In 2021 we held our first Music event with the help of one of our members Karen Mason who is an Oboe player and she very kindly agreed to donate her time and that of her friends again for us this year.
Our Music event was on 8 October at the Mead Centre, Newport Pagnell and this year we were raising funds for two very important issues.
The first is our link charity the Winter Night Shelter. They have continued to see significant numbers of people requiring their services and with the current cost of living crisis need all the help they can get. if you want to learn more and how you can help. Click here.
The other issue we wanted to help with was the Ukraine crisis. We had made a donation earlier in the year and on 1 October some of our members had the privilege of attending a zoom meeting with Soroptimist International Krakow to find out how they have been supporting refugees from Ukraine. Karina Mostowik, President of Soroptimist Poland welcomed everyone from around the world (Australia, New Zealand, Belgium, France, Italy, UK but to name a few) to the meeting. She told us that 6.5 million refugees had come to Poland. Of the 3m plus that had stayed, 50% were children and young people up to 18 and of the adults 95% were women of which 10% were older women. Anna WSZELACZYŃSKA, Soroptimist Krakow updated the meeting on the 2 main projects they undertook with the help of all the donations to support these refugees. They set up two main projects to support the refugees as they arrived. This included feeding, clothing and providing advice, support and housing on their arrival. Taking food packages down to the train and bus station and helping to get them medical support and advice. The other project concentrated on providing educational, medical and psychological support. They set up language lessons for the adults and children, got them drawing and playing and got them to take part in a play. They linked up with a charity to give support to the pregnant mothers, which included birthing classes, breastfeeding classes, psychological support and workshops. Anna WSZELACZYŃSKA, Soroptimist Krakow, thanked all donors. But she told us that this is a long term issue. Just recently they received a letter from a Hospital in the Ukraine asking for medical supplies. And the people they have here need long term support, to acclimatise to a new culture and get support to be able to get jobs and a home. If people can still donate they will be able to continue their work.
We were also very lucky to be invited, as a result of appearing on the Friday Charity Chat show with Thia on Stony Radio, to meet the Ukrainian families living here in Milton Keynes and heard some of their stories and the work they are doing through the Ukraine Appeal Charity to help other Ukraine refugees here and back home. As a result of this meeting we were able to donate 5 sacks of winter clothing to the families. The Ukrainian Appeal charity are looking for donations to help provide emergency relief including medical supplies and assistance, provision of clean water, shelter and food and other necessary items. The charity also support internally displaced persons, host communities and refugees in neighbouring countries. Click here to view their website and learn more about what the charity is doing to support the Ukraine crisis.
But we wanted to help out more and so the Music event on 8 October provided us with the means to raise more vital funds for both these much needed issues. We invited some of theUkrainian mums and their children and held a raffle and also auctioned a quilt. We must thank the couple who made a very generous offer for the quilt we auctioned on the night. As a result. we raised £600 which wil be split between Soroptimist International Krakow and their work with Ukraine refugees in Poland, the Ukrainian families living here in Milton Keynes and the Winter Night Shelter. Thank you everyone who came and helped raise these funds.