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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

2021 100 Candlelight celebration at MK Rose for Soroptimists Centenary Year
SI:MK celebrating 100 years of Soroptimism

SI:MK celebrating 100 years of Soroptimism

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SI Milton Keynes has been celebrating 2021 Centenary year in a number of ways. Centenary Quilt One of the first ways we chose to celebrate our centenary year was to celebrate what we love about Soroptimism, what our club does and also what we love about Milton Keynes.  With that criteria, each of our members, those that are sewers and those that were not made a couple of patches.  These patches highlight the work we do with our linked charities to places we love around Milton Keynes, for example Christ the Cornerstone Church, the balancing lakes to our red paths. We have completed our Centenary Quilt and were able to present it at our Regional Soroptimist event on 12 June. We have also submitted a photo of our quilt to Milton Keynes Council in support of their bid for City Status.  It highlights what we
Orange the world and White Ribbon events 2021 BFTC
16 Days of Activism 25 Nov to 10 Dec 2021

16 Days of Activism 25 Nov to 10 Dec 2021

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Its the annual Orange the world and White Ribbon campaign to raise awareness to end violence against women. Our member Amanda, also Parish Councillor at Bletchley and Fenny Stratford Town Council and co-ordinating their White Ribbon Accreditation,  is also coordinating a programme of 16 Days of Activism events 25th November – 10th December 2021.  Please share these dates with friends and help raise awareness.  As more details become available and how to book these will be added to this page. Also look out for a daily social media campaign organized by YIS, click here to view their Twitter feed.     Thursday 25th November: White Ribbon Day and the start of the 16 days Event: 4pm – 5pm: Community Gathering at the Bandstand, Queensway Bletchley Talks, music, candle lit vigil Click here to register for a free place Friday 26th November Event: 10am – 11am: Drug Alcohol Family Support (Dafs) a

Winter Night Shelter MK Giving tea to a guest
Winter Night Shelter MK need volunteers

Winter Night Shelter MK need volunteers

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Winter Night Shelter are opening their emergency Night Shelters this winter from 22 November in a number of places around Milton Keynes and need volunteers to help. It is clear this winter is going to be a tough one for many people and they are expecting that many people who find themselves in crisis will continue to turn to them for help. Throughout the summer they have had an average of 100 individuals a week accessing support from their centre, Unity Park Station (the old bus station on Elder Gate), which is unprecedented. Their welfare team work with the homeless guests to provide support and pathways out of homeless into longer term accommodation and the volunteer-led services all work alongside this to provide a vital package of wraparound care. Can you help give time to help the homeless over the winter time.  Click here to

Handing cheque for £700 raised from Music event to Winter Night Shelter Oct 2021
£700 raised for Winter Night Shelter MK

£700 raised for Winter Night Shelter MK

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Classical Music Concert, raffles and craft stall raise £700 for Winter Night Shelter MK One of the five local charities we support is the Winter Night Shelter MK.  Covid has had a significant impact on their services, with them now becoming a year round charity helping many different people at their point of crisis.  But the winter months are coming up, which they anticipate as being even busier than ever with the increase of homelessness seen here and nationally.  The Winter Night Shelter supports: rough sleepers; sofa surfers; people in emergency accommodation or temporary housing; those who need support with their tenancies; anyone at risk of homelessness; and others who are vulnerable. It’s been a tough couple of years for us in terms of fundraising for our linked charities but at last lockdown was lifted, and just in time, as we had been planning our first

SI MK Awards for Women of Achievement in our Charities - Violet Awards Winner Ruth and Sue WNSMK
Violet Awards 2021 “Women of Action”

Violet Awards 2021 “Women of Action”

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Violet Awards 2021 – “Women of Action”       Milton Keynes Soroptimist Club works to support vulnerable women and girls both internationally, nationally and locally.  One of the ways we do this is via our links to local charities working directly with vulnerable women in Milton Keynes: MK Act, MK YMCA, British Red Cross, Winter Night Shelter MK and Works for Us. Soroptimism is an international movement, which started 100 years ago, is an international women’s voluntary organisation working to improve the lives of women and girls locally, nationally and at an international level. We are Soroptimists. Women inspiring action, transforming lives. We are vibrant, dynamic and like-minded women, Working on global to local projects that help improve the lives of women and girls. 2021 is our centenary year of celebrations and as part of that Soroptimists International Milton Keynes are piloting an Award dedicated

Amy Searle
Celebrating Invisible Women – October

Celebrating Invisible Women – October

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  Amy Searle, Parish Councillor, Mum and worker in the Justice Service.  A Little about me I was recently asked at work to think about what my personal #Hashtag would be, if I had to choose one.  Something that sums me up in a single sentence.  So, I started to think about what others usually say about me and that’s when it hit me…. My personal hashtag would have to be #AlwaysontheGo. It’s sort of a running joke that I can’t say no to things.  Which is funny really because I’m quite an assertive person!  But I really find a lot of joy in being able to give something back to the local community where I can.  I would urge anyone reading this to think about what their personal and professional #Hashtags would be …. It certainly gets you thinking. So, a bit about me

Christine Hayter - The Oasis Project , Gambia
Celebrating Invisible Women – September

Celebrating Invisible Women – September

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Chris Hayter, founder of The Oasis Project (The Gambia) Chris Hayter received a Rotary Champions of Change Award earlier this year for her work with the people of Bakau, a village on Gambia’s Atlantic coastline to the west of the capital Banjul. She was driven to help this fishing community because of her deeply held belief that everyone deserves a chance.  This belief is firmly rooted in her own life experiences and reflects her strong Christian faith and values. Chris was almost ten when she arrived in England, escaping war torn Nigeria, to join her father in London. A troubled childhood followed, where love was short and scolding’s frequent. Eventually Chris was taken into care. As life unfolded Chris faced more challenges, but she never lost hope that a brighter future awaited her. She focused on her education and training, steadily built her confidence and