{"id":6231,"date":"2024-04-29T15:32:18","date_gmt":"2024-04-29T14:32:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sigbi.org\/london-chilterns\/?p=6231"},"modified":"2024-07-03T12:40:25","modified_gmt":"2024-07-03T11:40:25","slug":"jun24","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sigbi.org\/london-chilterns\/2024\/04\/29\/jun24\/","title":{"rendered":"Celebrating Inspirational Women at the Soroptimist Region Conference Milton Keynes"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Soroptimist<\/a>The Soroptimist International London Chilterns Region on Saturday 15 June was a great success! SI Milton Keynes, hosted the event on behalf of SILC President Kate Belinis continuing Kate\u2019s theme of \u201cCelebrating Inspirational Women\u201d. The venue was perfect, with 33 people attending in person and with great technology enabling 14 Members of the Region to join us on Zoom. We were really lucky to be able to use the building and facilities of MK SNAP (Milton Keynes Special Needs Advancement Project), because Angie Novell, a Member of SI Milton Keynes, is the Chief Executive of the charity.<\/p>\n

President Kate Belinis (pictured here on the left) started the event by saying how proud we should all be with all the Soroptimist celebrations this year \u2013 our Federation SIGBI is 90, SI Greater London Club is 100 and SI High Wycombe is 60!<\/p>\n

Our headline speaker, Kurshida Mirza BEM, High Sheriff of Buckinghamshire (pictured above on the right) www.highsheriffofbuckinghamshire.com<\/a> did not disappoint. Kurshida is the first British Muslim woman of Asian heritage to take on this Office. Kurshida is informed by and rooted in her core Islamic values of Peace, Justice, and Love for humanity, and her Interfaith work. Inspired by her mother who always put the needs of others before her own giving voice to many women when they had no one to turn to, Kurshida is focused on creating opportunities to further inclusivity. In her year of Office her plans include prioritising activities, interventions and visits to charities and organisations that work with diverse communities to tackle social exclusion, strengthen communities and create partnerships. Click here to watch the 33 minute video recording from Zoom: https:\/\/youtu.be\/2c_THJJJjxs<\/a>. \"Soroptimist<\/a>The video starts with Soroptimist International London Chilterns President Kate Belinis introducing the conference. Then Angie Novell from the host Club SI Milton Keynes, CEO of MK SNAP where the event is taking place gives a warm welcome and explains about her work with the charity (Angie is pictured here on the right of the Ukrainian singers). The Soroptimist Vison and Mission is read by Milton Keynes Soroptimist’s newest and youngest Member, Summer Nunes.<\/p>\n

Kurshida is quietly spoken and told us openly and honestly about her life illustrating her strengths, starting with her family\u2019s journey from India to the UK. In India they lived in a big house with lots of family members close by, so living in small rented accommodation in Birmingham must have been a big shock for a 7 year old. She experienced a lot of racism at school in Birmingham. She wanted to rise above her own expectations \u2013 let alone the low ones of a school that only expected girls to get married or work in a local factory. She got a job at GKN in the office and did her A levels at night-school so that she could go to university, the path she would have taken in India because the dream stayed with her and her parents. She was the first in her family to go away to University \u2013 some family members were concerned that would become too educated to get married but she proved them wrong by meeting her husband at University. She says that her strength came from her strong faith, not letting the status quo get the better of her, not conforming, her parents were strong and inspiring wanting their daughters to follow their own paths. She explained that in Islam women are not just equal, they have a higher status because they bear children. Women are gifted with special strengths, different to men. For her feminism is not be like a man, but to be a woman \u2013 kind, patient, generous \u2013 she wants to be accepted for what she is which is difficult when the world wants you to be something different. She found she was often looked over for promotion \u2013 as a woman of colour she suffered both gender and race discrimination. She recommends we look at research publication from the Fawcett Society https:\/\/www.fawcettsociety.org.uk\/broken-ladders<\/a> \u201cBroken Ladders: The myth of meritocracy for women of colour in the workplace.\u201d<\/strong> There is institutional racism everywhere, forcing women of colour to conform and locking them out of career progression.<\/p>\n

In her role as High Sheriff, Kurshida wants to make a difference, taking inspiration from her faith, \u201cwe have more in common than that which divides us\u201d, we are all different but we all have something that connects us. She quoted from the Quran \u2013 \u201cWe created you all from a single man and a single woman, and made you into races and tribes so that you should recognize one another. In God\u2019s eyes, the most honoured of you are the ones most mindful of Him:\u00a0God is all knowing, all aware.\u201d Her theme is to create opportunities for diversity, through partnerships, starting conversations. Exclusion from school has a link to criminality, she has visited a prison and many prisoners have learning difficulties so we need intervention to break the cycle. She is working with Milton Keynes and Bucks colleges to inspire young people. She recruited 8 female college \u201cchampions\u201d to travel her journey with her this year and work on the projects \u2013 what a great idea!<\/p>\n

Kurshida also informed us that most High Sheriffs have a Chaplain to attend on them and assist in matters of faith, whereas she appointed 7<\/strong> Chaplains from the 7 main faiths. She says it has been amazing working with them all, inviting conversation and sharing of thoughts.<\/p>\n

She ended by saying that she felt it was important in a position like this, to give back, \u201cnot just for me, but for all women like me\u201d.<\/p>\n

A wonderful speech that these notes don\u2019t do justice to so please play the video, listen to her words and be inspired.<\/p>\n

As a thank you gift she was presented with a glass domed plant garden made by one of the MK SNAP clients (she is holding it in the photo above).<\/p>\n

Programme Action<\/strong> filled the next part of the Programme \u2013 the heart of all Soroptimist Clubs. Pam Robertson, the London Chilterns Programme Action Officer introduced SI Milton Keynes Club Chair Sue Key (pictured above between Kate Belinis and the High Sheriff) gave a moving presentation about their inspirational project the Violet Awards and more projects too. Click here to download Sue’s presentation: SI MK Violet Awards Presentation for Region 2024<\/a> \u00a0Sue started with SI Milton Keynes Violet Awards project. It began in 2021, the centenary year for Soroptimist International, and like all clubs they were looking for ways to \u00a0celebrate the anniversary and women.\u00a0They had the idea that there are unsung heroes in the charities supported by the Club who need to be recognised and thanked.\u00a0 They decided to hold an Awards evening and we named it the Violet Awards, after Violet Richardson Ward, one of the founding members of the first Soroptimist club back in 1921.\u00a0 Her life time motto was \u201cIt\u2019s what you do that counts\u201d. These words resonated with us, especially celebrating our 100th<\/sup> birthday but because these awards were an opportunity:<\/p>\n