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Kay Smith, MK Community Foundation at our IWD 2022 Afternoon Tea event
IWD 2022 event raising funds for our Charities & the Ukraine Crisis

IWD 2022 event raising funds for our Charities & the Ukraine Crisis

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Our first fund raising event of the year.  This event was to be a celebration of International Women’s Day 2022 and the opportunity to raise much needed funds for our linked charities MK Act (Domestic Abuse Service) MK YMCA (Homeless service), Winter Night Shelter MK (Homeless service) and the British Red Cross.  But since we had advertised the event the Ukraine crisis had started.  And so, we asked our guests if they would help us raise funds to go to the Ukraine appeal by giving generously to our raffle and our craft stall. Angie Novel, Soroptimist member and CEO of MK Snap, a charity providing work and life skills training for adults with learning and physical difficulties in Milton Keynes, kindly let us use her facilities.  And the learners got involved by making us lovely floral decorations for our tables. We raffled these off at

International Women's Day 2022
SI MK on BBC Politics East celebrating IWD 2022

SI MK on BBC Politics East celebrating IWD 2022

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8 March is International Women’s Day for 2022.  And this year’s theme is #BreakTheBias.  You are asked to: Imagine a gender equal world.  A world free of bias, stereotypes and discrimination.  A world that is diverse, equitable and inclusive. A world where difference is valued and celebrated.  Together we can forge women’s equality.  Collectively we can all #BreakTheBias.  Soroptimist International Milton Keynes were privileged to be asked to take part in the BBC Sunday Politics East programme to highlight International Women’s Day.  To view the programme click here, it is available for 30 days only or you can read a short BBC article, click here.   We explained Soroptimists are dedicated to educating, enabling and empowering women and girls to achieve their full potential.  Soroptimist’s don’t seek the limelight we are about shining the light on others.   We are doer’s.  We work on projects to help

SI Afternoon Cream Teas Fundraising for our charities 7 March 2022
Afternoon Cream Tea fundraising event – 7 March 2022

Afternoon Cream Tea fundraising event – 7 March 2022

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Soroptimist International Milton Keynes would like to invite you to come along for Afternoon tea, sandwiches, scones and cakes on Monday 7 March, 3.30pm to 5.30-pm to raise funds for our charities. Tickets are £12.50 per person and will help support the following local charities: MK Act  – Domestic Abuse service MK YMCA – takes young people who have experienced homelessness and provides accommodation and support to help enable them to rebuild their lives Winter Night Shelter – offers all year round support to rough sleepers, homeless and vulnerable people British Red Cross – helps people in crisis whoever and wherever they are and provides a wide range o support services The pandemic has had a major impact on these charities and seen significant challenges in meeting the increased needs for their services during this time and how they deliver their services.  Soroptimists International Milton

January Latest Branch news

January Latest Branch news

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            In January at our first meeting of 2022 we were able to meet in person and it was lovely to see so many of our members.  We also welcomed our charities MK Act, YMCA MK and the Winter Night Shelter, along.  It was there opportunity to tell us about the year they have just experienced, what challenges they had faced, what do they expect the future challenges to be and to get some ideas from them on how we can help them.  It was a very interesting evening and we will be taking away the ideas our charities mentioned and discussing them at our Annual Planning event, this year to be held on February 12, where our members will get together to look at what big project we can develop for 2022-23. It was a lovely evening and all

Feb 2022 Our member Bee raised £80 for the 56 mile walk Feb Refuge Domestic Abuse
February challenge – 56 miles walking for Refuge Domestic Abuse Services

February challenge – 56 miles walking for Refuge Domestic Abuse Services

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One of our members has taken up the challenge for this February and is walking 56 miles to raise funds for the Domestic Abuse service, Refuge Charity. Refuge’s specialist services include refuges, independent advocacy, community outreach projects, culturally specific services and the 24 hour National Domestic Abuse Helpline.  To learn more about this charity click here We have seen  significant increases in the need for domestic abuse services. Our member is “Walking 56 Miles” this month to raise much needed funds.  Here is what your donation could do: £15 could give a woman arriving the essential items she needs for her first night £25 could buy food supplies, toiletries and cleaning products to help a family stay safe and healthy £45 could buy a cot mattress and protector for a baby in a refuge £52 could buy a mother and her children a safe night

Healthwatch MK 23 Feb drop in for women from MK ethnic communities
23 Feb 2022 event focussing on women’s health in MK ethnic communities

23 Feb 2022 event focussing on women’s health in MK ethnic communities

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On February 23rd, 2022, an event is taking place at Namji Xscape with a focus on women’s health in ethnic communities. It is a well-known fact that Naseem Khan is an advocate of women so when she was approached by Healthwatch MK to host the event she jumped at the opportunity to help to promote better health and wellbeing within the wider ethnic minority communities. “There are many reasons why women within these communities need an event like this. There are often religious and cultural reasons why women don’t get checked or receive the health care that they need, and, in some cases, there is a language barrier issue too. All too often we hear of women suffering in silence so we, along with Healthwatch MK wanted to provide a safe place where women can come and find out more with the aim of better

Women of the World Annual Festival
Women of the World Festival – Fri 11 to Sunday 13 March 2022

Women of the World Festival – Fri 11 to Sunday 13 March 2022

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WOW Women of the World Festival, London 2022, is back in person after some of the toughest years in recent history for gender equality. Plus they will be announcing a digital programme available to people worldwide. WOW is the world’s biggest, most comprehensive festival celebrating women, girls and non-binary people. Across the three days, WOW London 2022’s line-up of world class speakers, inspirational activists, musicians, artists and comedians will take over the Southbank Centre for discussions, workshops, performances and debates including everything from sex to politics, grandmotherdom, divorce, sexual violence, childlessness, reproductive rights, career changes, poverty, resistance and resilience, girls education, love and relationships, football and how the pandemic has affected us all. There will also be the return of WOW Speed Mentoring, WOW Bites, WOW Big Ideas and the WOW Marketplace. Day passes are now available for Friday and Saturday. Each day has a

Violet Awards Sept 2021 celebrating and recognising the women working in our local charities
How did we do in 2021

How did we do in 2021

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We are part of an international women’s voluntary organisation working to improve the lives of women and girls at a local, national and international level.  That is our motto. And how did we do in 2021.  Another year of the pandemic, which has meant we have had to adapt.  And whilst not being able to fund raise as we would have liked, and we are only a small group, our members have stepped up to the plate and we have delivered to our community and to our local charities.  Below is a gallery of what we have been able to do, adhering to the Covid rules but still being there to support and help those who have needed it. Started cake making in 2020 and continued in 2021 for the families at MK Act and made of 2,000 cakes for the families      

Winter Night Shelter MK Giving tea to a guest
Winter Night Shelter MK Christmas Appeal – Can you help with a Donation

Winter Night Shelter MK Christmas Appeal – Can you help with a Donation

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Winter Night Shelter has just launched their  Christmas Appeal 2021 at a time when they are seeing a need for their services continue to grow.  Can you help them with a donation please.  See below a reflection on the challenges the Winter Night Shelter (WNS) MK has had to face in 2021 and how you can make a donation. Due to the urgent and unmet need, Winter Night Shelter (WNS) now provide year-round welfare – opening over summer for the first time in our history. They have provided community clubs, advice and mental health support services from their centre, Unity Park Station, whilst working in partnership with over 800 volunteers, 15 churches and 25 charitable organisations across the city. They are currently seeing and supporting almost 200 people each week, and aim to help any homeless, vulnerable person or family in need, and never turn them away. Some

Bianca Chappell, The Mumpreneurs MK Network
Celebrating Invisible Women – November

Celebrating Invisible Women – November

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Bianca Chappell, Founder of “The Mumpreneurs MK Network”   Hello! I am Bianca Chappell the proud Founder of The Mumpreneurs MK Network, the UKs first third sector organisation supporting mums in enterprise, and brains behind the MMK Coaching Practice. I am an NLP Master Cognitive Behavioural Coach by profession and have built a private coaching and  consultancy practice from the ground up, supporting high profile women, women in leadership and  mums in enterprise to step into their power with unshakable confidence. I lead from behind and support ordinary women to do extraordinary things! In all areas of my professional and philanthropic endeavours, I major in the area of confidence boosting and mindset rebooting, supporting females all on the brink of personal professional entrepreneurial or educational transformational positive change. Helping women and girls ready to live a happier and  more fulfilled life, as the authentic and