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Soroptimist St Albans Quiz 2023 Louise Team
Charity Quiz Night Success for St Albans Soroptimists

Charity Quiz Night Success for St Albans Soroptimists

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The Charity Quiz Night on Sat 25 March was a sell-out and a great success raising £1200 for the St Albans and Hertsmere Women’s Refuge and other charities supported by the Club. It was great to be back at our favourite St Albans quiz venue, Homewood Road URC Church Hall. The last time we were here was in 2019 and we cancelled the one planned for March 2020 due to COVID and haven’t been able to run it again until now. This is always the Club’s last big fundraiser for the Club’s end of year in April so it was brilliant to be so well supported. The Quiz Master was Derek Palmer who challenged everyone’s brain cells on the night with some really interesting and varied rounds. Derek is the Club’s co-President Barbara Saunders’ husband and Barbara did a brilliant job supporting him for example Derek

Watling View Coffee
St Albans Soroptimists visit Nourish to Flourish cafe at Watling View School

St Albans Soroptimists visit Nourish to Flourish cafe at Watling View School

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On Thursday 16 March six Members of Soroptimist International St Albans & District arranged a coffee morning at Nourish to Flourish, the new cafe at Watling View School in St Albans. The school caters for up to 92 pupils age 2-19, with a wide range of complex and profound learning difficulties. The Club has supported the school for many years and are thrilled that they have now opened a new purpose-built cafe ‘Nourish to Flourish’. The cafe is designed to teach the older students hands-on skills that will support them in independent living and provide the potential for future employment www.watlingview.herts.sch.uk. Debbie Tankard, a Member of the St Albans Soroptimists, is a school governor at Watling View School and arranged the visit. While we were there Andy Scott the Headteacher dropped by. Everyone was really impressed by the cafe and the quality of the food, drink and service.

IWD SISTA Embrace Equity
St Albans Soroptimists – International Womens day 2023

St Albans Soroptimists – International Womens day 2023

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As always Soroptimists have been busy around International Women’s Day – a really important day in the calendar for women’s rights campaigners all over the world. The two themes for IWD this year are #EmbraceEquity, and the United Nations theme: #DigitALL : Innovation and technology for gender equality. The photo below is of St Albans Soroptimists at the 13 Mar Club meeting in the #EmbraceEquity pose. St Albans Soroptimists Debbie Tankard, Barbara Saunders and Jane Slatter were delighted to attend the St Albans Girls’ School International Women’s Day Inspiring Women Careers Event for Year 8 and Year 12 Students on Friday 10 March. The photo above of the event was taken by the school. These girls all have a great future – we hope we helped to inspire them! Soroptimists have been participating in this annual event since it’s inception. Sadly we had to say goodbye to Assistant

Home-Start Pancake Race Sarah, Hope, and Jane
St Albans Pancake Race was a Flipping Success for Home-Start Herts

St Albans Pancake Race was a Flipping Success for Home-Start Herts

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St Albans Soroptimists help every year with the Home-Start Herts annual Pancake Race in St Albans. The charity does amazing work supporting vulnerable families who are struggling and in need of help. The annual event receives a lot of publicity and is great for St Albans and the community  – see the item in the Herts Advertiser www.hertsad.co.uk/news/23344563.st-albans-pancake-race-raises-4-4k-home-start-herts A couple of weeks ahead of the event Soroptimists Barbara Saunders and Gill Clegg did a great job on a very wet Saturday drumming up support from the local businesses in the Hollywell Hill area. On the day itself 5 Soroptimists were there to help. Sarah Lichman and Jane Slatter sold raffle tickets (seen pictured here withe Hope the Hippo – the Home-Start mascot). Debbie Tankard, Bev Keech and Kat Clark were needed as marshalls helping with managing the event. Please see the messages below that show

Dame Vera Baird DBE KC
Women’s Justice with Dame Vera Baird DBE KC

Women’s Justice with Dame Vera Baird DBE KC

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Dame Vera Baird DBE KC was warmly welcomed by Soroptimist International St Albans and District to speak at this Zoom event about women’s justice on Mon 27 Feb. The event proved of huge interest to Soroptimists and guests from all over the UK – with almost 100 people attending on the night. Dame Vera is a British barrister and politician who has held roles as a Government Minister, Police and Crime Commissioner, and Victims’ Commissioner for England and Wales. She was appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in the 2017 New Year Honours for services to women and equality. She is also a Soroptimist and a terrific speaker. For more about Dame Vera please read: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vera_Baird Notes from the event are included below. If you were unable to attend or want to listen/watch it again please click on the YouTube link

A new Member, Smalls for All and a new Club in Uganda

A new Member, Smalls for All and a new Club in Uganda

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Just a regular Club meeting? We welcomed a new Member had an update about Smalls for All and heard about a new Club in Uganda. So maybe what we thought was a regular Club meeting was a rather modest description! It is always a special evening when we officially welcome a new member to our Club. On Monday 13 Feb all Club Members were proud to welcome Shenara Abraham. Shenara is a Financial Adviser by profession and previously worked in the charity sector, supporting community projects in central London. These included homelessness outreach work and anti-trafficking. Shenara is passionate about community, especially women’s rights and wellbeing so we know that she will be fit in well with the St Albans Soroptimists! She will be a Member of the Club’s Peace Team and will have Sarah Lichman as her mentor. The photo l to r has

Sopwell eco-stars
How Local Communities are Tackling Climate Change – Action Provoking Evening

How Local Communities are Tackling Climate Change – Action Provoking Evening

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On Mon 23 Jan we heard from Kate Swindells about  how her local St Albans community is tackling climate change and building resilience to its effects. The information she gave us is for sharing so we can multiply the effect everywhere. There were 38 people on the Zoom call which was great – from Soroptimist groups far and wide including Western Canada, Yorkshire, the Midlands and the Chilterns areas. There were lots of guests as individuals and representing groups interested in finding out more about the Sopwell Eco-Stars manageable approach to building resilience to the effects of climate change. Kate is a founder member of the Sopwell Eco-Stars Group which is a sub-group of Sopwell Residents Association. The group supports local people in managing the uncertainties we are all facing because of global warming, ecological breakdown, and related disruptions around food, energy, and the general cost

SISTA Planet Team Tree Planting Jan 23
What a busy start to the new year!

What a busy start to the new year!

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What a busy start to the new year! On Monday 9 Jan we had a face to face Club meeting where we were able to go through the data from the Club survey. Notes from the meeting and the survey results have been emailed to Club Members and are available in the Members area of this website sigbi.org/st-albans-and-district/members. It was great to hear everyone’s ideas and enthusiasm for the future of the Club – what a positive start to 2023! We’d been asked to take a photo of Members involved with the Domestic Abuse Court Observation Project for the final write up – so this photo of  four of the observers has now been submitted – l to r are Barbara Saunders, Sarah Lichman, Denise Powell and Jane Slatter. On Sun 15 Jan Members of the Club’s People Team braved the cold to plant trees

Christmas Card SI St Albans and District 2023
St Albans Soroptimists Festive Fun and Season’s Greetings

St Albans Soroptimists Festive Fun and Season’s Greetings

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Members of Soroptimist International St Albans and District would like to wish everyone a very merry Christmas and a happy, healthy and peaceful 2023. Instead of sending Christmas cards we are making a donation to the Soroptimist International President’s Appeal Opening Doors to a Brighter Future. Soroptimists are feeling festive after delivering a magnificent pile of gifts donated and wrapped by Club Members for the SAHWR Women’s Refuge . Santa’s got a right sackful here! We know the women are thrilled at Christmas to know that we’re thinking about them and we hope it brings them a little bit of Christmas cheer and hope for a happy new year! Members have also donated a stash of tea, coffee, biscuits and toiletries. Liz Perry one of the Refuge managers says “there is no situation in the Refuge that can’t be improved by a sit down with a

Soroptimists Orange The World 25 Nov for 16 Days of Action to End Gender Based Violence

Soroptimists Orange The World 25 Nov for 16 Days of Action to End Gender Based Violence

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Soroptimist International St Albans and District Oranging the World and saying NO! to violence against women in 2022 #OrangeTheWorldHerts The Global Orange the World Campaign is 16 days of activism to end gender based violence from 25 Nov, the International Day to end Violence Against Women to 10 Dec, Human Rights Day  www.unwomen.org/en/what-we-do/ending-violence-against-women/unite This year Soroptimist International St Albans and District has engaged with even more schools, places of worship and businesses across the area than last year. Organisations and individuals are challenged to do something orange and send photos to the Soroptimists between 25 Nov and 10 Dec as part of the call to action, with the Museum and Gallery lighting up orange  for the launch of the campaign. See the photos here from Fri 25 Nov. The outstretched hands in the photos means "Say No! Unite to end violence against women."   Mayor
Big Orange Party Success!!

Big Orange Party Success!!

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The Big Orange Party on Sat 3 Dec was a great success raising an amazing £682 for local domestic abuse charities! Everyone had a great time partying AND raising funds for Hertfordshire Domestic Abuse charities as part of Soroptimist International St Albans and District’s #OrangeTheWorldHerts campaign. People there were a real mix from the community, with lived experience and local supporters, campaigners and friends. Uncle Tim’s Total Kitchen served delicious burgers and hot dogs. The raffle was really popular. For the World Cup fans there was live football showing on the big screen, and the dancing got going with a great disco – what more could anyone want?! Soroptimist St Albans Club Member Louise Marron organised this fabulous event. She was supported by other Soroptimists on the night – left to right in the picture above are Janet Audley-Charles, Barbara Saunders, Louise, Denise Powell, Janet

Flushed with Success – St Albans is now a Toilet Twinned City!

Flushed with Success – St Albans is now a Toilet Twinned City!

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On Mon 14 Nov Soroptimist International St Albans and District Members and guests celebrated St Albans becoming a Toilet Twinned City. This special event was the pinnacle of a project that began in 2015 when our Club heard that Soroptimists in Chester had made Chester a Twinned City. Soroptimist Clubs have long used the special days like World Water Day 22 March and World Toilet Day 19 November as a focus for action and fundraising because we understand the importance of sanitation and toilets globally. Today, 3.6 billion people are living with poor quality toilets that ruin their health and pollute their environment. Every day, more than 800 children die from diarrhoea linked to unsafe water, sanitation and poor hygiene. Girls often stop going to school when they reach puberty because of the lack of toilets. The £60 from each certificate bought from Toilet Twinning

St Albans Soroptimists – Excitement at the Belfast Conference

St Albans Soroptimists – Excitement at the Belfast Conference

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This year’s Soroptimist International Great Britain & Ireland (SIGBI) Federation Conference was a very exciting one for SI St Albans & District. This year’s SI Federation of Great Britain & Ireland Conference was a smaller affair than previous years with fewer members wanting to make the journey to Belfast. However it provided the usual exciting mix of amazing speakers, a chance to meet up with friends old and new and some new ideas for Programme Action and engaging potential members. It was also a very special one for our Club as you will read later. To read more about the conference and see more photos please visit the website https://sigbi.org/belfast2022/ The Opening Ceremony was a stand out with charming young local women carrying the flags of the various Regions and countries up to the stage showing our coming together, whilst we heard about and were

St Albans Soroptimist Janet Tansley 35 Years
Club Development, Long Service and Tree Planting!

Club Development, Long Service and Tree Planting!

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On Monday 10 Oct the Club held a lovely Club development meeting at Greenwood URC. Members met face to face and split into three groups for discussions. A lot has changed at our Club since we last reviewed how the Club works and the Club has had to adapt during the pandemic. Members are all encouraged to complete a survey so that all the feedback can be considered and incorporated into plans for a way forward which we plan to implement in the new year.  There are no pics of the group discussions, but we were delighted on the night to be able to present Janet Tansley with her 35 years long service award! Congratulations Janet – we love the T Shirt! Janet is a Member of the Club’s Planet Team – see below for more about the Club’s tree planting.       On

Biodiversity image bees
The Biodiversity Crisis and Climate Change

The Biodiversity Crisis and Climate Change

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Why the Biodiversity Crisis matters as much as Climate Change and what we can do locally to make a difference. On Mon 26 Sep Soroptimist International St Albans and District hosted a truly inspiring meeting on Zoom about the Biodiversity Crisis and what we can do to improve the situation locally alongside Climate Change. It was great to be able to welcome so many  guests from other Soroptimist Clubs, local community groups and Soroptimist friends. Helen Byrne welcomed everyone including our speakers Tim Hill, Conservation Manager at the Herts & Middlesex Wildlife Trust  www.hertswildlifetrust.org.uk/ and Nadia Bishara who has been leading the work of the St Albans group Wilderhood Watch https://wilderhoodwatch.org/ This year Helen is sharing the presidency of the St Albans Soroptimist Club as well as facilitating the great work of the Club’s Planet Team. Club Members have all learnt a great deal about the Climate Crisis and have

Ann Beatty Steve Sinnott Foundation
Evening Remembering the Queen and Hearing about the Steve Sinnott Foundation

Evening Remembering the Queen and Hearing about the Steve Sinnott Foundation

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Our Club Meeting was very moving on Monday 12 September when we paid tribute to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II following her sad passing the previous Thursday. Our Member Ann Beatty, Chief Executive of the Steve Sinnott Foundation, talked to us as planned, about her work, after we had shared our memories of the Queen together.  This photo of the Queen was sent out to Members of Soroptimist International Great Britain and Ireland with a message of condolence. Barbara kindly printed and mounted the photo – so it felt as if the Queen was with us for the evening. The first part of the evening was spent in reflection and remembrance of the Queen led by Denise after a 1 minute silence. Some Members spoke of their personal encounters with the Queen. Barbara had met the Queen as part of the 75th anniversary conference of

SI St Albans Orange Day July 25 22
Potluck Supper for Friendship and Orange Days

Potluck Supper for Friendship and Orange Days

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On Monday 25th July it was lovely to be together at  Greenwood URC for a “pot luck supper” where everyone brought a dish and a drink to share.  A perfect way to mark the International Day of Friendship. Sorry – no photo of the delicious spread – we forgot to take a pic when it was all beautifully displayed on the table so we’re standing in front of the mess of empty dishes! It was just a bit too chilly to be be outside so the picnic inside worked very well! On a more serious note we are all wearing our new orange badges “Soroptimists say NO to Violence Against Women” – the 25th of every month is Orange Day – read below for more about “Orange Day” and the Soroptimist blog for July Orange Day on stalking. Orange Day The United Nations UNiTE campaign has

Soroptimist International St Albans Great Linford Manor Park
Walk in Great Linford Manor Park for Soroptimist Day of Action

Walk in Great Linford Manor Park for Soroptimist Day of Action

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The St Albans and District Soroptimist Club’s Planet Team organised a lovely guided walk in Great Linford Manor Park on Sat 16 July https://www.theparkstrust.com/parks/great-linford-manor-park/ with Milton Keynes Parks Trust guides. Milton Keynes Soroptimists joined in too, to mark the #SoroptimistDayofAction . We saw beautiful trees, heard interesting history with good company, ducklings, sculptures (including wooden sheep) – the list goes on!! The park has recently not only been awarded Green Flag status again, but also the Green Heritage Site Accreditation award in recognition of its local and national significance https://www.theparkstrust.com/blogs/it-s-a-green-flag-double-for-the-parks-trust It is a lovely place to explore and with a cafe at the Art Centre in the Park and the Nags Head Pub very close to refresh you before and after – what can be better!  

Daisy Cooper MP SISTA Zoom 11 Jul 22
Daisy Cooper – an update with the St Albans Soroptimists

Daisy Cooper – an update with the St Albans Soroptimists

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On Monday 11 July the Club was delighted to be able to welcome St Albans MP and Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrat party Daisy Cooper, as a follow up to the “Open Conversation” held in May 2021 – please click here for more https://sigbi.org/st-albans-and-district/2021/24may/ Many of the issues raised back then have moved on since then, and Daisy was able to join us for half an hour of her busy Parliamentary day (this was just a few days after Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s resignation and also a busy time before the summer recess). The Club had sent Daisy a few key questions in advance that we were asking for updates on, and then there was time for questions. The Domestic Abuse Act had come into force in April 2021 – what has it meant? Daisy said that Domestic Abuse is one of the few

Rebecca Bayley Beacon Victim Care
Soroptimists learn about Beacon – empowering victims in Herts

Soroptimists learn about Beacon – empowering victims in Herts

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On Monday, 27th June we learned from Rebecca Bayley, Head of Service at Beacon, Hertfordshire Victim Care Centre, about the work they do https://hertfordshirebeacon.org/.  Catch22 is the victim care service provider for Beacon in Hertfordshire (and other counties). Rebecca told us about the innovative work Beacon are doing to support victims in the County, including victims of violence and abuse. They do ground breaking work particularly with women and girls and other vulnerable groups.  Their Beacon Family hub works with children about violence in families and they also have a Safeguarding Hub.  If you would like Rebecca’s presentation please email sistalbans@hotmail.com  Rebecca started with her own background, and that of the organisation. The need for the services they provide has grown and in 4 years they have grown from having 12 staff t0 23. Beacon work to the victims code of practice and help victims

SISTA Platinum Jubilee Celebration
SISTAs Celebrate the Jubilee

SISTAs Celebrate the Jubilee

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On Monday 13 June Club Members enjoyed a glass of bubbly to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee and toast the Queen. We put up the bunting and everyone wore red, white and blue or royal purple. Volunteers Week takes place 1-7 June every year. It’s a chance to recognise the fantastic contribution volunteers make to our communities and say thank you, so before the corks were popped, everyone enjoyed a really interesting Club meeting called “My Other Hat” where  we heard about the volunteering being undertaken by three of our members: Jean Eaton who volunteers in a charity shop, Debbie Tankard who volunteers as a School Governor and Sarah Lichman who is a Generalist Adviser for Citizen’s Advice. Jean Eaton (pictured 5th from the right above) volunteers at the Hospice of St Francis  Shop in Marshalswick www.stfrancis.org.uk/shop-with-us/love-to-give-charity-shops/marshalswick Jean told us that she had always wanted to

Group Zoom SISTA Love Food Hate Waste 23-5-22
Food for thought and takeaways from Love Food, Hate Waste event for #SUSTFEST22

Food for thought and takeaways from Love Food, Hate Waste event for #SUSTFEST22

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The St Albans Soroptimists’ “Love Food, Hate Waste?” event for #SUSTFEST22 gave everyone “food for thought” and lots of actions to takeaway!  We heard from David Birley (pictured in the screenshots of his slides) Waste Aware Co-ordinator, Herts Waste Aware Partnership and Louise Palmer (pictured below) St Albans’ Recycling and Waste Officer. The meeting was chaired by Helen Byrne, Soroptimist Planet Team facilitator and co-President (see pic). David’s presentation can be downloaded here as a PDF: Food Waste – Waste Aware for SISTA 23 May David introduced his talk: how much waste is there? how much of that is food? how good are we at recycling food waste? should we be looking at reduction and not just recycling? How might we do this? How much waste is there? During the last 10 years there has been a gradual reduction of household waste, until COVID and

SISTA Bookstall SustFest22
Successful Soroptimist Charity Bookstall Sun 15 May Harpenden #SUSTFEST22

Successful Soroptimist Charity Bookstall Sun 15 May Harpenden #SUSTFEST22

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Our Soroptimist Charity Bookstall on Sunday 15 May for #SustFest22 was a great success raising almost £300 for the St Albans and Hertsmere Women’s Refuge sahwr.org.uk and meant that hundreds of books were recycled to new homes! The May Harpenden Sustainability Market on Harpenden Common marked the launch of the 2022 Sustainability Festival for St Albans, Harpenden and surrounding villages. Sarah Lichman (pictured above on the right) organised the event with the Club’s Planet Team and we had lots of helpers on the day – pictured above l to r on the “early shift” with Sarah are Jane Slatter, Janet Tansley, Jean Eaton, Denise Powell and Diana Kingham. Thanks also to Louise Marron, Janet Audley-Charles, Madeline Skinner, Nicky Bloom and her daughter who were all on later shifts. A big thanks to our Member Linda Shall and Harpenden Lions David Shall and John Powell who set

SISTA Girlguide Becca Britton 9 May
Girlguide Becca fundraising for World 2023 Jamboree and Liz Perry with an update from the SAHWR Refuge

Girlguide Becca fundraising for World 2023 Jamboree and Liz Perry with an update from the SAHWR Refuge

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St Albans Girlguide Becca Britton came to talk to our Club on Mon 9 May – . she has been selected to attend the World Scout Jamboree in South Korea in August 2023 and is the only Guide going from St Albans. There are 1000 Guides and Scouts going from the UK out of 40,000 from all over the world. Becca’s excellent presentation will be available to view here soon….. Becca is 14 years old, and a young leader at the 5th St Albans Guides. The theme of the Jamboree is “Draw your dream”; it is a life changing International Camp for Scouts and Guides from across the whole world to come together to learn, have fun, and make friends – developing their skills and learning about different cultures. Like the Olympics, it is held every 4 years, and moves around the world. Becca says

SISTA AGM Handover 2022
SI St Albans and District AGM 2022 – Celebrating another Great Year in the Club’s 65 Year History

SI St Albans and District AGM 2022 – Celebrating another Great Year in the Club’s 65 Year History

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SI St Albans and District AGM Monday 25th April – marking 65 years since the Club was chartered in April 1957. We started the meeting on a high note by welcoming new member Gill Clegg to the club. Gill worked as an Occupational Health Advisor and is now developing her own business as a health and wellbeing coach. President Barbara Saunders presented Gill with her welcome pack and Debbie Tankard will be her mentor. The photo has Gill in the centre with Barbara left and Debbie right – sharing the hand of Soroptimist friendship with one another. The AGM is a time for reflection enable us all to celebrate how much the Club has achieved over the last year. All of the Officer reports will be available to Members in the Members area of the Club website soon www.sigbi.org/st-albans-and-district/members and there is just a summary

Big Birthday Celebrations for St Albans Soroptimists

Big Birthday Celebrations for St Albans Soroptimists

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It was wonderful to be able to celebrate our five “big” birthdays face to face on Monday 11 April. The birthday girls, left to right, are: Denise Powell, Barbara Saunders, Jean Eaton, Janet Audley-Charles and Diana Kingham. Eighteen Members attended and celebrated with a delicious birthday cake, glasses of “bubbles” and time for good conversation after we had covered Club business. Barbara chaired the meeting before the celebrations. We were able to congratulate ourselves on being a finalist in the Mayor’s Pride Awards – see the photo from the awards event – more on the website: www.sigbi.org/st-albans/mpa22 We also had discussions around the Club’s programme action in support of refugees, tree planting for the Queen’s Green Canopy and our Orange the World campaign with 16 days of action to end violence against women 25 Nov to 10 December – see here for the news item

St Albans Mayors Pride 22 Mayoress and Mayor with Soroptimists Louise Marron, Barbara Saunders
Soroptimist Club Finalist St Albans Mayors Pride Award for Orange the World Community Project

Soroptimist Club Finalist St Albans Mayors Pride Award for Orange the World Community Project

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Soroptimist International St Albans and District Club Members are proud to announce that the Club was a finalist in the St Albans Mayor’s Pride Award 2022 for Community Project  of the Year. The award is given to recognise a project undertaken by an organisation, group or individual that has identified and met a local need. The Club put forward their brilliant “Orange the World” project – for more information about the project please click here www.sigbi.org/st-albans/orange21 and read extra info at the bottom of this news item. The first picture is of Louise Marron (2nd from left) and Barbara Saunders (1st on right) with Mayor of St Albans City and District, Councillor Edgar Hill and the Mayoress, Caroline Jane Lee. The other finalists were Passport to Leisure and the worthy winners St Albans Postboxes. The second photo is of Louise Marron holding the award with St

Herts QGC Project Presentation Annie Brewster
Queen’s Green Canopy and Sustainability in Herts

Queen’s Green Canopy and Sustainability in Herts

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On Monday 25 March Members of Soroptimist International St Albans and District were delighted to welcome Councillor Annie Brewster, Vice Chair of Hertfordshire County Council and Lead for the Queens Platinum Jubilee. Annie gave an excellent presentation on Zoom about the Queens Green Canopy project in Hertfordshire. We also heard about some great sustainability work from Zac Mather, Herts County Council Programme Manager for Sustainable Herts. Kate Belinis, President of SI Hertford and District was able to tell us about her Club’s Tree Planting. It was wonderful to welcome guests to the Zoom event from the Hertford Soroptimists, Friends of the Earth St Albans and Trees of St Albans. Annie’s presentation is the first 8 slides and Zac’s is from slide 9 – please click here to download and view: Soroptimist Presentation QGC 28.3.22 Helen Byrne, the Club’s Planet Team lead, started the evening by

Poignant Refugees Event to Mark International Women’s Day

Poignant Refugees Event to Mark International Women’s Day

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On Monday 14 March Soroptimist International St Albans and District hosted a Refugees Event to mark International Women’s Day. What we heard was inspiring and moving and the poignancy of it was reinforced because of the Russian attack on Ukraine which has happened since this event was planned. The Club’s President Barbara Saunders welcomed everyone and introduced Irene Austin, Chair of Herts Welcomes Refugees www.hwsf.org.uk.  Our Member Pamela Rochford has been part of the scheme from when Syrian refugees first began to settle in Hertfordshire. Irene delivered an excellent presentation giving us insight into the work of HWR and ways that we can help. The organisation was originally called Herts Welcomes Syrian Families and as initially set up as a lobbying group to get Hertfordshire to accept Syrian refugees. Since then,  over 50 families have now settled in Hertfordshire.  The resettlement scheme was merged with

SISTAs at Home-Start Pancake Race Kat Melie Debbie
Shwopping, Pancake Race, Networking and Radio Interviews for International Women’s Day – what a busy week!

Shwopping, Pancake Race, Networking and Radio Interviews for International Women’s Day – what a busy week!

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Members of Soroptimist International St Albans and District have had a really busy week! On Mon 28 Feb Members enjoyed a social evening together “Shwopping” raising more than £80 for the Club’s charities. Members and friends swapped unwanted Christmas gifts and clothes and made a donation for their newly swapped acquisitions. The evening was fun and a good opportunity for people to get to know each other better in an informal setting. We hadn’t held one of these events since 2014 and everyone agreed it should be a regular event in the Club’s social calendar! Thanks must got to President Barbara for being such a great host. On Tue 1 Mar it was the Home-Start Pancake Race in St Albans. Four Soroptimists were able to help on the day – pictured here (l to r) are Kat Clark, Melie Tant and Debbie Tankard. It was

Anna Barrett
New Member and Meeting in Person

New Member and Meeting in Person

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Club Members were delighted to be able to meet in person again for the first time since November 2021! President Barbara Saunders and all the Club Members were thrilled to be able to welcome new member Anna Barrett, a retired early years primary school teacher, who has joined the St Albans and District Club. Barbara presented Anna with her Soroptimist badge and delivered the introductory welcome speech. There are three proud Soroptimists pictured here – President Barbara is on the left with Anna in the centre and Sarah Lichman on the right. We are sure that Anna will be a valuable asset to the Club and hope she enjoys her membership. The 11 Feb is the UN International Day of Women and Girls in Science so the Club used this meeting to mark the event. This year’s theme is Water. Members of the Club’s People

SISTA Quiz 2022 Derek Quizmaster
Quizzical Soroptimist Fundraising Success

Quizzical Soroptimist Fundraising Success

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Wow – the quizzers smashed it again this year! What a great evening. Following the the success of the online quiz last year, more people attended this year, who had even more fun and raised more  than £600 for the  St Albans & Hertsmere Women’s Refuge  plus charities supported by the Club! We had 30 Zoom screens making up 10 teams with 4 to 8 people in each team. Being on Zoom enabled teams to include people from as far afield as Yorkshire and the USA – and the technology worked brilliantly again. The Club’s President Barbara Saunders did an excellent job in the role of MC for the evening so everyone understood what was happening – and the important news of who had won at the end! Barbara’s husband Derek Palmer did another cracking job as our Quizmaster – one of his multiple choice

Climate Change Image
Optimism after COP26? The world needs increased action to achieve climate justice

Optimism after COP26? The world needs increased action to achieve climate justice

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The title of our speaker evening on 24 Jan was “What’s next after COP26? How do we achieve climate justice particularly for women in Africa?” We heard from two eminent speakers from the UK academic and the African international development communities: Mike Wilkins Executive Director/Professor of Practice in the Centre for Climate Finance and Investment, Imperial College Business School: Progress at COP26 in Glasgow and the Key Challenges which Remain Estherine Lisinge-Fotabong, Director, Programme Innovation and Planning, NEPAD, the new partnership for Africa’s Development: The impact of climate change on women in Africa and the financial aid needed to achieve climate justice. Please scroll down for their more detailed biographies. Mike and Estherine gave us optimism in what COP26 achieved. They identified the challenges ahead and what action is needed by the world to achieve climate justice. Click here to read this excellent meeting report

Soroptimist St Albans OTW Collage
Soroptimists Orange The World – 16 Days of Action in Herts to End Gender Based Violence

Soroptimists Orange The World – 16 Days of Action in Herts to End Gender Based Violence

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St Albans & District Soroptimists Oranged the world (well Hertfordshire anyway!). Building on our success last year when we ‘Oranged’ the beautiful St Albans Museum, (see photos and read more about it here) this year we set out to ‘Orange’ Hertfordshire as part of the United Nations Orange the World Campaign and the 16 days of activism to end gender based violence from 25 Nov to 16 Dec 16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence. The Club is very proud that the photo montage shown here won the Soroptimist International Great Britain and Ireland photo of the month competition for January 2022! Please watch our video on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5g6Uhoy7PH8 We wrote to significant buildings, councillors, businesses and senior schools, seeking support…..and we got it!. The Museum were once again delighted to support us and this year laid on a ‘lighting up’ tea in the Courtroom

Soroptimist Christmas Carols St Albans 2021
Happy Soroptimist Christmas – carol singing, plus Refuge gifts

Happy Soroptimist Christmas – carol singing, plus Refuge gifts

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The St Albans Soroptimist women’s group and friends sang carols and festive songs this year at St Albans City Station on Mon 6 Dec for the first time since 2019. It was a great success raising £261 for the St Albans and Hertsmere Women’s Refuge  A fabulous result considering COVID! We would like to thank everyone who made a donation, including the St Albans City supporters who were on their way to Borehamwood for the match (commiserations to them for the result 🙁). Thanks also to the station staff who joined in the singing and made us feel welcome. We were joined by Jules and Rosie our Soropti-dogs – who we are sure attracted lots of extra attention and donations! Recent funding cuts and increased demand mean that Refuges need additional funding now more than ever before. This event is timed on the closest Monday to Human

Elizabeth Gowing
Changing the Lives of Women and Girls in Kosovo – an inspiring evening with Elizabeth Gowing!

Changing the Lives of Women and Girls in Kosovo – an inspiring evening with Elizabeth Gowing!

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On Monday 22 Nov the Soroptimist International St Albans and District Club Members and guests, Soroptimists and friends from as far afield as Manchester, Wales and Western Canada! were delighted to welcome Elizabeth Gowing from The Ideas Partnership to talk about her inspiring work in Kosovo supporting girls into education and empowering women in the Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian community in Pristina. Elizabeth explained that she was going to share the stories of 7 women living in Kosovo. She shared her journey to Kosovo and the history of the breakup of Yugoslavia. Albania is the neighbouring country 90% of people living in Kosovo are Albanian, 8% from Kosovo and the remaining 2% include the minority Roma Ashkali and Egyptian people and all 7 of the women talked about are from this most impoverished and ostracised community.   Elizabeth is an educationalist and talented story teller.

SISTA Janet Barbara Sarah Janet charity night Abbey Theatre
Fundraising Success with Private Lives by Noel Coward at Abbey Theatre

Fundraising Success with Private Lives by Noel Coward at Abbey Theatre

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Soroptimist International St Albans and District were delighted to have been offered “Private Lives” by Noel Coward for the St Albans Abbey Theatre Charity night on Thu 4 Nov. With ticket sales and generous donations the Club has raised an amazing  £967 for SAHWR, plus other charities supported by the St Albans and District Soroptimist Club. The play is a classic and got lots of laughs and applause from an appreciative audience. It is an excellent Company of Ten production on the Main Stage. We would highly recommend people go along on the remaining nights 5-13 Nov to support the theatre www.abbeytheatre.org.uk/whats-on/privatelives COVID rules about facemask wearing were applied in the theatre and everyone felt very safe. Club President Barbara Saunders OBE is pictured here thanking the audience for supporting the event. The Club’s Team that arranged the event and collected donations at the end

SI St Albans Barbara Saunders welcomes Maria Podrajanskaya
Busy Week – The Club Welcomes New Member Maria, Mental Health Discussion, plus Tree Walk

Busy Week – The Club Welcomes New Member Maria, Mental Health Discussion, plus Tree Walk

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Soroptimist International St Albans and District had two face to face meet ups in one week – what a change from a year ago! On Monday 11 Oct we were delighted to be able to welcome our new Member Maria Podrajanskaya – pictured here accepting the hand of friendship from SI St Albans President, Barbara Saunders OBE. Maria (known as Masha) is originally from Moscow. She lived in Paris for 3 years before moving to St Albans with her husband and 4 year old daughter last year. Masha’s work experience is in digital marketing and she is passionate about wanting to build a better world for women and girls – so we know she will be a wonderful asset to our organisation. Club Members introduced themselves and Barbara led the formal part of the induction proceedings. When we welcome a new Member we are for

Step Up to COP26 Whilst Stepping Down Carbon Footprints – Next Steps

Step Up to COP26 Whilst Stepping Down Carbon Footprints – Next Steps

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On Mon 27 Sep  Zoom Soroptimist International St Albans and District’s Planet Team organised the online event “Step Up to COP26  Whilst Stepping Down Carbon Footprints”. Please click on the link here to view the excellent presentation delivered by our Member and Carbon Literacy Trainer Linda Shall  SISTA Sep 2021 Step Up to COP26 Whilst Stepping Down Carbon Footprints There were 28 people on the Zoom call learning what COP26 is and what role it could and should play in helping women reduce their own, their community and the planet’s carbon emissions.             A few notes to help with the background and jargon in the presentation:  COP = UN Conference of Parties – annual event; 2015 Paris COP21; 2020 Glasgow COP26 (delayed to 2021 due to COVID with a pre-COP meeting in Italy);  COP purpose is for global negotiations towards agreements and

Club Meets at Last – Centenary Peace Day Candles, New Member and Pot Luck Supper

Club Meets at Last – Centenary Peace Day Candles, New Member and Pot Luck Supper

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On Monday 13 Sep 2021 Members of Soroptimist International St Albans and District held a face-to-face Club meeting for the first time since February 2020. Because Members hadn’t seen each other for such a long time the Club decided to make it more of a social event with lots of time for people to catch up with one another. To mark 100 years of Soroptimist International and the International Day of Peace there was a candle lighting ceremony. The Club was also delighted to be able to welcome new Member Nicky Bloom. President Barbara Saunders OBE welcomed everyone and Debbie Tankard read the vision and mission.   Candle Ceremony – words spoken by President Barbara  “Tonight, we are lighting candles in celebration of the achievements of Soroptimists Worldwide during the past 100 years. Thousands of other clubs will be starting their ceremonies on 21st September,

St Albans Soroptimist Celebrate 100 Years with 100 Laps of the Lake

St Albans Soroptimist Celebrate 100 Years with 100 Laps of the Lake

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On Saturday 7 Aug Soroptimist International St Albans and District women’s group and supporters set themselves the goal of walking 100 laps of the lake in Verulamium Park to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Soroptimist International #100for100 They actually did 147 laps between them and earned a slice of celebration cake at the end before the rain set in! The photos give you a glimpse of what a great day it was. One of our Members, Louise Marron, had to self-isolate due to COVID so she did laps of her garden with her “Soroptisons” – pictured here with the banner they made for the occasion – well done to Louise and her lovely boys! Louise also sent us these two lovely videos: The Soropimists took a collecting bucket (of course!) to the park and collected £75 for the SAHWR women’s refuge www.sahwr.org.uk which was a bonus because this

Shelley Hayles
Raihaanah Ahmed and Shelley Hayles are Making a Difference in St Albans

Raihaanah Ahmed and Shelley Hayles are Making a Difference in St Albans

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On Monday 26 Jul our speaker guests were Raihaanah Ahmed, who set up the Sopwell Community Trust which run community initiatives such as Eid in the Park with the aim of breaking down barriers between different communities living in St Albans, and Shelley Hayles. Shelley is a leading voice in Black Lives Matter in St Albans, a registered Social Worker, lobbying for change to the Children Act to provide more provision for Care Leavers. These two inspiring local women infomed us about their local community support and “accidental activism”. Raihaanah Ahmed Raihaanah introduced herself and told us a little of her background. She is a Muslim and Bangladeshi woman. She formed the Sopwell Community Trust. One initiative is Eid in the Park with the aim to make the event accessible to all members of the local community. Raihaanah organised a number of community events pre-Covid.

Herts Girls Cricket Bishop's Stortford Winning Team 2021
St Albans Soroptimists Proud to Award Herts Girls Cricket Trophy

St Albans Soroptimists Proud to Award Herts Girls Cricket Trophy

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Fantastic skills and commitment on display in Hertfordshire Girls Cricket Final Sun 18 July 2021 On a sun-drenched Sunday 18 July 2021 on the lovely cricket ground of Berkhamsted Cricket Club, the Girls’ Finals Day saw 3 fascinating tussles take place between the girls’ sides who had risen to the top of the Hertfordshire 2021 season. U11 Berkhamsted vs Harpenden U13 Redbourn vs Harpenden U15 Redbourn vs Bishop’s Stortford Club Member and Regional President, Helen Byrne, attended on behalf of the Club to watch the third of the three games and present the Soroptimist Trophy to the winners in memory of Club Member and ex-England player Audrey Collins. Helen was joined by Members Jean Eaton and Madeline Skinner who enjoyed their visit, learning a little more about the fascinating game of cricket. Bishop’s Stortford U15, so far unsuccessful twice, were playing in their third final

Richard Ratcliffe and Gabriella protest
Richard Ratcliffe’s moving talk to St Albans Soroptimists about his fight to free Nazanin

Richard Ratcliffe’s moving talk to St Albans Soroptimists about his fight to free Nazanin

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Sixty people were moved beyond words by the powerful testimonial of Richard Ratcliffe about his campaign to #FreeNazanin On 12 July Richard shared his time generously  with Members of Soroptimist International St Albans and District plus other Soroptimists and guests from around the country. We will keep you posted with any plans to engage Soroptimists in action and campaigning needed in the UK and around the world if necessary. Please sign the petition #FreeNazanin www.change.org/p/free-nazanin-ratcliffe In 2016 Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe was unlawfully detained in Tehran while taking daughter Gabriella to see her family, after widely refuted allegations were made against her by Iranian authorities. Nazanin’s husband Richard has been fighting continuously throughout this time to free his wife and bring her home, having not seen her in person since the arrest. Please continue reading for a summary of Richard’s heart-rending narrative.  Louise Marron (pictured left) introduced

Shell Memories
Thought provoking fun evening – How memories are made, making the most of stuff in your home

Thought provoking fun evening – How memories are made, making the most of stuff in your home

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Wow – what a creative thought provoking and fun evening we had with Jane Fletcher from the Art of Giving Community Interest Company theartofgivingcic.com Jane informed us about the work of her company, producing and distributing motivational art for display on the walls of many hospitals, care homes, refuges – any spaces where people who are working in a community service environment need a positive boost.  Jane asked us all to think of ideas for places we could think of that would appreciate a pack – she can tailor for the receiving group. During these challenging times many of us have been sorting through ‘stuff’ in our homes and, along with the junk, we will have found some real treasures and memories. During the talk Jane showed us how to make the very most of those treasured items by sharing real life examples from herself

Helen Byrne Plastic Free July Presentation
Inspired by Carers in Herts and Plastic Free July at the June Club Meeting

Inspired by Carers in Herts and Plastic Free July at the June Club Meeting

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We had a busy and inspiring Club Meeting on the 14th June – with guest speaker Roma Mills from Carers in Herts andHelen Byrne‘s presentation  about “Plastic Free July”. Club President Barbara Saunders OBE was delighted to start the meeting by welcoming Roma Mills from Carers in Herts Roma is an old friend of the Club who works tirelessly to help those in need in of support in our community.  Roma was invited to update us on the work of the charity – particularly how it has supported carers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Please click here to view Roma’s presentation  Carers in Herts Pres Soroptimist St Albans 14 Jun it is packed full of information and she also added a lot of personal insight on the night. Carers UK surveyed over 5,000 carers in April 2020 showing: 70% carers were providing an average of 10

Soroptimists Litter Pick for St Albans Sustainability Festival

Soroptimists Litter Pick for St Albans Sustainability Festival

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The St Albans Sustainability Festival – #SUSTFEST seemed to be a perfect opportunity for getting people together outdoors to join organised litter picks www.sustfest.org Soroptimist International St Albans and District Club President Barbara Saunders and Club Treasurer Sarah Lichman worked really hard and picked up loads of litter on Redbourn Lane, between Harpenden and Redbourn, on 23 May. The event was organised by Plastic Free Harpenden. During lock down and the gradual reopening of society, we have seen and heard lots of examples of people meeting up in public spaces and leaving their rubbish behind. Rubbish and waste also blows around getting caught in the trees and building up along verges detracting from the beauty of our local environment and sometimes causing injury and possible death to animals. After the litter pick Barbara said ‘The verges are very overgrown at this time of year so

Daisy Cooper MP St Albans
Daisy Cooper MP – Open Conversation with Soroptimists

Daisy Cooper MP – Open Conversation with Soroptimists

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Members of the women’s group, Soroptimist International St Albans and District welcomed Daisy Cooper MP, for St Albans and Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrat Party on Mon 24 May. With guests there were 30 people on the Zoom call. President Barbara welcomed members and guests and guest speaker, Daisy Cooper MP. Barbara thanked Daisy for spending time with the Club and Daisy thanked the Club for their invitation. Daisy spoke about Sarah Everard’s disappearance and death. She shared the shock expressed from men about the life hacks women have had to develop to feel safer in their community. She is passionate for change and felt that the events were a watershed moment for many women to realise that they had been tolerating the climate where women don’t feel safe. Daisy stressed how important it is to encourage men to feel empowered to call out

SI St Albans President Barbara Saunders OBE
Soroptimist International St Albans and District elects a new President for 2021-22 – Barbara Saunders

Soroptimist International St Albans and District elects a new President for 2021-22 – Barbara Saunders

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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

SI St Albans Online AGM 2021
Club’s 1st Online AGM marks the start of the Soroptimist Centenary

Club’s 1st Online AGM marks the start of the Soroptimist Centenary

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The Club held it’s first ever online AGM on 26 April. We were able to look back on a year of great achievements in spite of the challenges of COVID-19. As well as congratulating ourselves on the past year we were excited to be looking forward to the year ahead where we will be celebrating the 100th Anniversary of Soroptimist International  and the 65th anniversary of our Club Soroptimist International St Albans and District. Normally at the meeting we have the handover of office from one President to another and this year was, of course, a little different…. Katherine (Kat) Clark ended her term of Office in April 2021 but we were unable to have an AGM due to COVID-19. The Club also didn’t have a President in place for last year – instead sharing the Presidency as a “rainbow year” with six of the