‘HOLIDAY AT HOME’               We hear a lot these days about taking a holiday at home, because the Covid-19 pandemic prevented us from travelling abroad.  At our May Social Meeting, Woking Soroptimists learned about a holiday at home with a difference.  Claire Nix, our speaker, told us about the two-day event organised by the Church of the Good Shepherd in Pyrford every year. ‘Holiday at Home’ is for the more senior members in the community. During the two days, the ‘holidaymakers’ enjoy a wide variety of activities.  Find out more here. Meru Women’s Garden Project The Meru Women’s Garden Project was a Great Britain and Ireland four-year project, 2015-18.   In cooperation with child.org, Soroptimists aimed to teach women in the Meru district of Kenya  to grow their own vegetables and take surplus produce to market.  The women received horticulture

Refugees We are all concerned about the refugees fleeing from the fighting in Ukraine.  How best to help?  Soroptimist International Club have a great tradition of helping each other in times of need.  Our sister Clubs in Epsom and Salisbury have Friendship Links with the Soroptimist International Club in Lviv (Ukraine) and in Chisinau (Moldova) and they are working very hard to support refugees.  So the Soroptimist Clubs in the Southern Region have donated a total of £3,945 to those two Clubs.  SI Woking have contributed £275 to the cause.  And of course, individual members are making separate donations to refugee organisations. Ethel Smyth Ethel Smyth, composer and suffragette, now publicly recognised in Woking!  A statue has been place in the modernised Town Centre in honour of this very talented and influential woman. Read more here. Women in Prison Women in Prison‘s Big Give campaign. 

February Action Meeting We now have special action groups to lead Club Action during the year.   They will focus on Modern Slavery, Violence against Women and Climate Action.  There is also a Lobbying Group that will raise awareness about these various issues.   At present we are following two pieces of legislation of special interest:  firstly, the minimum age for marriage: it is at the report stage in the House of Commons; secondly, the PCS and Courts Bill:  the members of the House of Lords are considering the amendments. The Sheerwater district of Woking has high social needs.  We are therefore looking at what we can do to help the residents in this area.  We welcome the news that a community kitchen will open next month.  It will be run by Foodwise. We agreed to make a donation of at least £100 to the Soroptimist International

Happy New Year We have said goodbye to our year of looking back at our Bright Past. 2022 is the first year of our Brilliant Future! Gender Debate Woking Debates recently organised an excellent session on  Gender.  Watch it on the Woking Debates YouTube channel. A Winter Journey through Woking Park We took a walk through Woking Park and discovered much about Woking’s past and present: The innovative fuel cell that powers the Pool in the Park. The bandstand used to be in central Woking where the new towers are now The rose is a symbol of the Woking Town Twinning experience The statue commemorates the Ockenden Venture.  This global refugee charity started in Woking. It was supported for many years by Woking Soroptimists. “Sit a while and dream a bit” –  Woking Park has many benches where you can do just that.  The invitation

Women’s Health In the last few years, we have realised that the healthcare women get is not as good as it should be. Now the UK government has published a policy paper about women’s health.  It is called ‘Our Vision for the Women’s Health Strategy for England‘.   The government will publish its strategy to improve women’s health in 2022. It’s a positive first step.  Now we must follow developments and lobby for a good result from these first intentions! Anti-FGM campaign We have followed the actions of Hope for Girls and Women since Rhobi Samwelly came to tell us about it some years ago.  Rhobi, herself a survivor of FGM, leads this campaign in Tanzania to help girls who do not want to be cut.  This month, we again made a donation to this cause. In Britain, we spend December preparing for Christmas and New

14 November : Remembrance Sunday Our President laid a wreath at the Cenotaph in Woking National Conference We all enjoyed the Soroptimist International GBI Federation conference at the end of October.  We would have loved to visit the original venue, Llandudno, but Covid did not let us do that.  But all our speakers were so informative and entertaining that the virtual version was a huge success.  We’re already looking forward to the next edition.  It’s theme is ‘Climate for Change’ and it will be in Belfast.  Fingers crossed,  we will all be able to meet for real next time. Virginity Testing (Prohibition) Bill This month, Members of Parliament voted to ban virginity tests.  More in this BBC report. Marriage and Civil Partnership (Minimum Age) Bill Parliament is debating the second reading of this proposed change to the law.  MP Pauline Latham wants the minimum age

2011-2021 Soroptimist Movement We know that the impact of major issues affecting the world – climate change, Covid-19 are just two examples – is mostly much greater for women and girls. Since 2011, Soroptimist International has affirmed its commitment to mitigating the effects of these global issues on women and girls.   Giving all girls a proper education is a great way to help the women they become to face the challenges the world gives them.  So the SI President’s Appeal, beginning in October 2021, is  ‘Opening Doors to a Bright Future’ .  During the next two years, Soroptimist Clubs around the world will be contributing to an Appeal project in each of the five Soroptimist International Federations.   Soroptimist International of GB & Ireland will have a stand at the forthcoming COP 26 Conference on climate change. 2016 – SI Woking won the Love your Club

2001-2011 Soroptimist Movement 2001 marked the 80th anniversary of Soroptimist International. It was time to review the movement and ensure it was fit for purpose in the new millennium. Women and girls were definitely becoming a focus for global action.   Soroptimist International’s knowledge, views and ability to reflect the lived experience of women and girls globally were increasingly appreciated in the United Nations community.  Soroptimist International conferences renewed the commitment to the Beijing Declaration. By the end of the decade, the new focus on women and girls was enshrined in the updated Vision and Mission statements. And 2010, the Federation of Great Britain & Ireland (Sigbi) adopted a new logo, symbolising its entry into the new millennium with renewed dynamism. 2006 saw SI Woking celebrate its Pearl Anniversary. To mark the occasion, Woking Soroptimists donated a bench to Woking Park. Mission and values Work began

1991-2001 Soroptimist Movement   In 1996, when Soroptimist International celebrated its 75th anniversary, it had consolidated its position on the global stage,  Soroptimists were part of the global movement campaigning for gender equality. They spoke up for women at the 4th World Conference on Women in Beijing.  They lobbied especially for women and girls to have access to basic education and equal access to higher education. By the 1990s Soroptimist International had well-run international programmes of work and assistance.  The 4-year Federation projects launched in 1978 were now a regular feature.   Their worth is demonstrated by the 1995-9 SIAM (Soroptimist International AIDS Mediation) project, which was still producing good results in 2012.   With these projects, and with the Soroptimist President’s Biennial Project (since 1982), Soroptimist Clubs across the world raise funds to achieve the common goal. Mission and values Soroptimist International began as a movement

1981-1991 Soroptimist Movement 1981 saw the Diamond Jubilee of Soroptimist International.   The Clubs in Southern England commissioned a stained glass window for Guildford Cathedral.  It was dedicated on 6 September 1981.               1984 saw the launch of the Soroptimist International  President’s Biennial Appeal. Clubs around the world contribute to the chosen campaign for two years.  The results are always impressive in terms of the funds raised and results on the ground. The current appeal targets the elimination of female genital mutilation – more about the Road to Equality here  Mission and values Projects and appeals come and go, but the fundamental mission and values of Soroptimist International remain the same: At the SIGBI Federation Conference in 1991, President Jane Dowell of SI Taunton reminded members that the best way for Soroptimists  to reach their goals is to serve