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How Did We Finish Our 16 Days of Activism?

How Did We Finish Our 16 Days of Activism?

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With coffee and cake, of course! Our culmination event was an ‘Orange Cafe’ where we celebrated and reflected on the activities of the 16 Days. And we kept our orange theme with the cakes baked by members; chocolate orange cake, orange drizzle cake and orange cupcakes – to name but a few! Donations for the cakes made a delicious £250 for our local women’s refuge.   Members were on hand to explain more about each display showing an activity from the 16 Days of Activism. There were six pairs of shoes from the display of 108 pairs – each pair representing one woman killed by a man in 2021/22. There were three filled handbags from our ‘Love Grace’ appeal. A smaller scale Christmas Tree showed some of our orange decorations and lights which began our campaign. And of course, examples of the yarn bombing; crocheted

How Many Handbags? 54!

How Many Handbags? 54!

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We Honoured the Life of Grace Millane in One of Our Events for the 16 Days. Grace Millane was tragically murdered whilst travelling in New Zealand in December 2018. Her mother was determined to make Grace’s life more impactful than her death. In Grace’s name, her mother, Gillian launched the “Love Grace” appeal – collecting and filling handbags with essentials for women in need.                                              And that’s exactly what we did! In just over an hour, we filled 54 good quality, smart handbags with toiletries, cosmetics, purses, scarves and jewellery. We’d already raised money to buy brand new items by taking part in a car boot sale a month earlier and members donated small luxuries to add to the handbags.   Once the bags

In Their Shoes

In Their Shoes

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During our 16 Days of Activism, the preparation of one event has shocked and moved us more than any other. It is at the heart of our campaign to end violence against women and girls and it’s a display of shoes. Each pair of shoes, tied with orange ribbon, represents one woman killed by a man in the year 2021/22. There are 108 pairs.                             Here are six of the women represented.            Zara, Clair and Lauren, Yasmin, Ashley and Ramona are just six of the 108 women killed by men in 2021/22. You can read their stories here: https://sigbi.org/kenilworth-and-district/un-16-days-of-activism-25th-november-10th-december/their-stories/ We hope, that by raising awareness of this shocking and tragic waste of women’s lives – so common that it rarely makes news – we can all unite to end

Would you, could you – step in to stop harassment?

Would you, could you – step in to stop harassment?

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80% of women in the UK report experiencing harassment in public places (Suzy Lamplugh Trust) If we want to end violence against women and girls, we have to stop behaviours that underlie it –  harassment is one of those behaviours. But is that easier said than done? As part of our 16 Days of Activism to end Gender Based Violence, lots of us have been taking part in a free, one hour, on-line training session provided by the Suzy Lamplugh Trust. We’ve found out how to intervene to stop harassment without putting ourselves at risk or escalating the situation.                We’ve learned how we could step in to help a woman being harassed on public transport     And what we could do to stop a lone woman being harassed in a bar We’ve learned that any one of

Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree – how lovely are thy branches!

Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree – how lovely are thy branches!

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We entered our local church’s Christmas Tree Festival and, of course, our theme was orange. Orange is the colour which symbolises the international campaign of the ‘16 Days of Activism‘ to end gender based violence. The campaign runs from 25th November till 10th December. Soroptimists throughout the world  are joining in activities to raise awareness of violence against women and girls in order to end it. The first decoration to be made was our tree topper – an angel with our Soroptimist International logo. Then a whole host of orange angels followed!   Club members crocheted spiralled orange icicles – lots of them!And gradually, our Christmas Tree took shape.           President Amanda made sure her outfit was colour-coordinated for our photo of the finished tree! And did we win? Not this time, but we were thrilled when our Town Mayor and

Are you wondering where all the orange is coming from?

Are you wondering where all the orange is coming from?

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              We’ve been out and about in Kenilworth, yarn bombing Talisman Square and Kenilworth’s Old Town with beautiful orange hearts, flowers and spirals made by club members. The optimistic colour of orange symbolises our hopes that, by working together, we can put an end to violence against women and girls. From 25th November until 10th December, we’re taking part in the international campaign to end gender-based violence – the 16 Days of Activism. To find out more about our campaign, go to our Club Menu and have a look at our pages on ‘UN 16 Days of Activism 25th November – 10th December.’ And keep a look out for more oranging!                                                         

This November, where did we go to meet up with Soroptimists from Great Britain, Ireland, Asia, the Caribbean and Malta?

This November, where did we go to meet up with Soroptimists from Great Britain, Ireland, Asia, the Caribbean and Malta?

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                This was the 89th Conference for Soroptimist International Great Britain and Ireland (SIGBI) and was an opportunity to meet old friends…                    …and make new ones. Delegates heard an impressive array of speakers talk passionately about subjects of vital interest not only to Soroptimists but to all who work towards gender equality, the empowerment of women and girls – and an end to the exploitation of people and the natural world. They spoke, we listened and will bring back to our Clubs fresh energies and resources to further our work.                                                                                 

An August Occasion for SI Kenilworth

An August Occasion for SI Kenilworth

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Picnic at the Castle?  If it was good enough for Gloriana… We don’t usually meet in August but for those avoiding traffic jams, trying to reduce carbon footprints or staycationing in Kenilworth, President Amanda arranged some holiday downtime together. Our VIP treatment included a special presentation of the talk President Amanda gives to visitors in her role as volunteer at the Castle. Amanda entertained, amused and fascinated us with her description of the fourth and final visit of Elizabeth 1st to Kenilworth Castle in 1575.  Apparently this was Robert Dudley’s last ditch attempt to win the hand of Gloriana in marriage and he certainly pulled out all the stops! He even went to the trouble of having a special garden created for her, full of flowers and plants that conveyed messages of love and regard.  Then he topped that with a fountain featuring statues of

What’s Kurdish for “Thank you”?

What’s Kurdish for “Thank you”?

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Would we like to be invited to Kenilworth’s fabulous, community-friendly cafe, Milk and Mocha for their 2nd Charity Evening?  All proceeds to go towards empowering women who are seeking  refuge in the UK? Yes please! Delighted to be sitting alongside friends from Kenilworth Lions and Compassionate Kenilworth, we were treated to a wonderful three course meal prepared by an amazing group of Kurdish ladies.                                                  Nom! We learned something about the geography of Kurdistan from the maps at our tables and quite astonishing facts about refugees from an online quiz.  We enjoyed experiencing some of the culture of Kurdistan not only through the fabulous food, but through poetry and music.                        

What would Jane Austen say?

What would Jane Austen say?

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Our Charity Performance night of Andrew Davies’ adaptation for the Talisman Theatre was an absolute sell-out! This world premiere of an adapted-for-stage version of Pride and Prejudice was a huge success and our full capacity audience raised the roof with applause.  They also helped us raise an astonishing £1180! Not only did President Amanda negotiate with the theatre to secure our charity performance, she also organised the raffle of sumptuous, themed hampers named after characters from the book.                   Elizabeth Bennet has an oft quoted line in Pride & Prejudice “There is a stubbornness about me that never can bear to be frightened at the will of others.  My courage always rises at every attempt to intimidate me.” The local charity ‘You Can Flourish’, seeks to empower girls aged 11-18 with some of Elizabeth Bennet’s attitude by improving