This event, marking the International Day of the Girl Child was hosted by Thames Valley Police, working in partnership with local bu
sinesses and partners, to share and celebrate the achievements of women and girls from around the community in High Wycombe. It also aimed to inform the multicultural population of women and girls living in the High Wycombe area about facilities available for them.
The team was made up of four Club Members from SI Thames Valley, two Members from SI High Wycombe and Sue Fortescue from SI Poole with their project “Purple Teardrop Campaign” against human trafficking. See SI Poole’s report at www.sigbi.org/southern-england/2016/10/16/team-work-at-thames-valley-event/
The event attracted hundreds of participants and the team was kept very busy distributing leaflets and information about the Purple Teardrop Campaign, and Soroptimist International.
The High Sheriff of Buckinghamshire, Millie Soames, spent a long time at our stand, learning about our initiatives. Another important participant was Angie Sarchet, who works for Buckinghamshire County Council and who gave a really excellent presentation about ‘Exploitation’, covering topics such as slavery, child sex abuse, and trafficking – she is now aware of the Purple Teardrop campaign.
The event ended with a rousing performance by a local multicultural choir – and delicious food!
We also learned a lot. We chatted to the stands nearby, which included Rape Crisis, MIND, NHS, Thames Valley Police etc, and heard about their initiatives.