One of our charities is School in a Bag. This delivers rucksacks full of stationery, learning resources and eating utensils to poor, orphan and disaster affected children. So far it has funded almost 130,000 bags for vulnerable children around the world. School in a Bag is based at Chilthorne Domer near Yeovil, Somerset. More information at http://www.schoolinabag.org
Helping to provide an education for these children could be their passport to a life out of hardship and poverty – one of the key objectives of Soroptimist International’s global project work.
Taunton Woman’s Refuge
The organisation Chapter 1 manages the provision of safe temporary accommodation in the Women’s Refuge and support to women fleeing abusive relationships so that they can recover from the traumas of the past and to enable them to take control of their lives and make choices about their future. Chapter 1 recently took over the running of the Women’s Refuge from the charity Taunton Women’s Aid who have managed the Refuge since its inception.
Jean Hole, Past President of SI Taunton, founder member and Trustee of the Taunton Women’s Refuge, wrote a book about the Refuge to celebrate its 30th anniversary in 2007. Pictured with Jean (centre) are fellow Soroptimists Sheila Naylor (left), past Trustee of the Refuge and Anne Kearle (right), current Trustee.
Trussell Trust Foodbank
Every day people in the UK go hungry for reasons ranging from redundancy to receiving an unexpected bill on a low income. Trussell Trust foodbanks provide a minimum of three days emergency food and support to people experiencing crisis in the UK. The Trussell Trust partners with churches and communities to run foodbanks nationwide.
Every month at our meeting the members of SI Taunton donate items on the foodbank shopping list and one member delivers the collection to the Taunton Foodbank – over 380 Kg of food since we started!
Annual Swimathon
Funds raised by our annual Swimathon are divided between four charities each year, the majority of which are based in Taunton or Somerset.