Whitstable Soroptimists celebrated International Women’s Day with a lively evening of music and dance at the Umbrella Centre in Whitstable. Members decorated the hall with fairy lights and our Soroptimist banner stood proudly beside the raffle prizes. Ninety one tickets were sold and the hall was packed as members and guests danced the night away to the fabulous local band Project F. The band played a great collection of funky tunes which kept the dance floor full all night and everyone agreed what a great night it was. Unexpectedly, we were treated to a wedding proposal in the interval when Maya took to the stage and proposed to her partner in front of us all. Definitely a first for us! We were delighted to raise £813.93 at the event, to donate to Maya’s Community Support Centre and to the Umbrella Centre, a well treasured local

Whitstable soroptimists carried out a beach clean on Seasalter beach in January. This is a regular event for us and despite the cold it’s always rewarding, if disappointing, to see how much we manage to collect in an hour. Most of the rubbish appears to have been washed up from the sea, a far too common and worrying trend these day. We are always glad to help maintain the cleanliness of our beaches and the sustainability of our beautiful locality and world. We also enjoy the coffee and chat afterwards!  

Whitstable soroptimists joined other clubs from our region, members of local organisations, family and friends and like minded members of the public on November 25th to take part in the annual silent march  organised by Soroptimist International Canterbury. The march aims to raise awareness of gender based violence and to campaign for an end to this inexcusable social issue by colouring the streets orange. OrangeTheWorld #endviolenceagainstwomenandgirls #16daysofactivism 

SI Canterbury, Kathmandu and Whitstable having tea together in Kathmandu during a recent visit to Nepal.  Whitstable Soroptimists were taking part in a difficult trek to the hidden villages and took the opportunity to reach out to the local club in Kathmandu. A lovely afternoon was spent, discussing the clubs and programme action work as well as discussing possible joint projects.  

What a great day for our Charter ceremony and celebration!   Members of Soroptimist clubs from across the region and country joined SIGBI President Cathy, Membership Director Dishi and Regional President Lynne to celebrate the official chartering of SI Whitstable & District. Members of the new club hosted their guests which also included SI Canterbury President Dawn and members of this, our neighbouring, club. We are very grateful for Regional Membership Officer Jane for her support and encouragement during the lead up to chartering and would like to thank all our guests for their company, gifts and good wishes.

    Whitstable and Canterbury Soroptimists joined members of SOS Whitstable, local people and celebrities, including singer Feargal Sharkey and comedian Paul Whitehouse to protest against the constant sewage dumping in our Kent coast and to demand clean seas. SOS Whitstable told the protestors that their seaside town suffered more sewage releases than any other location in Kent last year, and it also found that, as of September 10 this year, there had been 591 hours of sewage dumped in the sea over 160 separate times. Things MUST change!    

Whitstable & District Soroptimists supported the 2023 annual CT5 Forum Eco Fair with a table and display about Soroptimist International and our new club. The fair was well attended by local organisations as well as members of the public with a steady stream of visitors throughout the day. There was lots of interest in Soroptimist International with many people hearing of the organisation for the first time. Several locals expressed an interest in supporting or joining the club and took details away with them to explore further. Many thanks to Millie, Carol, Anne, Ruth, Nadia and Tricia for helping on the day and providing information and good company.        

Whitstable club members took part in the Great British Spring Clean as an addition to our regular beach cleans in Whitstable. Some members cleaned their local area using litter pickers and sacks, others decided to work as a group and cleaned an area of the Crab & Winkle Way as it leaves Whitstable. In all several sacks of litter including paper, plastic, cans and bottles were collected and handed over to the council for disposal. A good job done by all!

Whitstable members took part in a walk for water to raise funds for Water Aid in March 2023. Five members walked from Whitstable Castle through Long Rock conservation area to Herne Bay pier raising £60 for the charity. In Herne Bay, they posed next to the bronze statue of record breaking pilot of the 1930s Amy Johnson, who died when she ditched her plane in the Thames Estuary off the Herne Bay coastline in 1941. They ended their day with a visit to Maya’s Community Café and lunch in the town. https://mayashernebay.business.site

On a breezy day in March members volunteered at the Whitstable Junior School charity car park raising funds for the school and the Rising Sun Domestic Violence Unit. Members took a 1 to 2 hour shift, directing people to parking spaces and encouraging donations. At the end of the day, half the takings are donated to the school and half to our chosen charity providing much needed funds for both organisations. Well done to members for braving the cold, wind and rain for these good causes!