Speaking at the Annual General Meeting at the start of the Club’s 64th year, Barbara said her Theme will be “Sustaining our Club and supporting our Communities”. The Club has continued to meet monthly on Zoom throughout the pandemic and has a varied and topical programme for the year ahead. This will combine the benefits of technology and our ability to attract excellent speakers on issues of current concern particularly to women and their families.
After so many months in virtual isolation for our Members, families and friends, it is also very important for people to meet, socialise and work together. We will collaborate with other community-based organisations to support practical projects which improve our local environment and contribute to our personal well-being.
As we come out of lockdown, there is so much we want to do, starting with meeting in small groups, having some fun and getting on with projects which will benefit the charities we support in our local Community and internationally with Soroptimists worldwide.
Soroptimist International, the worldwide organisation of which we are a part, was founded to make a difference to Women and Girls worldwide. Our Club has teams working on projects and activities linked to 3 of the United Nations Sustainable Development areas –
People includes health and well-being, quality education and gender equality and is involved with projects addressing period poverty, toilet twinning and improving our understanding of what needs to be done to improve the lives of those who suffer locally, nationally and internationally.
Planet is focussing on the climate crisis facing the world and how we can through advocacy, planting trees and reducing our carbon footprint help to mitigate the impact of human activity on our environment
Peace in our Club is interpreted to mean reducing gender-based violence, supporting those organisations which provide practical help such as the St Albans and Hertsmere Women’s Refuge, campaigning for human rights and justice for those whose voice is not heard in our society.
During the year Club Members across the three teams will continue to support the St Albans and Hertsmere Women’s Refuge, the Steve Sinnott Foundation Period Poverty Project and the Woodland Trust.
This year marks the Centenary of the formation of the first Soroptimist Club in California, and it gives us an opportunity to celebrate and focus on what more we can do. Already in our programme for the summer months, we will be out and about helping to plant trees, walking 100 laps around the lake in Verulam Park in celebration of the Centenary of Soroptimist International, helping with a litter pick in Harpenden, and supporting Herts Ladies and girls’ cricketers to develop their skills. We will certainly need some energy from the sun to sustain us in these out-door activities!
We are delighted that Daisy Cooper, the local MP for St Albans Constituency, has agreed to come and talk to us later this month about the way forward on women’s safety following the appalling murder of Sarah Everard. We are also keen to hear about her experience as a first time MP and any obstacles she has faced on the way to Westminster. And later in the year we hope to ‘Orange the town’ to highlight the ongoing and increasing problem of gender-based violence and its impact on all those affected.
Barbara Saunders OBE spent her professional life as a Consumer Consultant campaigning for the voice of consumers to be heard in decision-making on public policy and representing consumer interests in the fields of health, food policy and professional regulation. She was awarded the OBE in 2001 for services to consumers of financial services. Barbara is married and lives in St Albans where she also enjoys tennis, gardening, and supporting her grandchildren. She joined Soroptimist International in 2017 and has been the Club’s Secretary for the past 4 years.