Woking Soroptimists have been rising to the challenge of helping women and girls for fifty years. Our Club started in 1976 when women were really building on the achievements since getting the vote in the 1920s. 50 years ago: 1976 was the year the Sex Discrimination Act 1975 came fully into effect – women could get mortgages just like men During the late 1970s the Women’s Liberation Movement held importance conferences about women’s rights in relation to child care, equal education and opportunity, equal pay and reproductive rights.  There were headline-catching protests – Reclaim the Night for example – to draw attention to the risks of rape and life-threatening attacks that women face. New Year, New Member President Sylvia welcomed Susan as our first new member of 2026 at our Social Meeting in early January.               L’Oreal-UNESCO Women in

Tea for Two? No, Tea for Fifty-Two! A full pack of ace players came for bridge and tea at the Church of the Good Shepherd, Pyrford on 15 November 2025. Thanks to those brilliant bridge-players and the tremendous Soroptimist tea-makers, the event raised £750, split between two local charities: LinkAble in Woking and Women’s. Support Centre We are delighted our donation to the Women’s Support Centre was increased by matched funding and used to give help directly to women on their journey through life. Eikon – helping young people in Surrey Our invited speaker this month was Deborah Oates, an Eikon Garden Clubs volunteers.  She gave us a lively and stimulating talk about local charity Eikon. Deborah focused on the creating of the ‘Hope and Dreams’ garden created by young people in the grounds of Fullbrook School, Addlestone. Supported by Eikon, young people created the

Cervical Cancer Cervical Screening and HPV Vaccination health cards were distributed by Soroptimists during Cervical Cancer Screening Week, 19-24 June 2025     This is such an important topic for women and girls.  Everyone needs to see these latest vaccination figures: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/human-papillomavirus-hpv-vaccine-coverage-estimates-in-england-2023-to-2024 Skittles and Lunch with Shifa “The best event in our year!” During the year Woking Soroptimists help women to attend Shifa to improve their English.  We all enjoy the sessions and there is a lot of laughter – but these meetings have a serious purpose.   When we gather for Skittles and Lunch, things are different, though – pure pleasure! We met in St Andrew’s Church at the end of June and great fun was had by all. We look forward to resuming our English conversation sessions in September. Shifa is currently fundraising to pay for swimming lessons for the women who attend

New Year, New Programme The new Soroptimist year has begun! Celebrating Decades of Dedication at Our May Action Meeting The May Action Meeting brought with it a truly joyful moment: celebrating the remarkable commitment of three of our longstanding members. Rozanne has contributed an incredible 30 years of service to Soroptimist work, Jennie an inspiring 35 years, and Audrey—an outstanding 40 years of dedication! In recognition of her exceptional contributions, Audrey has been made an Honorary Member of SI Woking & District—a fitting tribute to a legacy of service that continues to inspire us all.             Inspiring Start to the Year with Sight for Surrey We began the new Soroptimist year on an inspiring note with guest speaker Justine Jasper, Head of Charity Services at Sight for Surrey. Justine delivered an engaging and informative talk about the wide range of

Annual General Meeting April – A Month of Reflection, Celebration and New Beginnings April always holds a special place in the Soroptimist calendar. As the last month of our year, it invites us to pause, look back, and celebrate all that we’ve achieved together. It’s a time to offer heartfelt thanks and recognition—to the many passionate Soroptimists actively making a difference in our Club and throughout the community. Equally, April marks the beginning of a new chapter. A fresh programme of events and activities awaits, and with it, a renewed commitment to service, friendship, and positive change. At this year’s SI Woking Annual General Meeting, we expressed our gratitude to the outgoing co-presidents and formally welcomed the 2025–26 Leadership Team. Silvia, Fiona and Jennie will steer us through the coming twelve months of the new ‘Community and Communication’ programme . Fun, but serious Following the

Violence against women and girls In January 2025, the National Audit Office produced a report about the work of the Home Office to reduce violence against women and girls. Read BBC article here. Climate change Members welcomed Claire and Hector to the February Social Meeting, for a very informative talk about the work of The Carbon Trust   The Carbon Trust is a not-for-profit body that offers consultancy and other services to big companies, major brands and a wide variety of organisations. It helps them to measure their climate impact and work out how to reduce it, in line with government policy. The work of the Carbon Trust is part of the push to keep global warming  below 1.5% by 2050. Scientific research has shown how necessary this is. Poorer people in poorer countries suffer more although they produce less carbon, and women are particularly