Skip links

Forced Marraige Campaign 2022
Forced Marriage – a form of Modern Day Slavery

Forced Marriage – a form of Modern Day Slavery

in Tags

  Today on August 25th 2022 Soroptimists in the UK are wearing orange to draw attention to the practice of Forced Marriage, which is recognised as a form of Modern – Day Slavery. What is Forced Marriage? The Government website (click here to view) defines it as: Forced marriage is when one or both people do not or cannot consent to the marriage, and pressure or abuse is used to force them into marriage. Forced marriage is illegal in the UK. It is a form of domestic abuse and a serious abuse of an individual’s human rights. The International Labour Organisation (ILO)estimates that 15.4 million people around the world are in situations of forced marriages and it is estimated that 84% of these are women and girls. There are three main types of forced marriage: Forced marriage of adults Early or child marriage Trafficking for

Orange The World - End Violence Against Women
Orange the World – End Violence Against Women

Orange the World – End Violence Against Women

in Tags

At our July branch meeting this month, we welcomed Sue Burke from MK Act who gave us a great insight into the Orange the World Campaign to End Violence Against Women . The Orange the World Campaign started back in 1991, is led by the United Nations and is marked every year on the 25 November, which is International Day of Elimination of Violence Against Women.  It is followed by 16 Days of Activism and ends on Human Rights Day on 10 December. The 16 Days of Activism raises awareness about violence against women and girls as a human rights issue, focusing on the importance of grassroots work on violence against women as well as providing an international platform for advocacy and campaigning. The dates for the campaign were chosen to link violence against women and human rights and emphasise that gender-based violence against women

Plastic Free July Calendar
Reduce Single Use Plastic Waste

Reduce Single Use Plastic Waste

in Tags

This years Theme for Soroptimist Day of Action on July 16, was to raise awareness about the need to reduce single-use plastic waste.  There are so many ways and schemes that can help you to do this.  For the whole of July we used our social media Twitter platform to share many tips using #PlasticFreeJuly.  They have a very useful website ( click here ) which helps you see just how much single use plastic you are using, that is scary in itself but there also provides many tips on how to change. If we all took it upon ourselves to make just one or two changes, it will help to save our earth, save our oceans, save our climate for future generations. Please share this with your friends and take up the challenge.  Its not just Plastic Free July it should be Plastic Free

Platinum Celebration and Pre Loved Clothes Sale 7 June 2022
Pre Loved clothes Sale

Pre Loved clothes Sale

in Tags

          For our Platinum celebration we held a Pre-Loved Clothes sale.  Thank you everyone for coming and bringing along your friends and much loved clothes to recycle to a new home and at the same time raise funds for our charities.   We raised an amazing £450 plus. A big thank you Vanessa for being our amazing host and for everyone getting into the spirit of the evening.  We raised a toast to Her Majesty the Queen and to her hard unstinting work, an inspiriing woman to be inspired by and we had some lovely patriotic dishes to enjoy with our drink. As Soroptimists we believe in recycling, reducing waste and this event ticked those boxes for us.   And the clothes left over are being donated to Age UK MK, an independent local charity here in MK to sell in their shops to raise much needed

Fish and Chip Quiz Night July 2022 raised over £500 for our charities
Fish and Chip Quiz – Great Success

Fish and Chip Quiz – Great Success

in Tags

Thank you everyone who came to our Fish and Chip Quiz night at Simpson Village Hall on 9 July 2022.  A great evening was had by all.  Tasty Fish and Chips and a great Quiz, overseen as always by the great Miss Quiz, who we must thank for her work.  Miss Quiz runs quizs every month and this year alone by July has raised over £6k for local Chairites.  Thank you Miss Quiz. And our evening was a great success.  Everyones donations added up to over £500 for our charities.  And we received over half a dozen shopping bags of new and unused toilketries which have been distributed to MK Act (Women’s Refuge), MK YMCA and the Winter Night Shelter MK. The evening was such a success that we will be holding another one next year so please share and hope to see you then.

Fish and Chip Supper 9 July 2022
Fundraising Fish and Chip Quiz Night 9 July is back

Fundraising Fish and Chip Quiz Night 9 July is back

in Tags

Fundraising Fish and Chip Quiz Night 9 July is back At last our Fish and Chip Quiz Night is back – fundraising for our local charities on Saturday 9 July,  7pm at Simpson Village Hall. A chance to have a good night testing your quiz skills whilst enjoying Fish and Chips with your friends All at the same time helping to raise much needed funds for our charities Please share with family and friends and come along.  Max of 8 people per table.  Tickets are £15 per person.   To book places and make your food order contact missquiz@sky.com

Winter Night Shelter MK Giving tea to a guest
Winter Night Shelter need Sleeping bags and Rucksacks

Winter Night Shelter need Sleeping bags and Rucksacks

in Tags

The Winter Night Shelter supports and works with homeless people and trying to get them back into the community.  They are seeing significant increase in the need of their services and a recent discussion with the manager she told us they are in desperate need of sleeping bags and Rucksacks for their homeless people.  These two items are their lives until we are able to help them get back into a home of their own and this year alone to date she has handed out so many sleeping bags and rucksacks she has run out. If you have a sleeping bag, a rucksack you can donate please can you drop it off at their premises, morning is best at Unity Park Station (formerly The Old Bus Station), 401 Elder Gate, Milton Keynes, MK9 1LR. Please share this with your family and friends and spread the

Save Our Smellies (SOS) project
Save Our Smellies (SOS) donation stations

Save Our Smellies (SOS) donation stations

in Tags

SOS Collections   We collect toiletry items for our Save Our Smellies (SOS) packs for vulnerable people, especially women and girls.   You would be shocked to know just how many women and young girls cannot afford the most essential items like Sanitary products. We work in partnership with MK Act – The Women’s Refuge YMCA MK The Red Cross and Winter Night Shelter MK. This was one of the first projects we started in 2015 and continue to do because it still remains vitally important to give back women and girls their dignity, especially in these trying economic times.  If you can help us, please donate any new and unused toiletries.  Here is a short list below: Sanitary Products        Soap    Shower Gel     Toothpaste and Toothbrushes Deodorant    Combs       Hand and Body Cream              Perfume Collection venues

Dunelm sponsoring our Clean Start Buckets in 2022
Clean Start Project

Clean Start Project

in Tags

Clean Start Really pleased to announce in 2022 we now have a Project Sponsor in Dunelm in Milton Keynes who will be helping us with our newest initiative. Our newest project is linked to MK Act, the Women’s Refuge.   They have told us that one of the things they need help with is providing cleaning materials for the families when they move out.  “Clean Start” is our new project to provide a bucket full of cleaning essentials to each family as they move out.  We have found that we can make a bucket up of various cleaning essentials for UNDER £18. These essentials include – Bucket, Scrubbing Brush, White/Blue cloths, Dustpan and Brush, Toilet Brush, Washing up Liquid, Dish Brush, Sponge scourers, Ciff cream, Bleach, Anti-bacterial cleaner, Household gloves and Black bin bags.         Buckets of cleaning materials given to families, homeless and residents

A Remarkable Lady – Amanda Carter Philpott

A Remarkable Lady – Amanda Carter Philpott

in Tags

Amanda Carter Philpott – A Remarkable Lady who will always be remembered                   It is with great sadness that I write of the lost of a very Remarkable woman, Friend, Previous Chair and Soroptimist in Amanda.  She passed away very suddenly over the Easter weekend. When her passing was reported there was shock amongst all her friends in the suddenness.  I was totally shocked.  I had not known Amanda that long but was immediately inspired by her, by her passion to always help others, by her energy and tireless devotion, to her constant energy to come up with inspiring ideas.  And we mustn’t forget her sense of humour.   Amanda thank you for letting me be a small part of your life.  You will always be remembered. Let us take this moment to celebrate Amanda.  Here are some remembrances from Members. Vanessa