Soroptimists around the world work to improve the lives of disadvantaged women and girls. We do this by advocating/campaigning for equity and equality, increasing access to education, and helping women to develop businesses and develop leadership and practical skills for a sustainable future. Projects can be local, national and/or international – it’s good to have a mix. Project ideas can come from almost anywhere. Sometimes they come from the ‘top’ of Soroptimism, from our Regions, from members who have particular interests, or from hearing speakers who inspire us.
We can work on our own on projects, or join forces with other Soroptimists anywhere in the World.
AWARENESS, ADVOCACY AND ACTION
Poole Purbeck and District’s projects thrive on members’ enthusiasm and their ability to pick up a project and run with it; action may include lobbying, fund-raising, raising awareness and providing practical solutions. For example, we raise awareness about human trafficking, and have campaigned to abolish landmines and cluster bombs. We have knitted, sewn, gardened and on occasion painted!
Our most recent focus has been on the Domestic Abuse of Women. The Domestic Abuse Act 2021 aims to protect victims of domestic abuse and to provide them with protection and support from the state by way of legislation. It covers various aspects of domestic abuse, such as definitions, powers, offences, special measures, and legal proceedings
Along with many Soroptimist clubs across England and Wales, we took part in a research project which involved observation in Domestic Abuse Courts. Each club that was involved looked at challenges and identified positive practice in the Magistrates Courts. We were able to visit Poole and Weymouth Magistrate courts. The findings of the members in the different clubs were collated and written up in a report which was published on June 26th 2023. We then wrote to our local MPs urging them to read the report. A quote from our letter reads: “We urge the Ministry of Justice to take immediate action to improve the systems which we have identified to ensure a better experience and outcome for all victims of domestic abuse”. We met with our Police and Crimes Commissioner, questioning him on his commitment to improve Police response to Domestic Violence.
During this time we continued to make regular visits to our local safe house in Poole, meeting women on an informal basis while supporting the children to choose and wrap presents and flowers for Mothers’ Day and Christmas. This is always a positive for us and we keep up to date with the issues that the victims have.
As a result of a visit to the safe house in early 2023, and following some more research into the Victims Bill, we decided that an information booklet could be a useful tool for front-line workers who support women victims fleeing domestic abuse. This booklet explains the more complex aspects of the law – the sentencing process, protection for women who come forward to report domestic abuse, the family court, different charges and orders. It also contains information on keeping safe and also some practical aspects for next steps. We tailored the booklet so that it is local to the county of Dorset, including local references to charities and organisations.
We are delighted that it is being used by these organisations and we have had positive feedback about its usefulness. We now plan to provide our sister clubs across England and Wales with the facility to adapt the booklet for their local area so that it can support a wider group.
Although in itself FRESH THOUGHTS is a worthwhile project with great outcomes, it has also developed our skills and allowed us to network with like-minded organisations across Dorset and opened new doors.
If you are interested please order a single copy ( below) and contact us on sipoole@btinternet.com
Here is a video of our booklet- with instructions as to what to do if you are interested! -recently featured on the UKPAC webinar : April 20th 2024. It lasts just under 7 minutes .
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ng3JQG9jQJzBlqnGKhoFV_aO4EMgVHFB/view
