Happy New Year! So pleasurable to be together again for the first Social Meeting of the year! But our first speaker, Kim Webb from the banking industry, had a serious message for us.  Gently but firmly she gave us the do’s and don’ts we need to remember to avoid being scammed on the Internet or the phone.  At the end of Kim’s talk, we knew what our New Year Resolution had to be: ‘take a deep breath and wait a moment if anyone tries to hustle you into a decision’.  Good advice indeed. Your Sanctuary We were delighted that Fiamma Pather, CEO of Your Sanctuary was able to join this month’s Social Meeting.   We were able to present to her a cheque for over £1,000 for the Your Sanctuary refuges and services.  We raised just over £850 last October with our pig-racing event. Our January

Christmas We wish everyone a happy and peaceful Christmas 2022! Shifa This year members of SI Woking have helped Shifa with English conversation sessions for women learning English. So it was a real pleasure to be at the Shifa Christmas party to hear about the many achievements of the Shifa women.  So many have learned so much – not only English, but yoga, swimming, cycling, craft activities…  So many achievements! We are looking forward to supporting Shifa again in 2023 Orange the World The campaign to make people think about the many women and girls who suffer violence in the home.  Some of them don’t survive.  Woking Borough Council reminds us of those women and girls. Look for the empty chairs in Woking town centre. Here is one in the Lightbox: Our sisters in Italy sent news of a campaign to raise awareness about 1522,

Orange the World Once again, this is the time of the 16 days of campaigning against the violence women suffer. Woking Council is marking the campaign like this: This year, thanks to Surrey Hills Soroptimists, Godalming Town Council, the Chamber of Trade and Waverley Council are also helping the campaign.  The Pepper Pot, a local landmark, is lit in orange for the whole 16 days, an orange flag is to fly for the whole period and the Town Council offices are to be lit orange too.  Godalming is truly ‘Oranged”! Many Soroptimists were there, wearing orange, to see the switching-on ceremony on 26th November 2022. Our sisters in County Durham remind us of the reality of the violence against women. They  have dedicated a plaque and a rose to the memory of Sarah Everard. Sarah, a former Durham student, was cruelly kidnapped and murdered by

Period Dignity Period dignity in Surrey from Binti International in partnership with Surrey County Council! Women and girls in Woking can get free period products from Woking Library.  The stand is just inside the door. You can also donate period products there. Women’s Support Centre Women’s Support Centres help women in difficulty get back on track.  One form of help is art and artistic activity.  Often, a real talent for art comes out in the process. The New Beginnings Awards give recognition to people who are working their way to a better life with the help of art.  You can see the fantastic results at the Lightbox from 26 October to 27 November 2022.   The Surrey Women’s Support Centre has organised this special exhibition. Immigration A very topical play about people seeking asylum in Britain will be staged by The Journeymen in Woking on 5

Southern England SI News We learned a lot about the work of other Clubs at the SI Southern England meeting this month. Winchester Soroptimists have a long-running project ‘Out of Afrika’ to send much-needed textile items to Kenya.  Pillowcase dresses and baby hats are among the items they have been sending since 20o7. Salisbury Soroptimists provide bean bags and mobility equipment to help a centre for the disabled in Moldova.  They work in collaboration with a sister SI Club in Chisinau, Moldova.  The help they give is particularly welcome at this time. Epsom Soroptimists have had a Friendship Link with SI Lviv (Ukraine) for 20 years.  They have sent supplies and almost £5,000 to date. The Solent East Club reported the many individual actions taken by members to mitigate climate change and improve recycling. Soroptimists in Bournemouth are also tackling climate change by going into

Summertime The cover photo shows a familiar, and usually uplifting, sight in high summer: a field of wheat after harvest.  But this year, the picture reminds us that many people in the world may not get the cereals they need.  And we think of Ukraine which needs to sell its wheat to help its suffering people. Looking forward In August, Soroptimists can take time to look at what is coming up in the autumn: 24 September-2 October 2022, Woking’s Great Big Green Week This year, WeAct is encouraging Woking people and businesses to take the jump and shift to more climate-protective ways.  WeAct suggest: Ending clutter by keeping products for at least seven years Travelling fresh – if possible, without personal vehicles Eating green – by moving to a plant-based diet Dressing Retro – by buying only three new items of clothing per year Holidaying locally – by taking

Your Sanctuary It’s always good to hear about people raising money for the causes we Soroptimists support.  So we congratulate Mary I Tobin, who recently raised £175 for Your Sanctuary by selling the jam she makes, notably at the recent Mela fair in Woking. SI Woking plans to hold an event in October this year to raise money for Your Sanctuary.  Look for more details on our Club meetings and events page. White Ribbon We were pleased to see this White Ribbon campaign poster in Woking’s Jubilee Square on 16 July 2022, with its important message. Reduce Plastic Waste The members of SI Woking help to reduce such waste by collecting their medical blister packets for recycling. It is possible to recycle the packaging, although the options are limited at the moment. This year, on the Soroptimist Day of Action, July 16, Soroptimists raised awareness

‘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