Each year we focus on one main project and for 2019 we decided to set ourselves a target to raise £2,500 to help furnish a room in the new YMCA facility being built in central Milton Keynes.
During 2019 a number of events were planned to raise funds and promote SIMK; These included a Sewathon, held on 27 April, when volunteer patch workers, from across MK were sponsored by family and friends to make a king size quilt and two single quilts in a day! The magnificent king size quilt, in YMCA colours, was then raffled over the summer to add to the total raised, which was approximately £1,600.00. When staff at the YMCA saw the single quilts, destined for two lucky residents, they asked if it would be possible for us to make a further twenty eight quilts so that every new resident coming through the homeless hostel had a personal gift for their journey through the YMCA programme. Undaunted, the volunteer team got sewing and delivered 30 quilts in time for the opening of the new building.
The remainder of the money was raised by holding a number of events during the rest of 2019. One of these was a great Quiz night with fish and chips, run at Simpson village Hall at which all 10 tables were taken up by participants and a good night was had by all. Other events included a Choir Evening arranged by Barbaras’s choir, selling tickets for the Community Charity Foundation Car Raffle. We also run a number of events ranging from a celebration of SIMK’s 3rd birthday, a Members Charity evening and a Suffragette event with other women’s groups which included raffle prizes. Many members also made items for a craft sale, which we sold throughout the year, and last but not least members raised money by using discount vouchers when we went out for our monthly friendship lunches.
On Wednesday 11 March 2020, in the Mayor’s Parlour at Milton Keynes Council Civic Offices, we handed over a cheque for £2,605.0o, smashing our target, to the Mayor, Cllr Sam Crooks and Cheryl Montogmery, Chair of the Board of the YMCA. The presentation was followed by tea and cakes kindly donated by MK Snap. In addition, we also have 30 quilts that will be presented to individuals to help furnish their rooms. The room sponsored by us has been named “The Violet Richardson Room”, in dedication to the very first President of the founding Soroptimists club in Oakland,USA in 1921. Her motto was “its what you do that counts”.
Violet is commemorated across the fonder region in the annual Violet Richardson Awards, a Grant in each branch for a girl, aged 14-18, who has contributed to her local community.
Violet was a really interesting (and very long lived) woman, who campaigned for, and won, the right to be paid the same as fellow male teachers and let the Oakland Soroptimists in their first campaign – to save the Redwoods. Equal pay and environmental issues still so relevant today!
Click here to read more about Violet Richardson, co founder of Soroptimists
