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Walk up Whitbarrow from Mill Side April 21st

Walk up Whitbarrow from Mill Side April 21st

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Five members enjoyed a walk up Whitbarrow on April 21st, starting from Mill Side. We ascended through the woods enjoying the bluebells and clumps of primroses . The walk along the ridge to Lords Seat was blustery and the view slightly misty but it was most enjoyable. The return through the wall and down through the wooded valley to the cow shed was sheltered with  primroses, a few cowslips and wood anenomes. We  descended to Ransoms Farm and back to the car. An enjoyable 6 miles!  
How did Grange Soroptimists raise funds for ShelterBox with a virtual Swimathon?

How did Grange Soroptimists raise funds for ShelterBox with a virtual Swimathon?

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Club swimmers were unable to take part in the usual Swimathon raising funds for ShelterBox, so they formed a virtual team. Club members gave donations rather than their usual sponsorship and the total with Gift Aid was  £578. ShelterBox provides essentials such as tents, cooking utensils, water purification kits and much more to families suffering natural or man made diasters all over the world. Club members have swum in the Swimathon for over 25 years and for ShelterBox since 2009 supplying over 10 ShelterBoxes which have been deployed all over the world including Nepal, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Japan. Women and girls tend to be most affected in disaster areas. This may be due to the  direct effect of the disaster, or infections, sexual violence or human trafficking.
How did Grange Soroptimists mark St Patrick’s Day?

How did Grange Soroptimists mark St Patrick’s Day?

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7 members calling themselves the Grange Guinness Gang formed a team to take part in a  Zoom St Patrick's Day quiz run by SI Blackburn in aid of PIES ( Partners in Education Swaziland). It was  a great evening with suitable outfits and although we didnt win there was fun and friendship with other Soroptimists from the Region and donations made to PIES.
International Women’s Day 8 March

International Women’s Day 8 March

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International Women's Day is March 8th and the theme this year is Choose to Challenge.  "A challenged world is an alert world and from challenge comes change". We need to challenge inequality. Club members enjoyed an afternoon of friendship on Zoom celebrating International Women's Day, with tea, a quiz on inspirational women and some cameos of inspirational women.  
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