PAST PROJECTS (24/25)
Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) – Workshop (Grassroots Activism) in Dublin
SITWD was invited to continue its involvement in the academic research project started by Professor Cait Beaumont of London South Bank University (LSBU) on locating Women’s Grassroot Activism in England and Wales. Funding has been secured from AHRC and this two-day workshop was organised to build on the earlier knowledge of both historical activism in this area as well as current activities.
Continuing academic research into women’s activism is vital to promote gender equality. Without an understanding of the legacy of women’s activism, it is impossible to prove the value of women’s contribution to society. Society wide acceptance of gender equality is essential in efforts to prevent violence against women and girls. While suffrage has been widely studied, other women’s groups have been neglected in research terms. For these reasons, SITWD are pleased to continue with their earlier work highlighting the role of Soroptimism in the UK since its beginnings in the early 1900’s.
During the workshop Caroline Auckland, past President of SITWD, gave a presentation on the work undertaken by the club on the subject of Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG). She highlighted the various reports, vigils and success of Greg Clarke MP’s bill on Anti-Harassment that cited the work done by SITWD in our Spotlight on Safety report. Angela McPherson, past SITWD Programme Action Officer, then gave her presentation on how the project to create a unique banner celebrating International Women’s Day for HMP Bronzefield was created. They also took along to the workshop, objects representing SITWD’s history of activism over the years.
SITWD ARHC Women’s Grassroots Activism – Online Heritage Workshops
Two separate workshops, ‘Archives’ and ‘The Power of Objects (Material Culture)’ were attended by club members. The two workshops came ‘as a pair’. The first gave many examples of ways that women’s organisations can look after their archival heritage better. The second explored objects and heritage associated with female activism and the ways in which these can be utilised by organisations to raise awareness of their work and encourage new members and collaborations.
The workshops linked directly to the Women’s Grassroots Activism research project that SITWD has been involved with since its inception. The overall aim of the project is to highlight the work of leading women’s organisations such as the Soroptimists, to foreground the legacy in campaigning for gender equality and to help safeguard and sustain future activism through the preservation and innovative use of local archives.
Participation in the workshops continued the collaboration between SITWD and the academic research project started by Professor Cait Beaumont of London South Bank University (LSBU). .
SITWD Club President Walks to Brighton
Cat Mennell, the President of SITWD walked from Tunbridge Wells to Brighton to raise awareness of and money for Survivors’ Network.
Survivors’ Network is the SITWD President’s charity for 2024. The walk is part of her year-long commitment to foster support for the charity. The charity provides wide ranging support to survivors of any form of sexual violence.
The walk took place over two days starting on 2nd June 2024. The first stage went from Tunbridge Wells to Nutley with the second stage to Brighton on the following day. A total distance of over 40 miles was covered.
The walk resulted in sponsorship money of over £550 being raised for Survivors’ Network
SITWD Donation to Worthing Hospital Breast Care Department
Through a patient undergoing treatment at the hospital, SITWD became aware of a need for drain bags. 20 mini tote bags in attractive designs made previously by club members for fundraising events, were donated to Worthing Hospital Breast Care Department
SITWD Supports Write for Rights
Every year, Amnesty International’s Write for Rights campaign brings together people from around the world to fight injustice and support people whose human rights are under threat. Over the past few years these actions have made a real difference to people’s lives. From Zimbabwe to Guatemala to Kyrgyzstan, activists have been freed, and justice has been served. This year’s campaign features people from around the world who are all connected because their human rights have been violated.
SITWD wanted to show their continuing support for the campaign.
Five cards were made available at a club meeting. One was for a mother, jailed for criticising Angola’s President on TikTok. Another for a forensic medicine expert jailed in Türkiye for expressing her concerns about the use of chemical weapons in Iraq. The third is a political activist in Belarus, who was abducted, detained and sentenced to 11 years. The fourth is an outspoken advocate for women’s rights in Saudi Arabia who has been sentenced to 11 years. The final woman is part of an indigenous group in Canada who are defending their land against construction of a pipeline. SITWD club members individually signed them with messages of support.
The signed cards will be sent to the five women care of the Amnesty International office in the relevant country. Last year 5.8 million messages of support were engendered as part of this campaign. It is hoped that this year’s will be even higher and help achieve human rights changes.
SITWD gifts ’90 for 90’ to Mayor’s Christmas Toy Appeal 2024
The Mayor of Tunbridge Wells Christmas Toy Appeal is an annual charitable appeal that provides presents to families in crisis, referred by Social Services, schools, churches and other agencies. Each year SITWD donates gifts. This year it felt appropriate to contribute 90 gifts to celebrate the Federation of SIGBI’s 90th year.
The appeal relies entirely on volunteers and donations of gifts and funds. It allows children to experience the magic of Christmas whilst giving their parent(s) some respite from the pressures of the season.
Two SITWD members, Carolyn Clutterbuck, and Kathy Lewis, negotiated a deal with a local shop to buy 90 gifts for the Appeal, which they delivered to the Amelia Scott.
TW40 – 24/5 SITWD Lend With Care Report
Lend with Care is offers entrepreneurs in low-income countries to work their way out of poverty with dignity. This empowerment programme is centred around providing loans to people to start or expand planned business ventures that enable them to pursue long term livelihoods. It is the initiative of the charity, Care International UK and the micro-financing work currently operates in eleven countries.
Care International believes that poverty cannot be overcome until individuals have equal rights and opportunities. It is recognised that women and girls suffer disproportionately from poverty but that equipped with the proper resources, women have the power to help whole families and communities escape poverty. It is estimated that women own approximately 8-10 million formal small and medium sized enterprises around the world. The programme is centred around village savings and loan associations with training in business planning, micro-finance, life skills and marketing being provided. SITWD have supported the provision of loans to women through this scheme since March 2023.
An account has been set up with Care International’s Lend with Care programme. A sub-committee of the club handles the month-to-month decisions as to which women and projects are funded. During the last year, £390 has been lent. This includes money re-lent which has previously been repaid.
SITWD has, this year, helped 50 female entrepreneurs (who are the main support for 98 family members), in the process creating 43 jobs. In total, 191 people have been helped.
SITWD ARHC Grassroots Activism Podcast Series https://historyhub.ie/womens-grassroots-actvism-podcast
SITWD has continued its collaboration on the academic research project into Women’s Grassroots Activism started by Professor Caitlin Beaumont of London South Bank University and now funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC). This stage saw the production of a podcast series which highlight the diverse ways that various women’s organisations, including SITWD, contributed to enhancing the lives of women and girls locally, nationally and globally.
Understanding and acknowledging women’s contributions can help shift cultural norms that have historically sidelined or undervalued women’s roles. It helps promote gender equality and ensures that everyone, regardless of gender, is treated fairly and with respect. By acknowledging the impact women have, we move closer to eliminating systemic discrimination and ensuring equal opportunities for all.
Caroline Auckland, former SITWD President, spoke in the third episode of a five part series, to Dr Ruth Davidson (Institute of Historical Research, University of London) about the campaigns and educational work carried out by SITWD against gender-based violence. She highlighted, in particular, the collaborative work done which led to the Protection from Sex-based Harassment in Public Act 2023, a private Member’s bill introduced by local MP, Greg Clarke and his mention of the club’s work which is immortalised in Hansard. She also mentioned the club’s involvement in the local Independent Advisory Group and it’s work with schools. In the fourth episode, Lorna Blackmore, former SITWD and South East SIGBI Regional President, spoke to Dr Anne Logan (University of Kent) about environmental activism. She highlighted the work done by SITWD in making Tunbridge Wells a toilet twinned town and their involvement with local cemeteries and parks which has led to awards.
Grassroots activism is rooted in the belief that lasting change comes from the ground up. By organising at a local level, women can create networks of solidarity, built coalitions and work toward long-term solutions that align with the real needs of their communities. Sharing stories is an important element of this work.
SITWD Supports HMP Bronzefield
HMP Bronzefield is the only purpose-built private women’s prison in the UK. Following SITWD’s visit to the prison in November 2024 when they learned that donations of wool, fabric, books and DVDs would be welcome, a call was put out to the SITWD membership for suitable items. As a result, the club collected 70 DVDs and 4 boxed sets, 33 books, 40 cross stitch and embroidery kits, 4.75kg fabric, 3.5kg knitting wool, 1kg embroidery thread, bags of sequins and embellishments and a large bag of craft items.
SITWD sets up Local Listening Project
Following SITWD’s ‘Away Day’, which was a reflective day to guide future activity, members set up a ‘Listening Project’ to engage with local women and girls to find out how they feel about living in Tunbridge Wells and the facilities available. The information gathered will help steer the club’s future programme actions. Thirteen club members joined the group. They have sought the views of a range of women and girls to gather information about what matters to them. Subsequent consideration has been given to how the club can support some of the needs which emerged. The project is ongoing, with regular reviews to develop it further.
SITWD wants to be more outward facing and actively promote causes which reflect the needs of the local population and are highly relevant. To achieve this, they needed to consult a diverse group of women and girls who live in the Tunbridge Wells area.
Listening project members met to devise a structured conversation template. It was designed to promote informal conversations about what interviewees like about where they live and what ideas they have for improvement. Members were then encouraged to engage with a wide range of individuals and groups. By the end of March, they had gathered responses from over 100 women and girls (and the occasional male).
Overall, the responses have been encouraging, with many expressing positivity towards the town and the communities in which they lived. The ideas for improvement were many and varied with no single issue emerging. However, concerns about transport, the state of the town centre and other matters were offered up. A meeting with a Town Council Official to inform them of the findings is being set up. Additionally, the desire for women-only sessions at the gym and swimming pool, suggested by the Muslim Women”s Group and also likely to appeal to others, is being pursued as well as an offer of mentoring/ support with IB studies to sixth form girls at a local secondary school. The unfair pricing structure of bus fares is also under consideration.
SITWD joins WALK IN HER SHOES 2025
Walk In Her Shoes is a CARE International UK fundraising challenge designed to raise money for women facing conflict and crisis across the world. It encouraged people to walk, wheel or run in solidarity with women who are leading the way in places of danger. No matter anyone’s fitness level or ability, the idea was to take part and raise vital funds to support women. There were three suggested distances that could be done, whenever and wherever over the month of March.
SITWD is a long-time supporter of Care International’s Lend with Care scheme which loans money to entrepreneurs in developing countries. Eight members individually took part in the challenge, setting their own distance, signing up to JustGiving and creating a fund-raising page. All received the ‘I’m Walking For Women’ t-shirt to advertise the event.
Six members walked 60 miles each, one cycled 60 miles and another ran 25 miles, over the course of the month of March. So, overall, 445 miles was covered. A total sum of £1,560 was raised. The UK campaign itself raised £24,603. So, SITWD contributed around 6.3% of the total sum.
SITWD’s Archive Project
Following earlier involvement with the AHRC Women’s Grassroots Activism research project, SITWD has focused on bringing all historical documents, materials and other information about the club together in a coherent way. A small group led by former SITWD President, Caroline Auckland, together with club members, Martha Naish, an archivist, and Kathleen Lynch-Howard have been looking at how to organise and care for the archives.
Archives help preserve the history of the club’s campaign’s, achievements and milestones. It is important that information is carefully preserved to show how SITWD has evolved and the positive change it has driven. It provides a legacy of empowerment, service and sisterhood which is often underrepresented in history.
The three SITWD members spent two days at The Amelia Scott, a cultural and community hub in Tunbridge Wells, learning about how to care for the archive materials. They received the expert guidance of Heather Strachey, Senior Collections Officer, and Ian Beavis, Research Curator, as part of Tunbridge Wells Borough Council’s Collection Management Training for Community Groups. Ian and Heather gave four hours of professional training focused on cataloguing, ownership, digital media, databases, storage, protection and pest management.
SITWD now feels better equipped to create an inventory for it’s archive before it is stored later in the year, very appropriately, in The Amelia Scott which was named after a social reformer and campaigner for women’s suffrage in Tunbridge Wells. SITWD celebrates its 80th anniversary in 2026 and plans to exhibit key elements of the archives in a display at The Amelia Scott.
January 2023
DAVSS is a charity based in West Kent that supports victims of domestic abuse, aged 16 years and above. SITWD have long supported this charity with several club members being part of the DAVSS volunteer body. When SITWD members were alerted to a Valentine’s Day initiative that asked for donations of small items of personal use to put together packs for women and children experiencing domestic violence situations club members voted to support it. Items were brought to the January club meeting and one club member who volunteers with DAVSS undertook to deliver these to the local DAVSS collection point.
Items for DAVSS donation
October 2020
Foodbank donation October 2020
Foodbank donation September 2020
March 2020
Club Donation to Nourish March 2020
Personal care items
2020/2021
Coronavirus halted all physical club meetings but this did not stop members from working out a way forward. After the initial phase of lock-down Soroptimist Tunbridge Wells rallied and communicated by Zoom. We also set up a social bubble and transferred our sewing skills from bags and bunting to making masks.
Members of the club made over 3,000 face masks. Some members cut and sewed in isolation, others met regularly and to construct and insert the masks into individual packs which also contained soroptimist information leaflets.
Using the hashtag #Masks4All the project quickly became a production line producing masks in small, medium and large sizes in a variety of fabrics for all sexes and ages including children.
Masks for Men and Children[/caption]
Many of these were donated to local organisations, charities and residential care facilities including Chamberlain Court Care Home and other care homes, Aspens, The Women’s Refuge, Nourish and Mbedza. Some were purchased further afield by those who heard of our fundraising activities .
SITWD masks have also been made available to the community of Tunbridge Wells, in return for modest donations, through social media and from outside one of our member’s home. As people moved out of lock-down and ventured outside to buy food and everyday essentials we diversified and approached a town centre newsagent and coffee shop.
This enabled us to increase our profile and the public can now select a mask along with their newspapers and lottery tickets. We have been delighted at the response from members of the community.
Funds raised allowed us to continue to support local, national and international charities and our donations included
- £800 to the Empowering Girls in Nepal Project
- £500 to Nourish Foodbank
- £600 to West Kent Refuge to fund new sofas
- £1,000 to Mental Health Resource Reachout Youth project which gives young people a safe space to connect in these difficult times .
- Penryn & Falmouth Food Bank, This donation made in respect of a percentage of income from sales of face masks produced by members of Soroptimist International of Tunbridge Wells & District, and sold at The Seafood Bar in Quay Street, Falmouth.
- £700 to Arts without Boundaries to fund filming during the pandemic Soroptimist Tunbridge Wells & District also supported World Homeless Day on 10 October.
- Tunbridge Wells Mayor’s Cllr Joy Podbury has chosen Porchlight as her charity for her year. ‘Wear Purple for Porchlight’ A strong message from Porchlight:’All our lives have been affected by coronavirus. The people we support – those who are on low wages, struggling with their mental health or living in insecure housing – are being hit hard. We donated £200 in October 2020.
- £500 to The Pickering Cancer Drop in Centre
- £200 to Kent Surrey Sussex Air Ambulance
- £100 to the Soroptimist International President’s Appeal
- £500 to the Fire Engine Appeal for Poland
- In January 2021 we gave a donation of £500 to DAVSS, Domestic Abuse Volunteer Support Services in West Kent, supporting women & men experiencing Domestic Abuse. This is to contribute towards their new training programme for support volunteers.
- £100.00 towards the Diamond Education Grant. This grant awarding body was set up by our Federation (SIGBI) in 1972. Its purpose is to provide grants to assist women to update their skills after employment breaks or to acquire new skills to improve their opportunities for employment and promotion. Awards are made to help towards the cost of course fees or books/equipment, not for living expenses
All of these donations fully support our programme action with emphasis on People; Good health and Well-being, ensuring healthy lives, ending poverty in all its forms and Gender Equality.
This report demonstrates that despite the difficulties caused by Covid19, we are active and working in our community. The mask activity has raised much needed funds and the list of donations will grow as we have more funds to allocate particularly amongst local charities. An added bonus has been that our local profile has been raised considerably, as the masks have sold in their thousands, and each one has had a small label giving details about the Soroptimists. Potentially, therefore, some 3,000 people who selected our masks were reminded of us or learnt about us for the first time.
2019/2020
Bunting for Chamberlain Court Residential Home to help with celebrations for VE Day
Decorating Chamberlain Court in style
VE Day bunting for the residents celebration . Red and white theme
2018/ 2019
Benchmark
We have produced a report called Benchmark based on a survey of the condition of benches in Tunbridge Wells with recomendations for their repair and or replacement. This has been part of the Wellbeing Group which in turn is part of the Tunbridge Wells Town Forum.
Our Club Charity for 2018/2019 was You Can Youth Cancer Support which supports young people up to the age of 35 impacted by cancer
Christmas Appeal Project 2018– Tunbridge Wells Red Box Project:
‘The project is called The Red Box Project. It is really quite simple. It is estimated that 1 in 10 girls miss time from school due to having no access to sanitary products. Our aim is to collect donations either financial or pads, underwear or tights from the community. These will then will be distributed into our local schools for the girls to access.
August 2018
SITWD took part in Tunbridge Wells Yard Sale in June 2018 where we sold books, bric-a-brac, TW memorabilia, handicrafts. Proceeds were donated to DAVSS, our local domestic abuse charity. To find out more about DAVSS visit- https://www.facebook.com/DAVSSWestKent/
April 2018-The club voted to make a donation of £50 to Bloody Good Period an organisation who give menstrual supplies to asylum seekers, refugees & those who can’t afford them within the UK.
This is the text from their homepage-
‘Menstrual supplies are not cheap, but for anyone with a period, they are, of course, an absolute necessity. It is absurd that they are not free for those who need them. Many living in poverty resort to using toilet paper, old scraps of fabric or nothing at all. We want to take the financial burden out of the most annoying time of the month by providing supplies to those who need them. We supply 15 asylum seeker drop in centres based in London and Leeds. Our ambition is to supply many more food banks and drop-in centres across the UK so that bloody good periods can be had by all!’
April 2018 –
Following the recent Regional Meeting where South-East Region heard a speaker from the Trussell Trust https://www.trusselltrust.org/ As a Club we decided to donate regularly o http://www.nourishcommunityfoodbank.org.uk/ which is our local foodbank so the first drop was left at the YMCA Furniture Shop, Tunbridge Wells.
Toilet Twinning :
We have twinned with two toilets, one in Malawi and one in Uganda as a result of a recent draisingproject
Chapter One
May 2018,
Our programme action for 2017/2018 came to a close as over £200 worth of Boots Vouchers was presented to Fretha Biggs SAHA (formerly Chapter 1) for their clients’ use. Calverley Hill is a supported housing service in Tunbridge Wells for teenage parents, couples and families and single males and females. The service offers low to medium support with 24 hour staff cover to 17 young people for a maximum of 2 years. You can read more about what SAHA offer to the community here:https://saha.org.uk/
Previous Programme Action
Fegans. This was our club charity for 2016/17 and we have raised £300. Fegans exists to bring hope to the lives of children, families and communities in towns across the UK.
Education and learning opportunities:
We have a partnership with the local Guides. We visit units to help with their sewing projects. For World Environment Day we arranged an evening of activities in a local park.
We have embarked on a research project regarding teenage girls’ perception of themselves
Economic empowerment:
Reducing Women’s imprisonment. The club is researching this issue locally as part of a national project in partnership with the Prison Reform trust.
Conflict resolution:
We are supporting the Purple Teardrop campaign by collecting signatures for the Ban Sex for Sale Adverts and by fundraising to support safe houses for trafficked women and girls.
We support the local Women’s Refuge.
Food security and Healthcare:
We are raising funds for The BIG Project, a SIGBI project to increase Maternal Health in the Gambia.
We are raising money to support Dr Oxana Mutalak at the West London Clinic in the work with women who have suffered FGM.
We support projects providing safe water supplies and sanitation in developing countries.