Soroptimists’ response
In 2013, Swindon Soroptimists took part in a nationwide Soroptimist project providing information to the Prison Reform Trust about provision for women in local prisons and the justice system. This information contributed to a report to government on reducing women’s imprisonment. The project helped establish a connection with the Nelson Trust, which supports women involved in the justice system.
Local club actions
Since 2015, Swindon Soroptimists have supported the Nelson Trust Women’s Centre through a continuing programme of practical help, including:
- Donating clothes, toiletries, towels, bedding, kitchen equipment and household essentials for women setting up new homes.
- Providing food for the Centre’s weekly Lunch Club and occasional food parcels.
- Preparing up to 25 Christmas gift bags each year, filled with useful toiletries and everyday items alongside festive treats and gifts.
- Donating Easter eggs and chocolates for women using the Centre and its staff.
- Raising more than £360 for the Centre, helping fund two garden benches to create a restful outdoor space.
- Helping staff sort donations and storage areas, supporting events and donating daffodils for International Women’s Day.
- Supporting the Centre’s work with women reached through its twice-weekly Sex Outreach Van.
Impact
The club’s long-standing support has helped provide women with practical essentials, food, household items and thoughtful gifts at times when they may have little else. The donations also help women establish new homes and make the Centre a more welcoming place.
Perhaps most importantly, the Christmas gifts communicate something beyond their contents: that women who may feel overlooked by society are seen, valued and remembered. The Centre’s staff have described how much this recognition can mean to the women they support.
Example of the 30 plus contents in the bags
