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President Eleanor presents Mary with her certificate and flowers
Mary is one in a Hundred!

Mary is one in a Hundred!

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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

Mary Paisey MBE is one in a hundred!

Mary Paisey MBE is one in a hundred!

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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

Eleanor - video still
President Eleanor Stars in Regional Video

President Eleanor Stars in Regional Video

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  Less than a week into her Club Presidency – and Eleanor has already made a mark! She and Sally of SI Epsom star alongside Regional President Julie in the Regional Membership video – launched for the Federation Membership Month of May. In the short video all three members explain what makes membership of Soroptimist International special for them, what they have most enjoyed in their years as a Soroptimist and why. Watch the video to find out more!    

Victoria Dunford BEM – of MAD_Aid – how she #Chosetochallenge

Victoria Dunford BEM – of MAD_Aid – how she #Chosetochallenge

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Victoria Dunford channelled her anger about poverty and injustice in her homeland – Moldova, into action.   Overcoming many seemingly impossible challenges, she succeeded in changing the lives of  many children and adults with special needs.   We are fortunate that she has agreed to join our International Women’s Day Zoom meeting at 7pm on Monday 8 March. Please do join us to hear her story. For the Zoom link please e mail us  #IWD2021 #Choosetochallenge      

Join us for a Celebration of International Women’s Day!

Join us for a Celebration of International Women’s Day!

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To mark International Women’s Day we are inviting all ‘international’ women living or working in the Salisbury and surrounding areas to join us for an online chat. Bring a  coffee and a snack or maybe something to eat that reminds you of ‘home’ – wherever in the world ‘home’ is! You will be very welcome! Join us at 2pm on Sunday 7 March To register please e mail sarumsoropts@gmail.com for the Zoom link #IWD2021  

The project team on a Zoom call
Her Salisbury Story Update

Her Salisbury Story Update

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Despite the difficulties of meeting during lockdown, good progress continues to be made with this Heritage Lottery Funded project. More historical women’s profiles continue to be submitted and are presently being edited before being placed on the HSS website. The volunteers interviewing contemporary women have been in touch with some of the nominated women and interviews are beginning to take place. Training for those volunteer transcribers is currently being investigated too.   On 6 February, the project team hosted a virtual meeting with all 22+ volunteers to give them a broader understanding of the whole project and to seek ideas for taking forward the digital legacy created.  The project team are giving a similar presentation to the Soroptimist Southern England Regional Meeting on 13 March.  

We ‘Oranged’ the City!

We ‘Oranged’ the City!

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As part of the #Orangetheworld 16 Days of Activism on Violence Against Women, on Sunday 6 December members of SI Salisbury raised awareness at our stall in the Market Square. Although the day was decided chilly, the weather was kind to us with lots of sun. We were delighted to meet and chat to lots of people of all ages and to discuss the important issue of domestic abuse in all its forms.     Although this wasn’t a fundraising activity, generous visitors to our stall donated a total of £50, which we are passing on to Salisbury Women’s Refuge who like us, say ‘thank you!’           This was our #Orangetheworld Christmas tree, which was displayed at the St Thomas’s Christmas Tree Festival.          

Making History – and International Friendships

Making History – and International Friendships

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Salisbury has recently established a Friendship Link with SI Chisinau in the SI European Union of Moldova. At the Club’s meeting by Zoom on 23 November the 14 Salisbury members who joined the call welcomed 6 Soroptimists from SI Chisinau. It was a great opportunity to meet each other long distance, to introduce ourselves and to have a chat about our respective Clubs and our projects. As always with these get togethers, we found we had much in common and we are already starting to discuss the possibility of a joint project between the two clubs. The Moldovan Soroptimists highlighted the huge need in their country amongst older women, almost a whole generation has been wiped away for various reasons and elderly women have suffered badly, even prior to the current pandemic. Things have only got worse. In the summer, SI Salisbury decided to accept