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January ’26

January ’26

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   January 2026: In November four members had the privilege of marching through Kidderminster on Remembrance Sunday as part of the large parade. We were able to place a wreath on the Memorial, taking part in the Remembrance Service. Another six bags were delivered to our local Refuge full of items to help women and girls when entering the refuge. Hilary, our club’s Programme Action Officer on the left with the Refuge Manager. During our meeting we were informed that we had a lovely message on our Facebook page from a lady living in the Refuge. She wanted to thank us for the Welcome Bags. She said “I just wanted to say what a kind and thoughtful thing your Welcome Bags are. I recently arrived and it was such a lovely thing to find waiting in my room! AND CHOCOLATE”   During the 16 days

Welcome Bags for Refuge

Welcome Bags for Refuge

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Kidderminster’s Sewing Sisters group have made 12 ‘Welcome Bags’ for the local Refuge which contain toiletries and gifts including a notepad and pen.   We have supported the local Refuge over the years in a number of ways and the Manager asked if we could provide ‘Welcome Bags’ to include a wider range of toiletries and essentials that the Refuge is currently unable to fund. We decided to make an attractive drawstring bag to hold the items as a project for the Sewing Sisters.   Over several sessions the Sewing Sisters group, meeting at a Member’s house, have made 12 bags from donated fabrics. Items were purchased from Club funds and Member’s donations. These were delivered on 11 July 2025 to mark SIGBI’s Day of Action and the International Day of Hope on 12 July. These Welcome Bags can offer hope for a better life

Celebratory patchwork

Celebratory patchwork

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Liberty of London is celebrating 150 years of design and fabrics. To commemorate this anniversary, they have created a large patchwork in the shape of a house from 1,000 squares of Liberty fabrics submitted under the guise of the Patchwork Collective members from around the world.   Kidderminster member, Linda Cocksedge was very excited to learn that her friendship star square was chosen.  Her square is made from 2 Liberty fabrics from her fabric stash which had been purchased in the mid-1980s. Linda said that “My Friendship Star square was inspired by knowing that the making and giving of quilts is one of the best kinds of friendship which echoes a Soroptimist value. Liberty designs are one of London’s icons and growing up in New Zealand these were treasured fabrics. When I came to live in London in 1980, it was amazing to visit the

Update on club news

Update on club news

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Our Annual Bridge Event took place in April where our club provides lunch for the 80 players. Here we see us hard at work preparing the food.  Another successful day’s work with £850 profit made which has been allocated to Marie Curie Cancer Fund. Great work everyone. At our supper meeting our long term member Stephanie Ainsley was presented with a certificate to congratulate her on an amazing 35 years of service to Soroptimist International by our Regional President Liz Every. Thank you Stephanie for your help and guidance to us all and for being a real friend to everyone. In June four of our members went on the trip organised by Liz Every to number 63 in London. The weather was kind to us throughout the few days and we all came together for an evening meal at a lovely Italian Restaurant just around

DIARY OF THE MONTH- MARCH/APRIL 2024.

DIARY OF THE MONTH- MARCH/APRIL 2024.

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5th march— Celebrating International Women’s Day this month in Bewdley and raising awareness of Violence Against Women.  Even the local canine showed an interest. 11th march—Public Speaking Competition. Congratulations to our member Cindy Black who supported these lads from a local school in taking part in our Region’s Public Speaking competition.  Although they did not win, their talks at the event were really inspirational.  Their teacher, seen on the left, was a great support to them and to our club. We are very proud to work with our local schools and their brilliant pupils. March 22nd—Period Poverty Party. Another successful evening for our second Period Poverty Party where 132 sanitary packs and 96 items of toiletries were donated by the 25 ladies who attended.  It was a very useful event to explain how our club and organisation work and brought awareness to the women and

Diary of the month January/February 2024

Diary of the month January/February 2024

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In January 2024, members attended a zoom meeting about Modern Day Slavery, in which Independant Modern Slave Advocates talked about their roles dealing with this disturbing problem on a daily basis. February saw our sewing sisters making dresses and birthing sheets from duvet covers and pillowcases donated to us for girls in Uganda and Malawi. We are now looking to make Mastectomy Bags for our local hospital. In recognition of International Women’s Day and our Orange Cafe meeting to highlight Violence against Women Campaign, we met at the Guildhall in Bewdley Town Centre  where this photo was taken, and at a local cafe where we gave out leaflets and showed a video of Soroptimists’ activities. It drew attention from locals and even from this dog Mia, who was eager to get in on the action with the club members.

Diary of the month Nov-Dec 2023

Diary of the month Nov-Dec 2023

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Novmber and December were two very busy months for the club, with lots of events. The first event was SIGBI’s Annual Conference, being held in Friend’s House in London this year. The speakers were so inspirational that we left feeling ready to work for women and girls throughout the U.K and beyond. At our supper meeting this month, we were privileged to have two speakers from Kidderminster’s two women’s refuges. They told us of the difficulties facing the women of today. We gave them donations for speaking to us at our meeting, and money towards their Christmas meal for all the women in their care.  We also gave them £200 from Hartlebury Community Café, which one of our members runs. Some members attended our neighbouring club S.I Stourbridge’s Literary dinner where, one of our members Sue Merrill, was one of the speakers for the evening. 

SI Kidderminster – Sewing Sisters New Start Goody Bags

SI Kidderminster – Sewing Sisters New Start Goody Bags

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At our Regional Meeting in December 2022, we heard a speaker from ANAWIM, the women’s centre in Birmingham which supports women in need.  After hearing this speaker, we decided to continue making these gym style backpack bags from donated fabrics at our Sewing Sisters sessions. This enabled us to continue using our skills and donated fabrics to create items that can be given to women who need them when they access ANAWIM services. This expands on our other sewing projects for women and children in Uganda and for the Buddy Bag Foundation. We meet in a member’s home and all club members are welcome to come along even if they don’t sew. They help with pressing as well as providing much needed refreshments. Our sessions normally end with a bring and share lunch. Over the course of several sessions we made a total 24 bags

Diary of the Month February & March 2023

Diary of the Month February & March 2023

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Diary of the month Feb/March 2023 Standing up for women and girls. At our business meeting in February, there were lots of ideas and offers of help from members in planning future events for the forthcoming year. What can we achieve as Soroptimists? Chris Bradley was our guest speaker at our February supper meeting. He came to talk to us on a subject we all hold dear, our Wyre Forest and the wildlife that live there. He lives in a cottage in the forest and showed us all some wonderful pictures of the forest and its inhabitants. He was a very knowledgeable person on this subject and there was not a query that he could not answer in great detail. Violence against women was again highlighted this month. Read our blog on the SIGBI website about the deaths of women by their partners/husbands/ boyfriends. Truly

Diary of the Month – January 2023

Diary of the Month – January 2023

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Phrase of the month- Soroptimists want to contribute to their local community. 5th January- We held our monthly Business meeting today to start off the new year . We held it on zoom in case of inclement weather and dark nights. Good to see familiar faces after the Christmas break. 10th– The Sewing Sisters met once again to finish off  bags for women just leaving prison, so that they can have something for their personal items.  Items for the Midwifery Unit in Hoima, Uganda which the sewing sisters have supported for about nine years have just been delivered by our member Stephanie. This is a project close to all our hearts with over 5000 items made and delivered. Keep up the good work ladies! 21st– We held our annual Reflection Day where we all meet at a members house to organise our coming year of