The College of West Anglia’s Learning Experience Manager Clare Pelling receiving a donation of books from Programme Action Officer Andrea Pearson
As part of our work to help people coming to the area from overseas, include Ukrainians who have arrived in the past few months, the club has donated a range of text books to support The College of West Anglia in their work with students on the English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) courses. These books had previously been used a few years ago when the club delivered free English lessons to economic migrants who had arrived in the area with little or no English-speaking ability. On hearing about the number of ESOL students now attending CWA, the Soroptimists agreed to donate the books to the LRC where they can be accessed by a wider range of people.
King’s Lynn Festival
We were excited to announce our sponsorship of a recital by Ben Horden at the prestigious King’s Lynn Festival in 2021 and continued our partnership in 2022.
Please look at our Club History leaflet for details of some of the projects we have been involved with over the years Club History 2022
The club is always interested in hearing about new ideas for projects as well as welcoming new members.
The President’s and Programme pages give you an idea of some of the speakers and projects we have for the current year.
Club Sponsor 100th Fruit Tree
The club has supported former King’s Lynn Soroptimist Josephine Reynolds on a project that she founded in Cambodia in 2013 – Sponsor a Fruit Tree for Families in Poverty. The project has had over 90 fruit saplings sponsored by October 2020 – roughly one a day since its resurrection earlier in the year.
The tree planting project supports the Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO). Build Your Future Today Center in Siem Reap, Cambodia. The centre was formally established in April 2006, and grew from the personal desire of its founder, Sedtha Long, a survivor of the brutal years of the Khmer Rouge, to help give back to his country. Jo’s Fruit Tree for Families in Poverty Facebook page
Jo told members how the scheme has unexpectedly evolved into a really special project that has great meaning for the sponsors, as the fruit trees with their personal messages are used to celebrate life, love, and memorialise lost ones, as well as providing the obvious and expected benefits to the community where the saplings are planted. Each tree costs £10 to sponsor, and SI King’s Lynn are honoured to be sponsoring the 100th tree. In fact, the club has pledged to sponsor 10 trees, which will be planted in villages in the poorest parts of Cambodia.
Club President Julie Williams commented: “We are thrilled to be part of this project. 2021 is the centenary of Soroptimist International of Great Britain and Ireland – our club is celebrating the 100th year with Soroptimists from across the word and we felt that sponsoring the 100th tree in this project would be a very special way to mark this landmark year.
As the trees grow it will enable the villagers to be more self-sufficient, the trees will provide precious fruit to eat and surplus to sell – as well as wood to build shelters and furniture. The branches will provide shade, and the leaves will eventually drop and put nutrients back into the soil. Many people sponsor a tree as a memorial – for us the trees will mark a bright past and a brilliant future for Soroptimists across the world”.
Soroptimist International of King’s Lynn are keen to plant trees in the local area to celebrate within the local community and would be delighted to hear from any local organisation that can help with this. Please contact the club via the website at https://sigbi.org/kings-lynn/contact-us/ or facebook https://www.facebook.com/SIKingsLynn/
16 Days of Activism
The 16 Days of Activism against Gender based Violence take place between 25 November and 10 December each year. The theme for 2020 is “Orange the World: Fund, Respond, Prevent, Collect!”
As the world retreated inside homes due to the lockdown measures introduced to curb the COVID-19 pandemic, reports showed an alarming increase in the already existing pandemic of violence against women.
The club began supporting Lend With Care in 2017. Since then we have invested money to support women around the world, including Equador, Pakistan, Zambia, Peru, Cambodia, The Palestinian Territories, and Zimbabwe, to name but some of them.
we have contributed to 23 loans
we have supported 81 entrepreneurs as some loans have been to groups
we have helped 329 family members
we have helped in the creation of 85 jobs
The women have been involved in businesses such as farming, tailoring and market trading. Many of these women are aiming to provide for their families and there is often a mention of earning money to ensure that their children can get an education. To date, all recipients have repaid the loans given – an amazing achievement. Currently, due to the Covid 19 pandemic there has been a cessation of work in some areas and some of the repayments have been paused.
SI King’s Lynn is very proud of our work in this field. We will continue to re-invest to help our sisters overseas to thrive.
Federation Project 2020 – The Big Story
During those early COVID-19 lock-down days, Soroptimists across the UK were set a challenge to record The Big Story This was a chance to be creative and positive while the world was shutting down, while supporting a great cause, the registered charity ChoraChori as they work with the most vulnerable children in Nepal. King’s Lynn member Corinne entered the competition. Corinne’s fascinating story can be read here
Tower Gardens
Club members are very pleased to continue their support of the maintenance of a flower bed in Tower Gardens, King’s Lynn, a project that has been supported for several years.
In the past, a certificate of recognition of the contribution towards the Anglia in Bloom Campaign was received by the club.
