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Great Bookmark Give-Away

Great Bookmark Give-Away

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Busy day! Teams worked hard to distribute Loves Me Loves Me Not bookmarks in Southend to celebrate UN International Youth Day. We announced our Give Away on BBC Essex on 1st August at 3.15pm and were outside Waterstones Bookshop in Southend High Street on Saturday 12th August – UN International Youth Day giving out our Loves Me Loves Me Not bookmarks in support of Relationships Education for every child.

The Great Pre-loved Bras Collection!

The Great Pre-loved Bras Collection!

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August Update! Many thanks to all the women who have supported us again [pardon the pun!] More bras boxed up and ready to go – What an event! For International Women’s day this year we collected over 1000 pre-loved bras in the Royals and the Civic Centre. The bras will go to S I Poole for the Purple Teardrop campaign, which supports women in Kenya. Forty of them have set up small businesses to recycle the bras, employing other women. This means they can feed their families, keep their children in education and avoid the dangers of trafficking and the lure of the sex-trade. Our local Mayor and local MP came along to support and signed the Purple Teardrop petition to Ban Sex-for-Sale Advertising. A Great Project! THANK YOU EVERYONE! And a thank you from Poole Soroptimist club …. Southend Soroptimists come to Poole Tuesday,

President’s Project – just a game!

President’s Project – just a game!

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Lovely to visit Seevic, the sixth form college to meet Level 1 Games students, who have been developing two games for our President’s project, as part of their ‘Working for a client’ work. The games track a teenager’s progress through the streets to the local SOS Buses. John Bastian, manager of the SOS Buses project joined President Sharon to present certificates to students and to thank them for their work on the project last term. Seen here with their tutor and Soroptimist member, Susan.

STOP THE TRAFFIK Gift Box

STOP THE TRAFFIK Gift Box

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STT Echo article During the weekend of 29th, 30th and 31st July, the club held a STOP THE TRAFFIK Gift Box event in Southend High Street. Our box shows the promises made to women and girls about a new life in the UK ,,,, and the reality of a life of sexual exploitation. We were outside Dorothy Perkins in the High Street – around 1000 people stopped to talk to us! The event was well-publicised in the press and on BBC Essex and local MP Sir David Amess came along to support – he’s talking to Teresa May about our concerns. Interviews about all our work can be found on BBC Essex – the Tony Fisher show, check us out on BBC Essex catch-up.

Action!

Action!

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Our Programme Action meetings are all about ACTION! We’ve now planned for the coming year and at our club meetings, we’ve updated members about what’s going to happen. From making re-usable sanitary towels for the Kori Project and packing bags for the monthly refuge runs, and for women in hospital, to collections of spectacles, odd coins, plastic bags etc., nothing is wasted and everyone can contribute. A busy club!  

Congratulations!

Congratulations!

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Great News! One of our long-standing members, Pat Campfield has been appointed MBE for charitable services in the community in Southend-on- Sea. Pat has worked to raise funds for our life boat for many years. Congratulations, Pat!

Loves Me – Loves Me Not

Loves Me – Loves Me Not

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We’re now involved with a local initiative to promote healthy relationships for teenagers. As part of the President’s Project this year, the club has agreed to support a drama project, which visit schools to promote the message that abuse in relationships is always wrong! The drama is called Prince Charming – and the guy seems just that … until he decides to say which earrings she can wear, who she can see, looks at her texts etc etc… SI Yeovil’s bookmarks reinforce the messages about loving relationships and controlling, potentially abusive relationships so well! The club is giving 6000 of them to the drama group so that each Year 8 and Year 9 student in Southend schools can have one. President Margaret and Janet went along to the performance at Westcliff High School for Boys and talked with the students about these valuable reminders – feedback indicates

A Poet in our midst!

A Poet in our midst!

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Mary-Jo, one of our members, is a poet – a poet who takes a very serious view about the evils of domestic violence. Mary-Jo has being writing about DV for several years and last year, submitted twelve of her poems to be considered for publishing in an Isle of Wight book for distribution on UN Eliminate Violence Against Women Day – 25th November. Contributors were asked for poetry, prose or sculptures to illustrate the incidence and impact of domestic violence and all 12 of Mary-Jo’s poems were accepted, with one being used to flag up the campaign on the poster. She was invited to the launch and met up with Soroptimists from the local group. The book, Singing in the Storm is available from the club and costs £2. Congratulations Mary-Jo, Southend Club is very proud of you!