IWD talk, 9th March
Excellent talk by Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson on progress with current legislation on Domestic Violence, with a particular focus on disabled women. She also gave us a valuable insight into how Parliament works.
International Women’s Day
In the week of International Women’s Day and when The Domestic Abuse Bill is being debated in Parliament, we are looking forward to Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson talking to us on 8th March on this very issue. #ChooseToChallenge.
Positive publicity
Excellent publicity for our book Overcoming the Odds in this week’s Darlington & Stockton Times.
Fair Trade Fortnight
We are supporting Fair Trade Fortnight by buying FT goods from a local supplier and donating them to a Middlesbrough Food Bank.
SI Middlesbrough members who “Choose to Challenge”
Please visit https://www.internationalwomensday.com/2021Theme International Women’s Day 2021 on Monday 8th March
SIM welcomes new member
We are always pleased to welcome new members, but especially so The Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, who joined us recently and has already begun to play an active role.
Climate Emergency and Action prior to COP26
The UK will host the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) in Glasgow between 1 and 12 November 2021. The COP26 summit will bring parties together to accelerate action towards the goals of the Paris Agreement and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. Middlesbrough has become one of the first towns and cities in the world at the forefront of tackling the climate emergency through food. The town’s Mayor Andy Preston has signed the Glasgow Food and Climate Declaration which brings together an international coalition of organisations to speak with a united voice about their commitment to develop sustainable food policies. In a study by Sustain – the alliance for better food and farming – of 92 local authority action plans on the issue, Middlesbrough was one of only 13 to hit the mark asked for by the declaration. Mr Preston
Trees Planted in Albert Park
We have planted 15 urban trees in Albert Park, Middlesbrough, on 24 November 2020, to celebrate 75 years of SI Middlesbrough and 100 years of Soroptimist International. 5 Rowan, 5 Hazel and 5 Crab Apple, native species from the Woodland Trust, are planted in a central location near the fountain close to the bluebells we planted last year. This will help in enhancing the environment, increasing oxygen levels, and reducing the climate change. A sign is placed nearby to publicise the centenary and our club.
16 Days of Activism (25 Nov – 10 Dec)
SI Middlesbrough is taking part in 16 days of action against gender-based violence. We will #OrangetheWorld: Fund, Respond, Prevent, Collect in support of #GenerationEquality. Soroptimists believe to achieve zero tolerance against gender-based violence. “The 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence is an annual international campaign that kicks off on 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, and runs until 10 December, Human Rights Day. It was started by activists at the inaugural Women’s Global Leadership Institute in 1991 and continues to be coordinated each year by the Center for Women’s Global Leadership. It is used as an organizing strategy by individuals and organizations around the world to call for the prevention and elimination of violence against women and girls.” (Ref: UN Women) Since lockdowns due to COVID-19 pandemic, rates of domestic violence have increased substantially around the world, termed