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Burns Night fundraiser to help eradicate FGM in Kenya

Burns Night fundraiser to help eradicate FGM in Kenya

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6 February is International day for Zero tolerance of FGM  ( Female Genital Mutilation) and Club members organised a  Zoom Burns Night Supper on 25 January to raise funds for the charity Beyond FGM and Springfield Women's Refuge in Kendal.  Beyond FGM  works in Pokot in Kenya to provide an Alternative Rite of Passage Ceremony for girls and education to all of the community to stop FGM. Springfield  provides a refuge for women fleeing domestic abuse and also provides support through their Community Hub. The evening was a great success with plenty of fun but also fundraising, with an amazing £1100 raised.  There was the usual Address to the Haggis, The Selkirk Grace, The Immortal Memory,  The Toast to the Lassies and the Reply on behalf of the Lassies. There was no communal haggis eating but the evening was rounded off with a Scottish Quiz
What are Grange Soroptimists doing to mark International Day for Zero Tolerance for FGM on 6th Feb?

What are Grange Soroptimists doing to mark International Day for Zero Tolerance for FGM on 6th Feb?

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Feb 6th is International Day for Zero Tolerance for FGM. The UN has set a target to end  Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) by 2030 but with 3 million girls annually at risk, its a mammoth task.  The  numbers are  likely to  worsen because of Covid as with schools closed  and families in poverty the girls are less protected from  FGM  and Child marriage. What is FGM?   Female genital mutilation (FGM) comprises all procedures that involve altering or injuring the female genitalia for non-medical reasons and is recognized internationally as a violation of the human rights of girls and women.   The physical complications can be fatal and the severe psychological trauma and physical effects last a lifetime. The use of a razor blade or crude knife and no anaesthetic make it a terrifying event, almost always perpetrated by a local woman (cutter) and organised by
Meat Free Mondays to help save the planet

Meat Free Mondays to help save the planet

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One of the factors contributing to climate change is animal agriculture which makes a 40% greater contribution to global warming than all transportation in the world combined. One of the ways we can make a difference is by reducing our meat intake with initiatives such as Meat Free Mondays. To this end our environment group is providing a Meat Free Monday recipe to members every week to give them some inspiration. It has the added benefit of connecting members through cooking at a time when we can't meet in person and improving our health. The recipes have included Vegetable crumble, Tuscan bean soup , Ratatouille with goats cheese, Savoy cabbage butternut squash & leek gratin, Vegetable Tagine, Pea carrot and potato casserole with feta cream- all delicious! If you are interested in getting more information about our Club or would like to join please CONTACT
Grange Soroptimists star at Christmas tree festival at St Paul’s

Grange Soroptimists star at Christmas tree festival at St Paul’s

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Grange Soroptimists participated again in the St Paul's Church Christmas Tree Festival where the theme was " Acts of Kindness". Our tree was covered in stars and baubles which depicted our projects featuring Acts of Kindness such as Singing for Memory and working in the Sensory garden. The public were encouraged to be a star and  take one of our little " Acts of Kindness" cards and spread the gift of kindness in these difficult times. The tree was topped with the dynamic S and our club name to raise awareness of our work. The festival was attended by over 400 people over the 3 weeks it was open bringing joy to many people. Visitors made donations to the Barrow food bank, both food  and £1000 was collected.   If you are interested in getting more information about our Club or would like to join
What did Grange Soroptimists do to help families at Christmas?

What did Grange Soroptimists do to help families at Christmas?

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Packing hampers at Barrow Women's Centre Sweets and gifts Barrow Women's Centre has been stretched to the limit during the pandemic helping women coping with domestic abuse and poverty. Many families  are struggling to provide food and presents for their children at Christmas. As part of the massive  effort by the staff of the centre Grange Soroptimists pitched in to help in numerous ways. Money was donated and appeals to members, the community and schools resulted in many donations of  new toys and books, food and treats. Members worked hard, many at home wrapping and sorting items and 4 members sorted and packed thirty Christmas hampers and  numerous gift bags for families at the Women's Centre.   If you are interested in getting more information about our Club or would like to join please CONTACT US A snapshot of the Soroptimist's work under Sheila's leadership
Write for Rights action by Grange Soroptimists to mark Human Rights Day 10 December

Write for Rights action by Grange Soroptimists to mark Human Rights Day 10 December

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Members wrote in support of the Write for Rights campaign run by Amnesty International, writing letters of solidarity to victims of Human Rights abuses and letters to officials appealing for action. About 100 letters / E mails/ Tweets/ Facebook posts were sent off / posted on social media in December to coincide with Human Rights Day. Human Rights Day is observed every year on 10 December — the day the United Nations General Assembly adopted, in 1948, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It  is a milestone document that proclaims the inalienable rights which everyone is entitled to as a human being - regardless of race, colour, religion, sex, language, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. 10 December is an opportunity to reaffirm the importance of human rights in re-building the world we want, the need for global
Grange Soroptimists Orange the World

Grange Soroptimists Orange the World

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16 Days of Activism against Gender Based Violence start on November 25th ( UN Day for Elimination of Violence against Women) until December 10th ( Human Rights Day) indicating that violence against women is the most pervasive breach of human rights worldwide. The UN asks us to Orange the World to raise awareness. Worldwide 1 in 3 women experience domestic abuse during their lifetime and the pandemic is making things worse.   The Grange Soroptimists did their own take on Orange the world! If you are interested in finding out more about our work or wish to join the Club please CONTACT US The unite campaign calls on us ( Governments, society and individuals) to : Fund   support for services and victims of Gender Based Violence Prevent Gender Based Violence with a zero tolerance Respond with adequate services for victims Collect data to improve
Gardening Soroptimists recognised by the RHS and Cumbria in Bloom

Gardening Soroptimists recognised by the RHS and Cumbria in Bloom

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The Grange Soroptimists were delighted to receive a Certificate of Recognition from the RHS and Cumbria and Bloom for their work in the Sensory Garden. The garden  has been so important to many local people during lockdown and beyond, providing a beautiful and tranquil space. A number of members have  worked very hard during the  year maintaining the garden to a very high standard and providing  so much pleasure and  a safe space to relax, in such difficult times. The RHS said "This year an amazing sense of community spirit has enabled people to face the difficulties of this dreadful pandemic together. Through your community gardening activities you have laid the strong foundations that helped make your community more resilient in these testing times. We know that people have felt closer to nature through lockdown and valued access to green space so much more, and
Celebration Dinner Sat 31 October to mark Club member Rosemary’s year as Regional President

Celebration Dinner Sat 31 October to mark Club member Rosemary’s year as Regional President

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Club member Rosemary served as Regional President of Soroptimist international North West England & the Isle of Man  from 2019 - 2020. To mark  the end of her year in office  the 5 Grange club members who took part in the SIGBI Virtual Conference met together  at Sheila's home  on the evening of Saturday 31 October to celebrate and discuss the Conference. Rosemary was presented with cards and  a pen  from all the Club members. She was congratulated for keeping the Region updated and unified during such an unusual term of office. Several events still went ahead after lockdown including  " A day at Cartmel Races "  in aid of "Empowering Girls in Nepal"and the Rosebowl competition Quiz. A delicious meal was enjoyed with contributions from  the guests and a convivial evening was had by everyone.