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MK Act – Exciting new job opportunities

MK Act – Exciting new job opportunities

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MK ACT is a charity in Milton Keynes which works with over 100 families’ every day to help them move on from fear and abuse. They have been providing safe emergency accommodation in Milton Keynes for people and their children escaping domestic violence for over 45 years. Domestic abuse occurs across society, regardless of age, gender, race, sexuality, wealth, and geography. MK Act offers help to anyone aged 16 years and up within Milton Keynes. MK Act has two new job vacancies available. Service Manager –  to lead the Crisis Intervention Service and our Perpetrator Programme (Fresh Start).  This post will be part of the Senior Management Team working across MK Act to continue to provide a high quality service, ensuring MK Act maintains its Leading Lights and RESPECT accreditations.  This post is to lead, develop and support the Crisis Team and Fresh Start teams so

Aaliyah Aries youth panel member of Dilated Cardiomyopathy panel for young people
Celebrating Invisible Women – June

Celebrating Invisible Women – June

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Hi my name is Aaliyah, I’m in my second year of my health and social care diploma at college.  I plan to attend university and study Psychology. I was diagnosed with Dilated Cardiomyopathy in July 2015 when I was 12 years old.  I was also often short of breath and experienced palpitations regularly.  I was taken into hospital where the medical professionals discovered that I was in multiple organ failure and my heart function was below 15%. Although my diagnosis came as a huge shock for me and my family, I feel it has made me the strong and resilient person I am today. I am now at 23% heart function and working well with my cardiologist to manage my condition with medication and my S-ICD (Subcutaneous Implantable Defibrillator).  The following link contains more information about Dilated Cardiomyopathy, click here I have always been creative

Celebrating Invisible Women of MK – May

Celebrating Invisible Women of MK – May

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      Margaret Sale (1932-2020) Born in 1932, Margaret trained as a school teacher in the post-war years and brought up a family with her husband, the late Tony Sale who later led the rebuilding of Colossus the wartime codebreaking machine. Margaret’s interest in Bletchley Park and cryptography was awakened by talking to guests at a 1992 gathering of Bletchley Park veterans when redevelopment of the site seemed imminent. She then became a founding member of the “Saving Bletchley Park” campaign and joined the board of Bletchley Park Trust in 1994, serving for six years. In addition to leading some of the tours, she undertook fundraising, set up lecture series and conferences, and even organised weddings in the mansion. As a founding volunteer and from 2011, a trustee of the National Museum of Computing she was a lead player in saving Bletchley Park and

knitting for Syria
Calling all Knitters – Knit for Syria

Calling all Knitters – Knit for Syria

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Calling all knitters: Hand in Hand For Aid and Development (HiHfAD) are asking knitters to #KnitforSyria, Hand in Hand focus on helping Syrian communities to regain the skills, confidence and dignity to rebuild their own lives. They support families to recover from the disastrous situation in their country, creating opportunities for sustainable long-term livelihoods with a focus on the most vulnerable: including Syria’s children, the disabled, elderly and female-headed households. There are always shortages of warm clothes and that is why they are Calling all Knitters.  See the website link below for more details  – They need Jumpers, Blankets, Scarves, Gloves etc. Post to: Hand in Hand for Aid & Development, 15 Auckland Road, Sparkbrook, Birmingham B11 1RH https://hihfad.org/knit-for-syria

Winter Night Shelter MK Giving tea to a guest
Donating to Winter Night Shelter via Smile Amazon

Donating to Winter Night Shelter via Smile Amazon

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Great news, our linked charity Winter Night Shelter has received a £10,000 donation from Amazon.  And you can now make a donation to the Winter Night Shelter when you order on Amazon.  Just go to AmazonSmile. What is AmazonSmile? AmazonSmile is a website operated by Amazon that lets customers enjoy the same wide selection of products, low prices, and convenient shopping features as on amazon.co.uk. The difference is that when customers shop through the URL smile.amazon.co.uk, AmazonSmile will donate 0.5% of the net purchase price (excluding VAT, returns and shipping fees) of eligible purchases to the charitable organisations selected by customers. How does AmazonSmile work? When first visiting smile.amazon.co.uk, you will be prompted to select a charitable organisation. Amazon will give 0.5% of the net purchase price (excluding VAT and other shipping fees) of eligible AmazonSmile purchases to the charitable organisations selected. Only purchases made through

Sponsor a child Oasis project Gambia
Oasis Project Gambia

Oasis Project Gambia

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Christine Hayter, Charity Founder of the Oasis Project, came to our April 2021 meeting to tell us all about how her life changed in 2006.  Christine told us she went on holiday to a Gambia and visited a village on the coast, called Bakau, and it changed her life, literally.  She went back 7 times in that year and as a result set up “The Oasis Project” to work with the community of Bakau. The bigger picture of this project is to reduce cases of malaria and other life threatening diseases in this community by education, community participation to affect behaviour change and mindset.   She has put a substantial amount of her own time and finance into supporting this project and you could hear her passion for it as she told us about the shop they had set up and now the charity runs a

Valerie Williamson, Paraplegic archery medalist and British Empire Medal 2020l
Celebrating Invisible Women of MK – April

Celebrating Invisible Women of MK – April

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Valerie Williamson, Paraplegic archery medalist and awarded the British Empire Medal in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List 2020 Amanda Carter Philpott, our Chair, said ‘What can I say about Val? She is a wonderful advocate, friend and disability activist. She is a former paraplegic archery champion(twice). She is a trail blazer, go getter and a woman with an abundance of gumption. Listen to her story as she chooses to tell it, be moved, even inspired…enjoy!’ Click here to view a short video called “There’s No such word as Can’t” about the life of this remarkable woman who was written off as a baby.

MK Snap learners working in MK Snap Cafe
MK Snap Wimbledon Afternoon Tea

MK Snap Wimbledon Afternoon Tea

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MK SNAP Wimbledon Afternoon Tea Thursday 8th July 2021 on the outdoor terrace in the SNAP garden Come and enjoy the Wimbledon ladies semi-final games from 1pm live from Centre Court, Wimbledon on a large outdoor screen. Tables of two, four & six available – Tickets are £25pp and include a welcome glass of Pimms & afternoon tea with strawberries; served by SNAP learners & volunteers We know you have missed opportunities to get dressed up and enjoy live events during 2020! Would you like to watch the tennis in the garden with your colleagues and friends this summer and enjoy an indulgent afternoon treat? Please come and join our fun ‘afternoon out’ at local disability charity MK SNAP; having fun and helping us raise funds and awareness for the vital work of the charity. A luxury gift raffle will be available on the day.  Dressing

Celebrating International Women’s Day 2021

Celebrating International Women’s Day 2021

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Celebrating International Women’s Day 2021 There are a number of events going on locally.  To find out more Click here for MK Womens Partnership mini IWD event on Sunday 7 March Click here WOW Festival on from 1 to 21 March Click here International Women’s Day To listen to our Chair, Amanda Carter Philpott’s podcast for International Women’s day, click here  

Winter Night Shelter MK
Winter Night Shelter MK – our new linked charity

Winter Night Shelter MK – our new linked charity

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During this pandemic, we as a club have not stood still.  We have tried to help out our linked charities and have also tried to reach out and help others.  As a result, we started to help the winter night shelter, with one of our members delivering shepherds pies or curries every week since the first lockdown and this has led us to adopt them as one of our linked charities.  Below Sara Millington, Communications Manager from WNSMK, has provided us with a little back ground of what they have been doing during this pandemic. “We are delighted that Soroptimists MK are willing to help shine a spotlight on our work with the homeless and vulnerable at this time. Homelessness can affect anyone if they don’t have the support of family or friends when they reach a point of crisis, and we see many women