Members of SI Salisbury spent a very chilly Sunday raising awareness of domestic abuse as part of #OrangetheWorld 16 days of activism against women and girls. There was a great deal of interest from men as well as women, as well as good feedback on the recent community conference we held in partnership with Safer and Supportive Salisbury. This year the Club chose the theme of ‘signposting’ the signs of abuse to raise awareness, because individuals and those who support them do not always recognise the symptoms of a bad relationship until too late. The stall  received interest from both men and women and the orange balloons and fresh oranges were a great hit with youngsters.       Goodie bags were handed out which included bookmarks on what a heathy relationship looks like, a useful list of contacts for the support services that are

This year our theme for our Club Christmas tree in the St Thomas Christmas Tree Festival is Friendship. We were delighted to use this opportunity to celebrate our Friendship Link with SI Chisinau in Moldova. Club member Jane met up with the Moldovan members on a recent visit and was able to bring back these beautiful local decorations.  The Moldovan flag makes a colourful addition and the clasped hands of friendship show our commitment to each other across the miles.       Well done to the Christmas Tree project team, seen here relaxing with a coffee now the tree is safely in place and looking stunning. Well done all!   You can go along to view the tree (and all the others too) the festival is open: 30th November to 5th December 2021 10am – 6pm Mon – Sat and 12pm – 6pm Sunday

Thinking caps were firmly on the heads of all members of the eight teams who entered SI Salisbury’s fourth annual quiz night. The grand sum of £870 was raised, of which £300 will go to EdUKaid to continue our sponsorship of a girls club in Tanzania. The balance will go to support  the Salisbury Women’s Refuge.   You could hear the cogs turning as the teams vied against each other to answer questions on a wide range of topics ranging from sport, music, gardens and gardeners, famous sisters, history makers and the year 1921 (for obvious reasons!) as well as a picture quiz and a country quiz. Congratulations to Flamboyance, the winning team.     There was a wide range of raffle prizes provided by generous local donors as well as a well stocked bar. The evening’s nutrition was provided for the quizzers in the

Our Her Salisbury Story project is all about sharing the achievements of women past and present who have made a difference to our city or the wider community. Meet female builders, cutlers and publicans as well as doctors, gardeners, artists and authors. Our articles about historic women have been written and researched by our volunteers while on the contemporary side volunteers have been recording interviews with inspirational women for you to listen to. Saturday 16 October saw us celebrating Her Salisbury Story at an afternoon event in Salisbury Methodist Church. Over 100 people joined us to hear about women who had made a difference in Salisbury. Highlights included: A conversation with two of our contemporary women Tracy Daszkiewicz & Susi Mason who took on roles supporting the community during the Novichok crisis, a live-stream to Cornelia Funke  in Tuscany who announced the winners of our

Club members were delighted to get together again for the first face to face meeting since February 2020! Although meetings have been held regularly throughout lockdown on Zoom including two AGMs, everyone agreed it was just wonderful to see each other again.     By kind permission of former member Hilary Maidment who allowed us to use her summer house, we carried our full risk assessments, ensured that proper social distancing measures were taken and had plenty of ventilation. A bonus was the chance for our President Eleanor to induct two new members, Julia and Charlotte.   We hope to continue meeting here over the summer, for our July and August meetings, with a plan to return to another venue in September.              

Club members were pleased to be able to get together for the first time in many months – in Club Treasurer Bernie’s lovely garden in June. It was great to see each other and chat to each other after countless Zoom meetings…. The party included a celebration of Mary Paisey, member of the former SI Salisbury Club who had been honoured with recognition by the Federation in the #Whoisshe? showcase as one in a hundred members who have made a significant and positive difference for women and girls.   President Eleanor presents Mary with her certificate and flowers       In a short ceremony, President Eleanor paid tribute to Mary’s dedication to local community groups and charities and in particular to her many years’ service to  Salisbury Women’s Refuge, which is supported by the Club, and of which Mary is President.     Chatter

We are thrilled to announce that Mary Paisey MBE,  member of the original SI Salisbury Club has been selected as one of more than 100 Soroptimists to be commemorated as part of the celebration of the first centenary of Soroptimist International  in the #Whoisshe? Campaign.    The original Salisbury Soroptimist Club had been a driving force in the establishment of Salisbury Women’s Refuge in 1983-4, and the project is very dear to Mary’s heart. She served as a Trustee of the Refuge for 30 years and has recently been appointed Honorary President. She supports many other local community projects including Wessex Community Action, The Lovelane Friendship Club Day Centre, Christian Aid, the Arts Society and Churches Together. She was awarded the MBE in 2010 in recognition of her work in support of Salisbury Women’s Refuge, and her years of service to the local community. The