter’ cake and of course a visit from Santa!     Two long standing members, Elizabeth McClure and Heather Thomas, whose dedicated hard work had helped to establish SI Glasgow City, were presented with flowers and Certificates of Honorary Life Membership of the Club by President Myrtle. A good time was had by all!

Platinum Appeal celebrates “Number 63’s” 70th Anniversary

Platinum Appeal celebrates “Number 63’s” 70th Anniversary

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Number 63, the Soroptimist Hotel in Central London celebrated its 70th Anniversary last year. The hotel holds a Gold 3 – star guest accommodation rating and occupies a prime location at 63, Bayswater Road, London, opposite Kensington Gardens, affording easy access to many of London’s tourist attractions. The hotel is open to the public and offers residential accommodation in 16 rooms along with 3 meeting rooms equipped with state-of-the- art facilities for business and social events. Bookings can be made, and further information obtained, by visiting www.number63.co.uk. To mark the 70th Anniversary of Number 63, an appeal – the Platinum Appeal – was launched in November 2018, aimed at raising £700,000 for further modernisation and enhancement of the hotel to ensure that it is updated for future generations. Information about the ways in which Club members, family, friends and well-wishers can contribute to the Appeal

Glasgow City S.I. welcomes a new member!

Glasgow City S.I. welcomes a new member!

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At a recent meeting, Glasgow City S.I. welcomed our newest member, Maggie to the local club and to Soroptimist International more widely. Maggie immediately gave the club a fascinating and compelling presentation on the 1951 Refugee Convention and it could be updated and how a system which is fit for purpose for women and girls might be created. The Convention defines the term ‘refugee’ and outlines the rights of the displaced, as well as the legal obligations of States to protect them. Many feel the Convention is out of date and needs to be re-written to reflect today’s priorities and needs. This excellent presentation was a wonderful introduction to Maggie and her club members look forward to working with her in the years to come.

Raising Awareness and taking Action

Raising Awareness and taking Action

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President Myrtle and joint Programme Action Convenor, Moira, manned a stand in Hillhead Library on Saturday 8th December to publicise Humanity and Inclusion’s “Stop Bombing Civilians” campaign. Patrick Brady, MP for Glasgow North, visited the stand and is pictured with Moira and Myrtle who are both wearing orange in support of the UN’s 16 days of activism for the Elimination of Violence against Women. Myrtle and Moira felt that their time in the library had been well spent as they were able to raise awareness of both issues, secure a considerable number of signatures for the “Stop Bombing Civilians” petition and they also took the opportunity to hand out club leaflets to several ladies.  

They came and enjoyed the (fundraising) Cabaret!

They came and enjoyed the (fundraising) Cabaret!

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In its long history, Glasgow’s Merchants’ House may have hosted many a tea party but Saturday’s Soroptimist Matinee Cabaret Fundraiser for Mary’s Meals must surely be unique. More than one hundred guests were welcomed to the event by President of SI Glasgow City, Myrtle Peterkin. Elegant and eloquent as ever, she outlined Soroptimist principles and reminded the gathering that the event was in aid of Mary’s Meals for their continued services in providing a daily meal, in schools, to 1.3 million children in 17 of the world’s poorest countries. The entertainment was given by husband and wife team Gordon Cree and Cheryl Forbes, both outstanding soloists, whose powerful voices filled The Grand Hall with favourite melodies from musical shows, traditional refrains and comic songs performed with evident enjoyment to the delight of the audience. While our talented duo took a break, guests enjoyed a chat

Soroptimist 3S Trust recipient shares her experiences in Nepal with Raleigh International

Soroptimist 3S Trust recipient shares her experiences in Nepal with Raleigh International

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Following receipt of some funding from the Soroptimist 3S Fund, Rhona travelled to Nepal earlier in 2018 with Raleigh International, where Rhona and fellow students were responsible for digging and creating new latrines for a remote mountain village. Rhona now classes as ‘digging’ as an accomplished skill!! The students also taught the villagers about general hygiene, while Rhona and the other female students taught the women and girls about hygiene during menstruation including the making of re-useable sanitary pads.   The second part of the trip was a trek through the Nepalese Himalyas. Rhona found the whole experience extremely rewarding and humbling. The villagers in Nepal had little choice in what food they could eat, the clothes they could wear and what work they would undertake. When Rhona returned home to Scotland she was overwhelmed with all the choices in her day to day life,

SI Glasgow City members learn about Cahira House

SI Glasgow City members learn about Cahira House

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Aileen spoke with members about Cahira House, a safe refuge for women who have experienced sexual exploitation. The charity is based in the Central Belt of Scotland and provides residential accommodation for around 6 women, along with support services such as counselling.   Cahira is an Irish word meaning ‘warrior’, which is how the staff and volunteers view the women who live at Cahira House as they have had to ‘fight’ to survive. The organisation receives no government funding and is supported mainly by donations.