The club held its first meeting on 1st December 1938 and received its Charter in April 1939.
During the Second World War, the club had to move their venue for meetings from the Grand Hotel to the White Heather Cafe. Members knitted squares to make blankets, scarves, socks and balaclavas for the war effort. Help with funds was also provided for ambulances and St Peter’s Kitchen on the platform at the station. Club members also helped out at the Club Room for forces personnel stationed at Rugby.
Over 80 years many events have taken place to raise money and give service to the community. A major task was the purchase and conversion of the building known for many years as Soroptimist House – previously the maternity home. Tenants were all single working women, as at that time single women were not eligible for mortgages and suitable accommodation was not easy to find. A charitable society, Soroptimist Housing (Rugby) Ltd was formed with members becoming shareholders and in 1955 the building was purchased; being sold when society changed and the need was no longer there. Sale proceeds were put into a Trust, and the money generated is still being used to support causes which in turn support women and girls locally.
As times have changed, so has the direction of our efforts. Knitting of blankets continues, but now the blankets are sent to the Fistula Hospital in Addis Ababa together with baby clothes.
We raised money to buy a new mini bus for Age UK in Rugby. We also raise money for the Hill Street Community Centre Summer Scheme for young people.
We have bra banks in various locations around Rugby: women donate old or unwanted bras and these are sent away to be recycled. We are then paid a small amount per kilo and this money then goes to support women at the Warwickshire Refuge by helping them with legal services.
We also help our local Refuge with donations of store cupboard food, bedding, garden furniture and Christmas chocolate for the children.
We are big fans of walking! We have done the London Bridges Walk for the Children’s Society and stayed at 63 Bayswater Road, London, the Soroptimist hotel. We walk for Water Aid and have walked round Draycote Reservoir on several occasions to raise sponsorship money.You can also find us marching, to make our views known.
We have supported children through education in Bangladesh and The Gambia and have had friendship links with several clubs overseas
We are a forward looking group of women who want to improve the lives of women and girls not only locally but worldwide. Members of the club have met with the UK government regarding the status of women. There are 16 soroptimists working as representatives across 7 UN centres to ensure that the voices of women and girls are heard around the world.
Times and priorities have changed – but we are still a group of women belonging to a worldwide network who work together to improve the lives of women and girls.
