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Welcome to the UK!

Welcome to the UK!

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We are constantly bombarded with statistics about the numbers of migrants coming to the UK. People come here for a variety of reasons. Many arrive legally, some do not. At our May meeting we welcomed two recent migrants from very different countries, but with something in common, it was almost impossible for them to stay safely at home. How and why did you come to UK? Zohra arrived here with her family from Afghanistan. Her father had worked for the Afghan Government catching international smugglers, a role in which he was supported by the UK Government. Although her father came from another province, she was brought up in Kabul. Her family were supportive and didn't treat her differently as a girl. However she spent a lot of time at home for fear of being judged by the cultural expectations of those around them. She finished
Police Action in Wiltshire: VAWG

Police Action in Wiltshire: VAWG

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We welcomed DS Jen Jeffcoat-Marsh to talk to us about how Wiltshire Police are dealing with VAWG and Rape And Serious Sexual Assault (RASSO). She began by explaining about Op Soteria, the first National Operating Model (NOM) for the investigation of rape and serious sexual offences. It began in Avon and Somerset Police with the aim of bringing more rape and sexual assault cases to trial. It was rolled out across England and Wales in July 2023 after successes in pilot areas. A year later the Chief Constable in charge said: "As the report says, the system wide benefits this programme offers are ‘a major opportunity for the criminal justice system to finally give victims the service they deserve’ and only by working together and making this a national model, not only for RASSO but even for other types of crime, can we achieve this."
IWD talk at Cathedral

IWD talk at Cathedral

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Club members celebrated International Women’s Day by going to the cathedral to listen to Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe in conversation with the Bishop of Sherborne. Nazanin took us through the story of her arrest and imprisonment and talked about the long term consequences of the experience. Her captivity began with a long period of solitary confinement with only a holy book for company, which gave rise to feelings of abandonment and hopelessness. This together with the moment her daughter (who had been allowed to visit her in prison) returned to England to live with her father were some of the lowest points of her time spent in captivity. Nazanin described the process that led to the decision that Gabriella should return to England as one of the most painful of her life. Nazanin also highlighted the difference between being a political prisoner and a political hostage. In
Eating well

Eating well

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Our January meeting focused on good nutrition to keep us healthy. Our speaker, Amber Cotton is a Registered Nutritional Therapist who enjoys working with people to build a food program suitable to their age, lifestyle and health. Her topic for the evening was Mastering Midlife Metabolism. She spoke about the six pillars of Metabolic Health: Stress, Blood Sugar, Muscles, Movement, Sleep and Gut Health. The takeaway messages were importance of reducing the tendency to rollercoaster blood sugar, by regulating the amount of sugar and carbohydrates in the diet, both of which tend to spike blood sugar. Spikes increase inflammation and promote insulin resistance. One handy technique is to freeze carbohydrates before consuming which changes their structure into longer chains, making them a slower burn in our digestive system. So, cook your pasta and rice, then put in fridge for 24 hours before reheating, or freeze,
16 Days of Activism 2024

16 Days of Activism 2024

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Salisbury Soroptimists splashed orange around the city during 16 Days of Activism, part of the United Nations Orange the World initiative to eliminate violence against women. Postboxes were topped with orange crocheted flowers and shoes to represent women killed by partners – a shocking average of one women every three days is killed by a man in UK, with 62% of these by a current or former partner.* The theme of this year’s campaign was prevention: ’Taking steps to eliminate Violence Against Women And Girls’, which was illustrated by orange footsteps walking up a Christmas Tree as part of St Thomas’ Christmas Tree Festival. Displays at the Library and Five Rivers Leisure Centre offered positive steps everyone can take to become better informed about the signs of domestic abuse and the support services available to those affected. Many businesses around the city also agreed to
Quiz 2024

Quiz 2024

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We held our annual Charity Quiz Night at the Harnham Parish Hall on October 12. Eight teams exercised their brains to answer six rounds of questions and the two table rounds. While many questions were about women and their achievements, there was plenty of variety to tease the grey cells. A cheese ploughman's supper with homemade pepper and tomato soup was served after the first two rounds to fortify the teams and give them more time to discuss the table rounds: an 'odd one out' set of questions and a number of album covers with the artist and title removed. There was plenty of lively conversation as teams refined their answers. The raffle of 12 donated prizes raised over £220 towards the total raised on the night of over £700. The proceeds will be split between two charities: EdUKaid, which works to improve the lives
5th Birthday Celebration

5th Birthday Celebration

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On Saturday 17th August, 2024, Salisbury Soroptimists and invited guests met to celebrate the club's 5th birthday. Dressing for a 'summer day by the river' everyone gathered on the patio of the Legacy Rose and Crown Hotel in Harnham, for pre-brunch drinks. We were delighted that SIGBI President, Ruth Healey, could join our celebrations, along with other invited guests. Kay Linnell, Southern Region President, also joined us, as did representatives from our two charities. We were happy to see many of the founding members along with others who only joined this year. A delicious buffet was served in the Orangery, which was perfect for enjoying views of the Avon while dining. A selection of filled bagels, samosas and chicken kebabs ensured there was something for everyone. On each table were quiz sheets, asking questions about what the club had achieved since its beginning. From the
Autism Awareness

Autism Awareness

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The main part of our July meeting was a presentation by two of our members who are autistic. Cath and Louise explained that autism is a type of neurodiversity, which means their brains operate in different ways to those of us who are neurotypical, and they see the world in different ways. Other neurodivergent conditions include dyslexia, dyscalculia, misphonia, dyspraxia, stammering, ADHD and Tourettes Syndrome. It is not uncommon to be neurodivergent in more than one way. Despite legislation which obliges organisations to make reasonable adjustments to remove barriers, autistic people still find difficulty navigating our society and may often feel like square pegs being forced into round holes. They often face services which do not meet their needs in health, education, employment and housing. Indications There are many things that we may notice about someone with autism: appear shy look aloof talk incessantly discuss
ABRAcadaBRA! CeleBRAting new record!

ABRAcadaBRA! CeleBRAting new record!

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One fine evening and some willing counters were all we needed to complete our annual bra collection. Fortunately, after several days of rain, we picked the right evening to gather in Helen's beautiful, riverside garden to celeBRAte the end of this year's collection and to use our BRAins to sort our haul. Our annual bra collection takes place during May and June. The main collection points were Five Rivers Leisure Centre and 60 Endless Street (Penny's house), with other locations in Downton and Stratford-sub-Castle. Other people collected from friends and colleagues. Still others posted bras to us following coverage by BBC Wiltshire! BRAndishing scissors, tape and plastic bags we BRAvely gathered to emBRAce the cereBRAl task. The scene was set: two tables on which to deposit bras and count piles of 10. The piles were then counted into black bags: 10 x piles of 10
Her Salisbury Footprint Revisited

Her Salisbury Footprint Revisited

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For our June meeting we planned to take advantage of the warm summer weather and long evenings to revisit Her Salisbury Footprint, the walking trail developed through Her Salisbury Story. The weather was sunny and the evening light. A group of us met in front of the Guildhall where we heard about Lady Edith Hulse the first female mayor of Salisbury. Along the south side of the Market Square, we marvelled that Jane Botly had raised seven children above the Ox Row Inn, as well as running the cutlery business. Passing the Poultry Cross we paused at the Haunch of Venison to hear about Louisa Potto who took on the license after the death of her husband. The family were not just innkeepers, but also wholesale wine and beer merchants with cellars under what is now Culver Street carpark. On the corner of High Street