To support an amazing venture by the Lions!

Kenilworth Soroptimists are very proud of the strong links we have with Kenilworth Lions. On several occasions they have matched our donations to the well-being fund we initiated for women at our local Refuge. They have helped us decorate and refurbish family rooms at the Refuge. They have donated furniture and given of their time and skills to help us ensure survivors of domestic abuse can begin a new life in a home of their own.

Kenilworth Soroptimist Sharon (pictured above with Town Mayor Cllr Alan Chalmers) was one of four representatives of SI Kenilworth & District who came to show how proud we are of the Kenilworth Lions’ provision of a fully medically fitted ambulance for Ukraine – and the drivers to get it there!

                                        Kenilworth Soroptimists Muriel, Caroline, Sharon and Gill with Town Mayor Cllr Alan Chalmers.

In the month following the invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Kenilworth Lions Club decided to donate one Saturday’s income from their charity furniture store to the UK’s Disasters Emergency Committee. Several Kenilworth Soroptimists volunteer at the bazaar section of the furniture store and on that Saturday in March 2022 were able to see their contribution to a record breaking £5000 raised by the generosity of the people of Kenilworth.

Working with the Polish Community in Leamington’s ‘Aid for Ukraine’, the Kenilworth Lions’ ambulance was destined to be part of a convoy of relief vehicles leaving for Ukraine.

Two Kenilworth Lions, Bill and Ivan, volunteered to drive. Here they are either side of the mayor with Lions President Sue.

Our Soroptimist representatives were there to wave them off and wish them a safe journey. They left with a short blast from the siren and a flash of blue lights amidst loud cheers from Lions and Soroptimists alike.

Their journey will take them through Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany and Poland – where they will deliver the ambulance to medical support teams in Krakow. Lion Bill and Lion Ivan will then fly back from Warsaw.

Kenilworth Soroptimists also look for ways in which we can support the women and children of Ukraine. It really helps that we are an international organisation. When our sister club SI Krakow contacted us in March 2022 with a plea for help with their relief operations for the mainly women and children refugees from Ukraine, we raised £1245 within a week. Our treasurer Gill had this response from SI Krakow’s president Anna,

Thank you so very much dear Gill. The money has safely arrived.

It is so much needed, yesterday there was a family arriving from hell of Mariupol, the city damaged in 90% with no electricity, heating, fresh water, food and medical supplies. There is still 200,000 inhabitants there. They were lucky, their daughter is a Soroptimist. A chain of people of good will allowed for the flee.

Please thank all club members! We are really grateful!

And most recently, on our Day of Action to address period poverty, with the help of Medics2Medics, we sent a suitcase full of period products to Ukraine. Our Facebook post says it all

An ambulance and a suitcase – both travelling with hope for Ukraine.