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16 days of activism - November 30: human trafficking
The 6th Day of Activism (November 30th) focuses on human trafficking

The 6th Day of Activism (November 30th) focuses on human trafficking

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During the 16 Days of Activism starting 25th November to 10th December, Soroptimists everywhere will #OrangetheWorld.   Each of the 16 Days we celebrate marks a step towards women’s rights and a safe space for them.  Soroptimist International believes that women’s rights are human rights and through our work in the communities we work with that objective. On the 6th day (30 November) we focus on Human Trafficking. Trafficking in persons is a serious crime and a grave violation of human rights. Every year, thousands of men, women and children fall into the hands of traffickers, in their own countries and abroad. Almost every country in the world is affected by trafficking, whether as a country of origin, transit or destination for victims. Human Trafficking is a transnational activity that involves the exploitation of humans through repeated sale. The COVID-19 crisis and its negative consequences has

Tree dedication in Pollok Park to celebrate 90 years of Soroptimists in Glasgow

Tree dedication in Pollok Park to celebrate 90 years of Soroptimists in Glasgow

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During the summer months, Glasgow City Council gifted a tree to celebrate 90 years of Soroptimists in Glasgow. Two previous trees had been gifted for significant birthdays but unfortunately they did not survive, one due to vandalism and the other died. As this lovely tulip tree is now mature we hope that this tree will survive for Glasgow Soroptimists to celebrate 100 years. The tree is located in Pollok Park near the National Trust of Scotland’s property Pollok House in Glasgow and a plaque detailing the reason for the dedication has been sited at the base of the tree. Members enjoyed viewing the tulip tree on a dry sunny Saturday in August.

Summer outing – visiting the Digging In project in Pollok Country Park

Summer outing – visiting the Digging In project in Pollok Country Park

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For Glasgow City S.I.’s summer outing, President Myrtle and members visited the Digging In Project in Pollok Country Park located in Glasgow. Allied and German trench systems from World War One have been reconstructed in the Park. Going down into the trenches gave us a small insight into what it must have been like to live in the trenches during the war. Soldiers were billeted there for 4 weeks at a time in primitive conditions which must have been extremely difficult particularly in winter weather. Interestingly there were differences between the construction of the 2 systems.   The growing of some crops nearby for giving them therapy as well as sustenance was a revelation to many of us. Visiting the Project was well worth the visit.  

Courage Calls to Courage

Courage Calls to Courage

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On a recent visit to London Glasgow City Soroptimist members took advantage of the opportunity to photograph the newly unveiled statue of Millicent Garrett Fawcett in Parliament Square, as well as the  much older statue of Edith Cavell, opposite the National Portrait Gallery near Trafalgar Square. Two incredible women, both courageous, but in different ways. Edith Cavell saved the lives of many wounded soldiers of both sides in WWI and  was executed by the Germans in 1915 for  assisting allied soldiers to escape from occupied Belgium. Millicent Garrett Fawcett was a prominent Suffragist for women’s right to vote in the early years of the 20th century and was leader of the National Union of Women’s Suffrage Societies. It was a time for courageous women: a third photograph was taken in Govan, Glasgow, of the recently unveiled statue commemorating the role played by Mary Barbour in

SI Glasgow City’s AGM brings in the club’s 2018 officers

SI Glasgow City’s AGM brings in the club’s 2018 officers

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SI Glasgow City’s Annual General Meeting took place on Wednesday, April 18th and at these meetings the office bearers for the new Club year take up their term of office. At every AGM, the outgoing and incoming Presidents, give a short address. The outgoing President reflects on her year, while the incoming President lays out her plans for the year. This year, Immediate Past President Madeleine told us of the highlight of her year – “If I can say that I am proud of one thing the club has achieved this year, it must be our vintage fashion show. Not just because it was an enjoyable event, and not even because it raised £1,700 for the Mercy Ships, but because we all worked together so well as a team………………..We all came together as a club and our teamwork made the event a success.” And Incoming

Building Bridges at the Scotland North & South Joint Conference 2018

Building Bridges at the Scotland North & South Joint Conference 2018

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A number of Club members attended the recent Scotland North and South Joint Conference held in Stirling on the 14th of April. The theme of the conference was ‘building bridges’ and the speakers approached this with a range of topics. Keynote Speakers One of the key note speakers was Mariet Verhoff-Cohen, President of Soroptimist International – who spoke on her President’s Appeal for the 2017-2019 biennium, Women,Water and Leadership. Mariet is recognised as an expert on the topic of water and how it impacts the lives of women and girls globally. She stated that more than 600 million of the world’s population lack ready access to safe water and sanitation and because they are the primary water carriers for their families, water scarcity affects women and girls disproportionately. The hours they spend daily fetching water prevents them from attending school and impairs their ability to

3S Fund winners share their experiences with SI Glasgow City members

3S Fund winners share their experiences with SI Glasgow City members

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At a recent SI Glasgow City meeting, two recipients of awards from the Soroptimist International Scotland South 3S Fund outlined their experiences in Malawi in 2017. Carol travelled to Malawi with 7 other volunteers to prepare a building for use as a school for over 200 children. The group also helped distribute backpacks to school children, which had been donated by people across Scotland. Carol used the 3S Fund donation to purchase educational toys used by all ages for the children. Kirsty travelled to Malawi with the charity Project Trust, which specialises in placing school leavers in projects around the world, and she taught in two nursery schools for 8 months from September 2016 to April 2017. Teaching children aged 2 to 5 years was a challenge when Kirsty could not speak the local language, but she did manage to share basic numerical and literacy

SI Glasgow City candidate receives funding for Nepalese project

SI Glasgow City candidate receives funding for Nepalese project

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The candidate our club has put forward for 3S Funding has been successful and received £300. She will be going to Nepal this summer with Raleigh International to help build water and sanitation units. The 3S Fund supports projects which improve the lives of women and girls to achieve their potential in line with the objects of Soroptimist International. It is run by the Soroptimist International of Scotland South Region and its full name is ‘Soroptimist International Scotland South Region Project.’ You can learn more and find a handbook and application forms at the SI Scotland South webpage.

Donation to WaterAid’s Untapped Appeal

Donation to WaterAid’s Untapped Appeal

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SI Glasgow City recently donated £500 to WaterAid‘s Untapped Appeal, which was match funded by the Government bringing the total donation to £1000. Joanna and Norma, volunteer WaterAid representatives, gave the members a brief update on the appeal which is providing clean water to villages in Africa. Tombohuaun is a tiny village deep in the jungle of Sierra Leone, where clean water has been provided via the ‘Untapped Appeal’. 31% of schools worldwide have no access to clean water. The funds will help to train local water engineers to ensure the sustainability of the work of WaterAid. See the Tombohuan villagers clebrate the arrival of clean water at https://www.wateraid.org/uk/tombohuan-untapped