Club news Archives | Page 7 of 8 | SI St Albans and District

St Albans to Warsaw for Soroptimist Silver Celebration

11 years ago in

25th Anniversary

A Weekend with Chopin to celebrate Soroptimist International Warsaw’s 25th Anniversary: Eight members and partners of Soroptimist International St Albans & District travelled to Warsaw for the weekend 18th – 20th Sept 2015 to join the 1st Club of Soroptimist International in Warsaw in celebrating their 25th anniversary. On Friday 18th, after a very early flight, our party was met at the airport by our 1st SI Warsaw hosts to begin a wonderful and varied weekend programme on the theme of ” A Weekend with Chopin”. Later we headed for the amazing Chopin Museum to find out about the life and incredible achievements of Warsaw’s favourite son. After the museum, those with energy to spare were treated to a short guided walk through areas of Old Warsaw connected with Frederick Chopin’s life, led by SI Krakow member and Vice President of SI Europe 2015 – 17 , Anna Wszelaczyńska. Anna’s knowledge

VSO Volunteer Sophie Jewsbury Heads for Kenya

11 years ago in

club

On Monday 14 Sep Sophie Jewsbury visited our Club to tell us about the adventure that she will be embarking upon at the end of the month. Sophie will be volunteering for three months in partnership with the charity VSO (Voluntary Services Overseas). She will be working on development projects in the town of Nanyuki in Kenya, which will focus on securing the livelihoods of women, young people and the disabled. Follow Sophie’s adventures on her Blog here: https://threemonthsinnanyuki.wordpress.com/ VSO seeks to place its volunteers in communities around the world where the need is greatest, with the aim to finding long-term solutions to extreme poverty. VSO has managed long-running projects in Kenya, so the programme will be geared to making a lasting impact in Nanyuki. More information about VSO’s work in Kenya can be found here: www.vsojitolee.org/about/what-we-do Sophie applied for the programme after finishing her degree at

Club Welcomes Kathy

11 years ago in

club

At the first Club Meeting after the summer we were delighted to be able to welcome Kathy Weston as a new Member of Soroptimist International St Albans and District. Kathy is pictured here shaking “the hand of friendship” with Club President Denise Powell having been introucuded to the Club by Janet Tansley (pictured right) and given her Club badge and Membership folders of information. Club Members gave Kathy a warm welcome and hope that she will enjoy being part of this active Soroptimist Club.

Girls Cricket – Abbots Langley U13 – Winners of Soroptimist Audrey Collins Trophy 2015

11 years ago in

abbots langley cricket

Abbots Langley beat Knebworth Park Under-13 girls cricket team by just 5 runs to win the fifth annual Soroptimist Audrey Collins Hertfordshire Cricket League. This year’s final was again held at Knebworth Park between two sides at full strength with 16 County players involved so a close match was always anticipated. The game was played in good spirits and the event was very well organised with a well prepared wicket which encouraged the good standard of cricket played with refreshments available for players and spectators alike through the day. The shield was awarded to the winners as in past years by Denise Powell, President of Soroptimist International St Albans and District who have supported girls cricket in the County for five years now. Reflecting on his side’s success, lead coach Phil Lewins said: “I believe the League and competition had been a catalyst for the girls’ cricket

Seychelles Soroptimist in St Albans

11 years ago in

Girls

Club Members were delighted to meet Cecile Hodoul from SI Victoria, Seychelles while she was visiting her sister recently who lives in St Albans. The group met for coffee and exchanged many ideas about projects to help women and girls in the Seychelles and in St Albans. Meeting up with Soroptimists from different countries is a wonderful part of being a Member – it is like having sisters and friends all over the world – all with the same common objective of improving the lives of women and girls. After little more than an hour the group were firm friends and keen to arrange their next meeting (the Seychelles islands are a very tempting holiday destination!). Our new friends Jeanne (Cecile’s sister) and her daughter, who live locally, will of course be invited to our Club events from now on. Jane Slatter met Cecile and

Coffee from Tree to Cup

11 years ago in

coffee

Coffee from Tree to Cup: Colin Smith, a local coffee roaster and supplier treated Club Members and guests to a fascinating evening all about coffee including delicious samples to taste. Colin showed some wonderful photographs from his trips around the world visiting growers and processors where the coffee comes from before it is roasted, ground and packed in Apsley www.smithscoffee.co.uk Colin also brought examples of coffee making equipment from the company’s “museum” plus lots of different sacks that the coffee arrives in – all with their own designs. Colin’s company, Smith’s Coffee, supplies Fairtrade coffee to the Tea Bar at St Albans Magistrates court – the Tea Bar is run by Soroptimist Club Member Jean Eaton with a team of helpers and all profits go to Rennie Grove Hospice Care in St Albans. Colin’s talk raised £85 in donated “gate money” and profit from coffee sales which will go to another great

Student Gillian Reports in Person on South Africa Sustainability Project – Gender Inequality Issue

11 years ago in

EVAW

Gillian Whitworth returns from South Africa and shares what she has learnt first-hand with the Club. On Monday 13 July the Club was treated to an excellent report and presentation from Gillian who is studying at the University of Warwick. She recently conducted a field study on regional sustainability in South Africa. Gillian was based at the Monash University in Johannesburg and from there travelled to the project in Nelspruit. Gender inequality was identified by Gillian and the team as a serious issues affecting sustainability in South Africa – women are suffering from HIV/Aids disproportionately – girls age 15-19 make up 25% of new cases and are 5 times more likely than boys to contract the disease. Rape is estimated at 55,000 per day! – abuse is mostly “domestic”, lasts many years and is not usually reported. In terms of legal advocacy work, refugees are particularly

Women’s Conference – wonderful!

11 years ago in

Aneeta Prem

Soroptimist International St Albans & District were proud to host a successful Women’s Conference and Regional Meeting on Sat 20th June in Redbourn on behalf of Soroptimist International London Chilterns Region. Forced Marriage was the topic for the morning – with keynote speaker Aneeta Prem, founder of the Freedom Charity www.freedomcharity.org.uk The charity works to empower young people to feel they have the tools, confidence and support around the issues of family relationships which can lead to early and forced marriage and dishonour based violence. Aneeta has been on national TV recently covering these important human rights issues. Aneeta was joined by Sophie Lott from the Home Office Forced Marriage Unit (see picture below Sophie L Aneeta R). Recent law changes haven’t forced this crime underground – in fact there was the first sentencing only last week. Aneeta told some moving stories about individuals’ personal horrific stories of forced

£1275 Raised for the Womens Refuge!

11 years ago in

charity

Liz Perry, Manager of the St Albans and Hertsmere Women’s Refuge was delighted to receive the BIG CHEQUE for £1275 raised by the St Albans & District Soroptimists in the Club Year 2014/15. Liz is pictured here receiving the cheque from Club President Denise Powell, She said the money would go towards their annual trip to the seaside. She was very appreciative of the personal donations of refreshment items from the members. As well as fundraising, the club provides tea, coffee, sugar and biscuits for the Refuge, household items to help women leaving the Refuge get started in a new home and Christmas gifts. Liz said how grateful the Refuge is for the continued support of Soroptimist International St Albans and District Members. The money is raised during the year from events including the bookstall on St Albans market for International Literacy Day www.sigbi.org/st-albans/2014/bookstall/ , coffee mornings at the

Guide Beth Volunteers in Cambodia to Make a Difference

11 years ago in

Beth Kirby

Beth Kirby spoke to the Club on 8 June about her forthcoming Girl Guiding trip to Cambodia. She made yummy cakes to sell to Club Members which were a great success and the Club also made a donation to help with the sponsorship she needs for the trip. Beth is pictured here with Club President Denise Powell Beth explained that she is 20 years old and has been involved in guiding since she was 7 years old – now a qualified leader assisting in the running of brownie units both at home in Welwyn Garden City as well as in Nottingham, where she is at University studying Maths.Guiding Overseas Linked with Development (GOLD) enables young women to develop their potential and make a difference in the world. It delivers sustainable community-based development projects ranging from environmental issues to teaching leadership skills. This summer’s project in Cambodia

Girls’ cricket continues to flourish

11 years ago in

Audrey Collins

On Sunday 24th May a girls’ U13 cricket festival was held at Abbots Langley Cricket Ground. 8 teams took part in the tournament with between 85-90 girls playing throughout the day. Phil Lewins (Abbots Langley U13 Coach) organised the day and despite it being a Bank Holiday weekend and the start of Half Term was determined that it would be all girls (with no boys to make up the numbers). Played under Kwik Cricket rules, the girls’ enthusiasm and obvious enjoyment epitomised the game’s main aim, namely ‘the enjoyment for, and fair play by, all players’. Every member of every team regardless of size, strength or ability is actively encouraged to take part. The vocal encouragement both on the field of play and from the many family members watching echoed around the ground all day. I spoke to family members and coaches as I walked

St Albans Soroptimist attends Royal Garden Party

11 years ago in

Queen

Member of Soroptimist International St Albans & District Ameeta Sabharwal and her daughter attended a Royal Garden Party in May 2015. Soroptimist International Great Britain and Ireland (SIGBI) received invitation for 6 people to attend because of the work that Soroptimists carry out to improve the lives of women and girls. SIGBI President Jenny Vince attended with her guest, the other places were offered for Members to apply for and Ameeta’s name was drawn. Ameeta and her daughter were also lucky enough to be in a group selected on the day to be personally introduced to the Queen. Probably something to do with the Soroptimist badge Ameeta was wearing – or it could have been because they both looked so fabulous!

Club Welcomes Caroline

11 years ago in

club

At the first Club Meeting of the new Club year we were delighted to be able to welcome Caroline Munro. Caroline is the first new Member of the new Club year. She is pictured here with Club President Denise Powell having been given her Club badge and Membership folders of information. Club Members gave Caroline a warm welcome and hope that she will enjoy being part of this active Soroptimist Club. This comes only 2 weeks after our AGM where we welcomed new Member Alka Cashyap www.sigbi.org/st-albans-and-district/2015/new-club-year-2015-16/ – what a great start to the year!

New Club Year 2015-16

11 years ago in

The Club started the new Club Year in style with a celebration of the Club’s 58th Anniversary following the AGM at “The Cricketers” in Redbourn. It was lovely to be able to start the event by welcoming new Member Alka Cashyap to the Club. Alka is pictured here receiving the hand of friendship from President Denise Powell. For a summary of the Club’s Activities for the Club Year 2014-15 please scross through Club News: www.sigbi.org/st-albans-and-district/category/club-news/ Denise announced that the theme for the coming year is “Continuity Through Change” for more of the President’s message please click here: www.sigbi.org/st-albans-and-district/presidents-message-2015/ We also had Regional Presidents Rita Beaumont and Pauline Panter as guests of honour for the evening (they are pictured on the left either side of President Denise on the front row). The other Members in this picure – Helen, Janet, Jennie, Madeline, Hilary and Joan are all celebrating “special”

Quiz Night Success!

11 years ago in

charity

The Soroptimist Quiz Night on Sat 18 April was a great success raising a fabulous £1014.58! This money will educate teenage girls in Kenya. The Quiz Night was great fun again with a packed hall of quizzers at Homewood Rd, St Albans. The money raised will pay for the education of 4 teenage girls in Kenya where all secondary education has to be paid for. These girls are supported by the Club’s International Charity – International Peace Initiatives – a Kenyan charity transforming the lives of girls and HIV-positive women – see www.ipeacei.org www.sigbi.org/st-albans-and-district/our-international-project

Farewell to Laura

11 years ago in

Laura Redhead

Denise Powell (pictured right) President of Soroptimist International St Albans and District Club presented Laura Redhead (pictured left) with a farewell gift at the Club’s quiz night. Laura has now moved to Suffolk. Having been a member of the Club since 2002 Laura has made a huge contribution to the Club as well as taking on other senior roles within the Soroptimist organisation. Club Members know it is just “au revoir” and that they will continue to see Laura at many Soroptimist events.

Women’s Day Happening in St Albans

11 years ago in

#makeithappen

To celebrate International Women’s Day St Albans and District Soroptimists were joined by Penny Williams JP, Deputy Lieutenant of Hertfordshire, Kate Belinis (also a DL of Herts), members of the Hertfordshire Asian Women’s Association, members of Amnesty International plus many more friends and supporters and their children who came to “Join Women on the Bridge” in Verulamium Park St Albans. The theme for the day was “Make it Happen”. The second part of the celebrations were at the “Inn on the Park” cafe where there were speeches, presentations, tea, cake and networking – perfect! Denise Powell, President of Soroptimist International and District spoke and said “We are lucky to be able to do this in safety, sadly in some countries just gathering like this puts women’s lives at risk. Many groups have ‘Join Women on the Bridge’ events like ours to highlight our symbolic support and connection with

ICS Volunteer Emma Honess Heads for Tanzania

11 years ago in

club

On Monday 9 Feb Emma Honess visited our Club to tell us about the adventure that she will be embarking upon at the beginning of March. Emma has been chosen as a participant on International Citizen Service (ICS) www.volunteerics.org It’s a programme that brings young people from different countries together to fight poverty. In many poorer countries young people make up the majority of the population. This programme is specifically designed to get young people from the UK and host countries together to tackle poverty and its causes. Emma has been selected to go to Tanzania with Restless Development http://restlessdevelopment.org/ for three months starting in March 2015. During this time she will be living with a local family in Dar Es Salaam and will be involved in a community work project along with a counterpart from Tanzania. Restless Development is a youth led development agency helping tackle

Soroptimist Christmas Tree

12 years ago in

christmas

Soroptimist International St Albans and District has decorated a beautiful Christmas tree which is on show at the St Saviour’s Christmas Tree Festival 18th—24th December 2014. This event is held every three years and is truly magical when so many trees are all lit and decorated. Please come along and see all the trees if you can. For more information see the poster here or the St Saviours website: www.ssaviours.org

Christmas Charity Market Stall Selling Kenyan Jewellery

12 years ago in

charity

Soroptimists had the charity stall at St Albans Christmas Market on Friday 12th Dec selling Kenyan Jewellery made by HIV +ve women in aid of International Peace Initiatives (IPI) www.sigbi.org/st-albans-and-district/our-international-project/ www.ipeacei.org a charity helping Kenyan women and children affected by HIV/AIDS. The money from the sale of the jewellery goes to the women who made the jewellery because it is their own sustainable business. In addition 10% of sales goes to educating girls from the IPI Amani Children’s home. The IPI tools are education, enterprise and empowerment.

Carol singing success to mark Human Rights Day

12 years ago in

charity

This year’s annual Soroptimist Christmas carols and bucket rattling at St Albans City Station was a great success raising more than £400 for the St Albans and Hertsmere Women’s Refuge Commuters were as generous as ever in spite of suffering severe train delays that evening. Recent funding cuts and increased demand mean that the Refuge needs additional funding now more than ever before. This event is timed to mark Human Rights Day when Soroptimists all around the world take action www.un.org/en/events/humanrightsday Over a warming supper Club Members made donations of £115 to the International President’s annual December 10th appeal “See Solar, Cook Solar” in lieu of sending one another Christmas cards – see the website for more information: www.soroptimistinternational.org/our-projects/december-10-appeal/see-solar-cook-solar Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a happy and peaceful new year.

Club Member Hilary Ratcliffe awarded OBE for Promoting Gender Equality

12 years ago in

club

Soroptimist International (SI) Programme Director, and member of SI St Albans and District, Hilary Ratcliffe, has been made an “Officer of the Order of the British Empire” (OBE) in the UK Honours List , for services to “promoting Gender Equality Overseas”. Hilary Ratcliffe is pictured here collecting her OBE from the Prince of Wales at Buckingham Palace on 21 Nov 2014. After the excitement of the day Hilary said “It was a lovely day – a very very special day – I am so proud. The ceremony at Buckingham Palace is perfect. Meeting Prince Charles and having travelled to Sierra Leone I was able to talk about the wonderful work Soroptimist International is doing there and we agreed on the horror of the current ebola crisis. The day was a celebration – not just for me but for the work of so many of the women who work so

St Albans Soroptimists Successful Support for Girls Cricket

12 years ago in

Audrey Collins

We have now had 4 winners of the ‘Audrey Collins Soroptimist International U13 Girls Cricket League’. This competition is sponsored by the St Albans Soroptimists as a lasting legacy to past member Audrey Collins who died in 2010* On Monday 10 Nov the Club welcomed cricket coaches, managers, players and parents to give an update and to celebrate the development of girls’ cricket in the county. Presenters were Phil Lewin from Abbots Langley Cricket Club (representing the 2014 winners), Jonathan Cirkel from Knebworth Park CC (representing the 2013 winners) and Andy Knill-Jones from St Albans CC (Audrey Collins SI League Co-ordinator and Girls Coach). Andy said that he believed the League and competition had been a catalyst for the girls’ cricket. A particular highlight were the excellent presentations by Lucy and Evie from Abbots Langley CC – both are wonderful role models for the game. From the

80th Anniversary Soroptimist Conference – FAB!

12 years ago in

Conference

Five members of Soroptimist International St Albans and District went to Harrogate and joined 1400 women from around the world at their fabulous annual Soroptimist Conference www.sigbi.org/harrogate2014 . The five from the St Albans Club were: Hilary Ratcliffe OBE who is also the Programme Director of Soroptimist International (SI), Laura Redhead Assistant Programme Director for Environmental Sustainability of Soroptimist International Great Britain and Ireland (SIGBI), Jane Slatter Director of Communications SIGBI, Denise Powell Club President and Ameeta Sabharwal Club Secretary. The Conference theme was “Women Leading Change Together” and had inspirational keynote speakers including Dame Jenni Murray OBE. Clubs across the organisation shared information about their work – many Clubs like St Albans work in innovative ways to address all forms of violence against women and women’s health issues. This year a member from our Thames Valley Club, Rose Simbo, who manages a charity supporting the Kori Chiefdom

On the buses!

12 years ago in

club

Saturday 25 Oct – Club Outing – London Transport Museum Sam Mullins, Director of the London Transport Musuem took us on a fascinating tour of the musuem and the current exhibition “Goodbye Piccadilly: From Home Front to Western Front” www.ltmuseum.co.uk/whats-on/exhibitions with a focus on the role of women during WW1. There were 14 of us in total – including three husbands, 1 mum and a daughter. There was much hilarity when Janet’s daughter Kyra donned a uniform next to these words “female railway guard 1917 – for safety reasons the skirts were shorter than usual and included knee length knickers tucked into boots preventing any flesh from being revealed”!

Kenyan evening fun – plus special visitor from Meru

12 years ago in

charity

Club Members and friends had a great time at the Kenyan evening on Monday 22 September. Everyone was delighted that Dr Karambu Ringera was able to join in the fun, adding her warmth and authenticity to the proceedings. The photos tell there own story with Karambu in the first and last pics. We learnt Swahili words, had a quiz about Kenya, learnt how to tie headscarves, sampled Kenyan food, sang and danced. There was an opportunity to buy the jewellery the Club sells that is made by HIV+ve women in Kenya which provides them with a sustainable income – this is just one of the initiatives that Dr Karambu Ringera is behind with her charity IPI International Peace Initiatives www.ipeacei.org . Karambu engaged us in the traditional way of Kenyan story-telling where we all sat in a circle and she told

Club Member – Hilary Ratcliffe Celebrates OBE

12 years ago in

club

Soroptimist International (SI) Programme Director, and member of SI St Albans and District, Hilary Ratcliffe, has been made an “Officer of the Order of the British Empire” (OBE) in the UK Honours List , recognising her achievements in promoting gender equality around the world. A Soroptimist since 1980, Hilary lives in Harpenden and is an active member of the St Albans and District Club. She has been Club President, Regional President, Chair of the Soroptimist UK Programme Action Committee, SI Great Britain and Ireland Federation Assistant Programme Director for Education, Federation Programme Director and has been International Programme Director since 2011 – a post that will have its grand finale at the SI Convention in Istanbul in 2015. Hilary spoke to the Club about her award, she thanked the Club Members saying “I feel it’s your award as much as mine, it’s as a result of all

Marvellous Friendship Link Visit to Muenster

12 years ago in

Barbata Romme

Members of Soroptimist International Muenster extended the hand of friendship to 18 visitors from SI St Albans and District and SI Trier for the weekend of 29-31 September. Five members of the St Albans Club, three husbands and Beatriz Chadour-Sampson (the Soroptimist who started the friendship link) all travelled to Muenster along with nine Members of SI Trier. The visit began with a brunch at the home of Dr Sylvia Vorhnhecke – after our early start that morning a huge spread of food was demolished in no time! The sun shone, and we were able to renew friendships, start to make new friends, eat, drink – and admire Sylvia’s husband’s collection of British artifacts including a traditional British red telephone box installed in the garden! The hospitality from SI Muenster was wonderful from the moment we arrived, until the moment we left. The President of SI Trier

St Albans Tree Walk

12 years ago in

club

Club Members and friends enjoyed a “tree walk” around St Albans on Monday 28th July. Jane Ellis led the group in an enjoyable walk through St Albans pointing out many trees of particular significance including a London Plane tree in St Peter’s Street which was planted by the St Albans Soroptimists in 2001 “as a living symbol of their role as a global voice for women” (pictured here). Many of the trees were planted as commemorations and the Council displays the special illustrated St Albans Tree Book of Remembrance which can be seen on the balcony of the space open to the public in the Council Offices. Other trees included the Holm Oak (also known as the Holly Oak) in front of the Abbey, planted for ecumenism (also pictured here). The walk ended with drinks and a meal that the group felt they had earned at “Ye Olde

£1415 Raised for the Womens Refuge!

12 years ago in

charity

The St Albans & District Soroptimists raised a wonderful £1415 for the St Albans and Hertsmere Women’s Refuge in the club year 2013/14 – even though the Club supported 2 charities again this year! Sara Jackson and Liz Perry, Managers at the Refuge, were thrilled when the cheque was presented to them by the Club. In the picture in the middle of the Club Members is Soroptimist President Denise holding the giant cheque with Sara and Liz. Also in the picture is a large bag of tea – as well as fundraising, the club provides tea, coffee and sugar for the Refuge, household items to help women leaving the Refuge get started in a new home and Christmas gifts. Sara and Liz said how grateful the Refuge is for the continued support of Soroptimist International St Albans and District Members. They gave an update on the Refuge – there has been a major turnaround in staff in the last year – of 14

Club Welcomes New Member

12 years ago in

club

Soroptimist International St Albans and District was delighted to welcome Catherine Moore as a new member of the Club at theirJuly meeting. Catherine met Club members for the first time when she joined in with the Club’s International Women’s Day celebration earlier this year. Since then she has been a regular guest of the Club, and has found that the organisation’s aims and objectives to make a difference to the lives of women and girls fit with her own values, combined with the sociability of the local Club made her decide to join. Catherine is pictured here with Membership Officer Helen Byrne (1st pic left and 2nd pic centre), and President Denise Powell (2nd pic right).

Cricket Girls – New Winners of Soroptimist Trophy 2014

12 years ago in

Audrey Collins

A joint Abbots Langley and Watford Under-13 girls cricket team won the fourth annual Soroptimist Audrey Collins Hertfordshire Cricket League Trophy. The nail biting game went down to the last ball, with the Abbots Langley and Watford Under-13s combined side beating opponents Knebworth Park by one run in the final to lift the trophy. Reflecting on his side’s success, lead coach Phil Lewins said: “I hope this can be a springboard to further promoting girls and ladies cricket in the area.” Denise Powell, President of Soroptimist International St Albans and District said “There was a great atmosphere. The excitement of the winning team was plain to see, there was much hugging and smiling and shouting – there can be no doubt that there is great prestige in winning the trophy and that the Soroptimist Audrey Collins under 13’s cricket award is prized and is therefore making a

Wellbeing of Women – well kept secret?

12 years ago in

charity

The Club was delighted to be able to welcome Liz Campbell from the charity Wellbeing of Women (Liz is pictured here centre between Denise Powell, Club President on the left and Jean Eaton on the right. Liz was able to inform us about this charity – which seems to be as well kept a secret as Soroptimist International! Wellbeing of Women is a charity dedicated to improving the health of women and babies across the UK. Every year the charity invests in special research projects and allocate funds towards the training of specialist doctors and midwives. The charity was established in 1964 and has enabled the major breakthrough’s in obstetrics and gynaecology – for more information please visit the website: www.wellbeingofwomen.org.uk/

Charity Car Park – Great Result for Refuge

12 years ago in

charity

Soroptimists (wo)manned the Charity Car Park on Sat 21 June at Oaklands College in Welwyn Garden City – raising an impressive £192 for the St Albans & Hertsmere Women’s Refuge www.stalbansandhertsmerewomensrefuge.org.uk Members of the Club – Denise Powell (President), Pamela Rochford and Jane Slatter – are pictured here at the car park.

Living Room Charity – Explained

12 years ago in

charity

Janis Feely MBE, founder and CEO of The Living Room, visited the Club, accompanied by Claire Cooper to explain the work amazing work of the charity www.thelivingroom.me.uk The Living Room is an addiction centre which started in Stevenage and now has a branch in St Albans. It was the St Albans Mayor, Annie Brewster’s charity for 2013-14 and SI Hertford chose the Living Room as their Club’s charity in 2013. Pictured here l to r are Helen Byrne (SI St Albans and District Membership Officer), Janis Feely (Living Room Founder and CEO), Claire Cooper (Living Room Volunteer) and Denise Powell (SI St Albans and District Club President).

Warsaw Sisters Visit St Albans

12 years ago in

club

Soroptimist Sisters from Warsaw Visit St Albans Members of Soroptimist International (SI) Warsaw visited SI St Albans and District in May for an action packed weekend. We were welcomed at the brand new John Lewis Heritage Centre in Cookham Berkshire, by Judy Faraday, Club Member and Archivist for the John Lewis Partnership. With it being the 150th Anniversary of the John Lewis business this year it was an extremely interesting visit that was also shared by St Albans and District Soroptimist Club Members and partners www.johnlewispartnership.co.uk/about/our-history.html On their last day our Soroptimist friends from Warsaw were treated to a journey through St Albans history with a guided walk in St Albans. They were again joined by “rent-a-crowd” – the St Albans and District Soroptimist Club Members and partners. Over the weekend there was also time for shopping and entertainment including meals in Members’ homes on

New Club Year

12 years ago in

The Club started the new Club Year in style with a celebration of the Club’s 57th Anniversary following the AGM at “The Cricketers” in Redbourn. The first picture here is of the Club’s last President Helen Byrne and the Regional President Penny Dmoch both shaking new President Denise Powell’s hands. Denise introduced the theme ‘Changing together, changing lives’ for the new year, please read her message here: www.sigbi.org/st-albans-and-district/club-presidents-message-2014-2015/ Denise and Penny are also pictured here with all the members who were presented with their long service awards for their Soroptimist Membership by Penny. The final picture is of a delicious birthday cake in front of the Club’s Charter Certificate. We celebrated the 57th Anniversary with a buffet and then demolished the cake in true Soroptimist fashion!

Quiz Night Success

12 years ago in

charity

The Charity Quiz Night on Sat 12 April was a great success – we raised a whopping £1,075.50 and everyone really enjoyed themselves. This Soroptimist fundraiser was in aid of the Club’s international project International Peace Initiatives – a Kenyan charity transforming the lives of girls and HIV-positive women see www.ipeacei.org and www.sigbi.org/st-albans-and-district/our-international-project The money will keep the 4 girls we help sponsor through their high school education. The event was completely sold out as you can see from the picture below so be sure to put next year’s date in your diary now – 18 April 2015 at Homewood Road Church Hall St Albans.

Member Influences UN in New York

12 years ago in

The 58th meeting of the United Nations (UN) Commission on the Status of women (CSW) was influenced by Hilary Ratcliffe who led a large contingent of Soroptimists. Hilary is a member of Soroptimist International St Albans and District and holds one of the most senior positions in the organisation as the International Programme Director for Soroptimist International (SI is the Soroptimist umbrella organisation with more than 80,000 members). Hilary and the team were negotiating on behalf of Soroptimists from all over the world (Soroptimists have UN Consultative status). The UN Millennium Development Goals expire in 2015 and it is essential that the post-2015 global development agenda puts the empowerment of women and girls at its centre. Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, Head of UN Women said “Member States have stressed that while the Millennium Development Goals have advanced progress in many areas, they remain unfinished business as long as gender inequality persists”. Hilary said “We are delighted that the

Wonderful Women’s Day in St Albans

12 years ago in

club

Educate to Empower and Enable Women and Girls To celebrate International Women’s Day St Albans and District Soroptimists were joined by The Right Worshipful the Mayor of St Albans City and District, Councillor Annie Brewster, Margaret Chapman, Head of St Albans Girls School, Girl Guides, members of the Hertfordshire Asian Women’s Association plus many more friends and supporters who had been invited to “Join Women on the Bridge” in Verulamium Park St Albans. The theme for the day was “Educate to Empower and Enable Women and Girls”. Undeterred by the recent flooding, the 50-strong group met on the bridge over the boating lake as a symbol of connecting with women all over the world. Everyone wore blue and attracted much attention as they marched with balloons, banners and placards through the park, singing and chanting with a guitar accompaniment and a megaphone! After the march, at the “Inn on

“Swap-Shop” – success and fun

12 years ago in

charity

The January ”Swap-Shop” – raised £75 for the University of Hertfordshire, Soroptimist Peggy Hodges female engineering prize. 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.

Club Welcomes 6 New Members!

12 years ago in

club

The Soroptimist International St Albans & District Club was delighted to be able to welcome six new members to the Club at their first meeting of 2014 – what a great start to the New Year! We hope they will all enjoy their membership and we are sure that as Soroptimists they will inspire action and transform many lives of women and girls in the exciting times ahead for the Club and the organisation. Pictured are: Front row l to r – new members Janet Audley-Charles, Patsy Cann, Jane Ellis, Back row l to r – Membership Officer Helen Byrne, new members Pamela Rochford, Debbie Tankard, Maggie Gatza This story also appeared in the St Albans & Harpenden Review: www.stalbansreview.co.uk/news/10957883.Women_s_group_welcomes_new_members/

Top Female Engineers Win Soroptimist Award

13 years ago in

engineering

On the 20th November Yuwei Luo and Zhili Deng were awarded the Soroptimist International St Albans and District: Peggy Hodges Prize for the highest performing female student completing the second year of a full time MEng/BEng Engineering degree at the University of Hertfordshire. Pictured here, following the prize-giving event, from left to right are: Zhili Deng, Jean Eaton Past-President Soroptimist International St Albans & District Club and Yuwei Luo. In the second picture Shweta Mehta (2011 award winner) and Chen Chen Wu (2012 award winner) join the group because they won further University awards this year. Peggy Hodges was a highly acclaimed British engineer who was awarded an OBE for her services to engineering at a time when this was even rarer than it is today for a woman. Peggy was a member of Soroptimist International the global women’s organisation and she left a legacy to her Club, St Albans and District. One of

A memorable visit to Pearls at the V and A

13 years ago in

Pearls

Members from Soroptimist International St Albans & District, Winchester and Preston Clubs were privileged to attend a lecture by Beatriz Chadour-Sampson at the V & A on Saturday 16 Nov. Beatriz is a Soroptimist, a jewellery historian and consultant curator to the V&A. She gave us a comprehensive overview of the exhibition using high-definition images of many of the spectacular pieces. We particularly enjoyed the fascinating insights into the immense amount of work required to curate such a world-class exhibition. The V & A provided a delicious lunch in the seminar room and the clubs had a chance to socialise; this would not have been possible in the tumult of the V & A cafe! In the afternoon we visited the exhibition at our leisure. Of course it stands on its own merits but we all thought we gained so much more because of our

Club Sees Red for Annual Conference

13 years ago in

club

Soroptimists Resolve to Raise Awareness of Modern Day Slavery and Endometriosis 1200 Women make a Big Red Splash in NewcastleGateshead Soroptimist Annual Conference 1-2 Nov Newcastle/Gateshead www.sigbi.org/gateshead2013 Soroptimists from SI St Albans and District joined over 1,200 members from 29 countries of the global women’s organisation Soroptimist International (SI) at their annual Conference. Soroptimists wore red on Friday 1st November to raise awareness of Endometriosis, a condition that affects about 1.5 million women in the UK and 176 million women worldwide. Later that same day they passed two important resolutions: 1. Soroptimists to alert young women and girls, health providers and the general public to the symptoms of endometriosis and the importance of early diagnosis 2. Soroptimists to take the lead in campaigning to raise awareness of modern-day slavery. This year’s Conference was held at the Sage Gateshead centre in NewcastleGateshead, and had the theme ‘From

Walking Book Group

13 years ago in

A small group of members had a really enjoyable time recently, walking in Heartwood Forest on a lovely Sunday morning in July. Several other things came out of the walk – a discussion about forced marriage and some funds for the BIG Project. The walk was our day of action in aid of the BIG Project – the SIGBI Project – Birthing in the Gambia and we collected £34. During the walk several of us discussed the book “Shame” by Jasvinder Singhera which we had all read. This autobiography tells the story of how Jasvinder ran away from a forced marriage and how, following the sucide of her sister who was forced into a brutal marriage, Jasvinder set up the charity Karma Nirvana to help other women in similar situations. Having developed an appetite we then repaired to the Rose and Crown in Sandridge

Knebworth Win Soroptimist Girls Cricket League

13 years ago in

Audrey Collins

[new_royalslider id=”1″] Knebworth Under 13s were crowned champions of the Soroptimist Audrey Collins Girls Hertfordshire Cricket League by narrowly beating Hemel Hempstead, in the county final on Sunday 14 July. The triumphant Knebworth Girls U13s are pictured here celebrating and being presented with the shield, trophy and a cheque by Helen Byrne, Immediate Past-President of Soroptimist International St Albans & District. Hemel Hempstead Girls were bitterly disappointed having won in 2011, and been very close runners up again in 2012. Jonathan Cirkel, the Knebworth Girls’ Coach (also pictured) said “It is great for the girls to have their own league tournament to play for thanks to Audrey Collins and the Soroptimists. I am so proud that my girls have won this year – they played brilliantly”. Helen said “We hope the league will encourage more girls to join Hertfordshire Cricket Clubs so that the league can go from strength to strengh as

FAIRTRADE IN ST ALBANS

13 years ago in

charity

We had a lively and interesting meeting in July when Claire McCreesh came to the Club to give Members an update on Fairtrade in St Albans.St Albans gained Fairtade status in 2006, but lost it in 2011. Claire was a key member of the steering group that helped St Albans Council to get Fairtrade status back in March this year. There is a need for people and groups to get involved to ensure St Albans doesn’t lose it again. As a Club we were pleased to be able to tell Claire that we have agreed that we will be Fairtrade from now on by always serving Fairtrade tea, coffee and biscuits at our meetings. Sadly Claire is moving out of the area, but the Club will keep in touch with the St Albans Fairtrade steering group. Claire McCreesh is pictured here with Helen Byrne, the Club’s

Top Female Engineering Students

13 years ago in

award

The Club was proud to welcome Tatiana Olivieri and Shweta Mehta as guests at the Club meeting on Monday 10 June – pictured here with Club President-Elect Denise Powell. They were both recipients of the Soroptimist International St Albans and District: Peggy Hodges Prize for the highest performing female student completing the second year of a full time MEng/BEng Engineering degree at the University of Hertfordshire in 2010 and 2011 respectively. Tatiana’s 1st Class Honours degree is in Digital Technology and she is now working for Astrium in Stevenage, gaining valuable experience before returning to Brazil. Tatiana remembers spending her prize money towards a new PC which she needed for her work. Shweta’s 1st Class Honours degree is in Aerospace Engineering, She is now looking for work. She reported that she used her prize money to put towards her international tution fees. Sadly the other 2

Soroptimists Take Action on Women Prisoners

13 years ago in

Project

Soroptimists in Westminster for Launch of “Reducing Women’s Imprisonment” campaign Three members of Soroptimist International St Albans & District attended a launch of the joint Soroptimist International Great Britain and Ireland UK Programme Action Committee (UKPAC) and Prison Reform Trust Project to “Reduce Women’s Imprisonment” was held at the House of Commons on Thursday 25th April 2013. They are pictured here l to r Laura Redhead, Janet Tansley, Jane Slatter. The Westminster launch was a great success with many MPs, Ministers and Peers attending the reception alongside the many Soroptimists who had travelled there from all parts of the UK. Minister for Justice Lord McNally gave encouragement for the work, saying “this will be aligning with the new Government Strategy related to reducing the number of women in prison”. Baroness Helena Kennedy endorsed the work of Soroptimists relating how she had from personal experience seen how Soroptimists

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