Day of Service 2023 with the Big Dog Art Trail Day of Service Here at the Soroptimists, we have an international Day of Service, as befits an international organisation! Each year women from clubs all over the world mark the day, either by taking part in activities related to a specific theme chosen for the year, or by performing other acts of service that advance the SIGBI mission goals. This year’s Day of Action fell on July the 15th, the same day as UN Youth Skills Day, so we particularly wanted a local project that supported children. We found it in the form of the Big Dog Art Trail 2023 run in aid of Julia’s House, a children’s hospice that supports children and their families across Dorset and Wiltshire. Aptly enough, the Big Dog Art Trail even launched on the same day as our day

Our Visit to Twigs Our team of gardeners assembles! Swindon Soroptimists mark the Coronation On a pleasant May morning, seven members of Swindon Soroptimists, plus two friends, gathered at TWIGS (Therapeutic Work in Gardening Swindon), with their favourite trowels in hand! We were there to mark the Coronation of King Charles III, after King Charles and the Royal Family appealed to people across the UK to sign up to the King's Big Help Out, a day of national volunteering, saying, In tribute to His Majesty The King's public service, The Big Help Out is encouraging people to try volunteering for themselves and join the work being undertaken to support their local areas. The aim of The Big Help Out is to use volunteering to bring communities together and create a lasting volunteering legacy from the Coronation weekend. Why TWIGS King Charles is renowned for his

Easter Joy! You can never have too much chocolate at Easter!  In what is now an annual tradition, Swindon Soroptimists wished ‘HAPPY EASTER!’ to the clients and staff at Swindon Nelson Trust Women’s Centre.  Our members Jackie Webb, Gillian Reed and Alison Millin visited the Swindon Nelson Trust Women’s Centre to present 25 individual Easter eggs for the women who use the Centre and its services, as well as four bags of mini eggs for the hardworking staff! The Soroptimists know the value of ensuring vulnerable women are remembered and can enjoy the same annual festivities as everyone else. We first began making these Easter visits in 2017; as ever our donation is added to gifts the Trust has already received to ensure that all the women and children are able to receive an Easter egg. We’re happy to say the Centre staff also believe their

'Anyway, Listening Isn't Enough' That was the theme of this year’s AAFDA (Advocacy After Fatal Domestic Abuse)  Conference, held in Swindon this week, and hosted by Frank Mullane, CEO of AAFDA. The charity AAFDA provides specialised support for families and friends after the homicide, suicide or unexplained death of their family member or friend, following domestic abuse.   Over two days, we heard heartrending stories from families such as Natasha and Rupert, who had everyone in the room in tears. The number of #KilledWomen is staggering — figures still show that a woman is killed by a man every 3 days in the UK! Killed Women, a campaign group and network of bereaved families, are fighting to change this.   Well done to Frank and all the AAFDA team for all your dedicated work; it is horrifying that neither the current Government nor its predecessors have listened and acted

Embracing Equity This year the theme is #EmbraceEquity  and ladies at both Ladies Who Latte networking groups joined members in showing support and solidarity by making the #IWD2023 theme pose. Each one of us can actively support and #EmbraceEquity within our own sphere of influence. We can all challenge gender stereotypes, call out discrimination, draw attention to bias, and seek out inclusion.  Club members held their own pose on a Zoom call! Afternoon Tea On the actual International Women’s Day 2023 how better to celebrate than by holding an Afternoon Tea party!  Swindon Club  were delighted to support the Swindon Nelson Trust Women’s Centre, who planned the Afternoon Tea to celebrate the event, by bringing homemade cakes to contribute and add to their Bake Off cake competition! As Tracey, Partnership and Development Coordinator said, “we wanted to celebrate and honour all the amazing women we

Swindon Soroptimists Celebrate World Book Day Swindon Soroptimists joined the children at Drove Primary School, Swindon, face to face at last, at their World Book Day assemblies.  We donated a huge 262 books, filling an enormous table at the front of the hall, amazing the children as they filed in. Staff at the school dressed in ‘Where’s Wally’ theme outfits, joining the array of colourful character costumes of the children and members Lydia, Jackie and Corrine joined in the fun at two assemblies, where the children had to identify the voices of teachers in a ‘Masked Reader’ competition.  Principal Bryony Bardwell received the biggest cheer from the children, after reading from ‘Aliens Love Underpants’! English teacher Abby Picton led the assemblies and introduced us, with Lydia explaining who we were and the children delightedly thanking them for the books.  Swindon Club are grateful for all