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16 Feb Branch meeting – Truly inspiring

16 Feb Branch meeting – Truly inspiring

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We held our branch meeting on 16 February and were very privileged to listen to our speaker, Valerie Williamson, Local British Empire Medal recipient for services to our community and a Paralympian Archer winning silver and bronze medals.  She told us about her life, how she was written off at birth and how with the help of wonderful parents, her can do attitude and her motto, which is “There is no such word as can’t” she has made a life for herself and dedicated herself to helping others.  Truly a wonderful person to listen to. To learn more about Valerie, click here which will take you to a film clip on the Living Archive website. We also were lucky to have Helen Byrne our regional representative along to tell us about the upcoming 13 March virtual event celebrating International Women’s Day, with speakers Assistant Chief

Works For Us – Are you looking for Work?

Works For Us – Are you looking for Work?

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“Works for Us is a Milton Keynes-based specialist employability service charity dedicated to providing free training, careers guidance and support for people in and around Milton Keynes. They provide tailored support to suit their clients’ training and employment goals through the delivery of free courses, training opportunities, workshops and drop-in sessions, They are able to help their clients by: Boosting confidence and interpersonal skills Helping to manage stress and anxiety Providing careers advice and guidance Assisting with CVs and covering letters Supporting to find suitable volunteering and work experience opportunities Provide digital support to those that need support with IT Offer a wide range of free support sessions. Click here to visit their website to find out more and how you can access this support.

#Pledge2021 – My Pledge

#Pledge2021 – My Pledge

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2020 was anything but normal, yet in many ways it highlighted the need to look out for each other. So, we at SI Milton Keynes want to encourage people and children to make a pledge of kindness and hope. Whether it’s a one off or a regular pledge, let’s put something back into the community for Soroptimist International’s 100 birthday year. As Princess Diana once said: “Carry out a random act of kindness, with no expectation of reward, safe in the knowledge that one day someone might do the same for you.” Below are some examples of pledges you can make once or for longer. Remember this will make you feel good as well as the person (s) who receive this act of kindness. Click on the following Form #Pledge2021 to download the pledge form, complete it with your name and pledge and send it

Celebrating Invisible MK Women – January

Celebrating Invisible MK Women – January

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Zoe Raven – Acorn Early Years Foundation Born and brought up in Wellingborough, I became actively involved in environmental issues and the local Friends of the Earth, before going to Royal Holloway, University of London for my first degree, in English Literature.  In 1983 I married Chris, a fellow student, and we moved to Milton Keynes.  I then did a Master’s degree at Queen Mary (also Uni of London) and a Post Graduate Certificate in Education at the Institute of Education – also in London, but with my placements being in Milton Keynes, at Springfield Middle School and Radcliffe School.  My first ‘proper’ job (after a paper round while at school, working in the Castle Ashby gift shop in the summer of 1980, and Saturday job in a delicatessen in Virginia Water, where the regular customers included local celebrities like Frank Muir) was at Ousedale

Saved by Grace

Saved by Grace

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Our member, Lois Hembadoon Adura, has published a powerful book about the real life ordeals of females living in a community with male preferences. One of the greatest injustices within the human race over thousands of generations is the belief that females are inferior to males. Coupled with factors such as widespread poverty, lack of education, religious beliefs and unjust traditional laws made and enforced in favour of the male folk in the African culture. By refusing to celebrate the female child at birth, treating her as a liability (something good only for marriage), failing to grant her access to quality education, blaming her for childlessness in marriage, depriving her of a share in the family inheritance as well as treating her like part of her husband’s property to be inherited, we all contribute to this great injustice that has brought about untold hardships to

Diamond Education Grant 2021

Diamond Education Grant 2021

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SIGBI set up in 1975 the Diamond Education Grant to fund female students to help with cost of courses and books/equipment This grant awarding body’s purpose is to provide grants to assist women to update their skills after employment breaks or to acquire new skills to improve their opportunities for employment and promotion. Awards are made to help towards the cost of course fees or books/equipment, not for living expenses. The grants that have been  awarded have included courses as diverse as helicopter engineering, teacher training, an MA in play therapy, a BSc in midwifery, a conversion course for  an overseas qualified pharmacist and a diploma in sign language interpreting. SIGBI are now accepting applications for grants towards courses that take place during the academic year September 2021 to July 2022. Help us by making a donation to help some woman or female student get a

Baking cakes for the Womens Refuge families

Baking cakes for the Womens Refuge families

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Back in the first lockdown, in 2020, our link officer with the Women’s Refuge (MK Act) asked how they were coping and if they needed anything.  The manager there said the women and children were finding it hard to cope with the restrictions, so we asked how we could help and were told cakes would be lovely to boost both the families and staff morale.  And so, the grand cake making begun.  Volunteers came forward and we were organised into two teams and a weekly rota was set up.  Cakes were baked and delivered to our link officer one day.  And the following day the Women’s Refuge manager would pick them up and take them in the next day and distribute them to the families. After a couple of weeks, we asked were they enjoying the cakes and received a big thumbs up and please

Christmas 2020 projects

Christmas 2020 projects

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November and December were busy months for us.  We were stitching and sewing for our linked charities (MK Act – Women’s Refuge, YMCA Milton Keynes, British Red Cross MK  and Works for us).   We made lots of Christmas sacks and filled them with toys and sweets to give to the families staying at  the Women’s Refuge and of the families with The British Red Cross to help them celebrate Christmas, especially this year, in these difficult times. Below are just a few examples of what we have been up to. In fact, the manager of the Women’s refugee asked us where we had bought the lovely sacks as she wanted to get some more and was very impressed when we said our members had made them all. And whilst we could not cook our usual annual Christmas meal at the new YMCA facility, instead, out

Quilts presented to YMCA

Quilts presented to YMCA

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2019/20 resulted in the achievement of our most significant and biggest project undertaken to-date.  SI:MK raised £2,605 to sponsor a room at the new YMCA facility in Central Milton Keynes and made 30 quilts so that each resident could have their own quilt on their journey back into the community. At the end of August 2020, after being delayed by Covid-19, the quilt presentation went ahead during a meeting with the residents of supported living and each resident was gifted a quilt.  Lauren, at the YMCA, reported the feedback from the residents has been amazing, huge smiles and interactions with each other.  Apparently there are  room inspections and the quilts are displayed with pride on their beds. There were a few left and these will be kept for future residents. YMCA sent us some pictures and thanked SI MK for all our support over the