Soroptimist International Bath and District

The 2021 theme for the international Day of Peace is ‘Recovering better for an equitable and sustainable world’

Soroptimist international celebrates 100 years in action for Gender Equality and Women Rights. 72,000 Soroptimists worldwide celebrate our 100th Anniversary and we lit 4 candles representing S.I, SIGBI, our South West and Channel Islands Region and our club.

@SoroptiTweet, #Soroptimist100

3 members of the club marshalled at the walk of Life event at Bradford on Avon and in Bath. There were 200 walkers, soem walking the whole length of 26 miles and the others walking 10 miles from Bradford on Avon. The weather was kind and everyone was in a good mood keen to do their bit for the Forever Friends Appeal.

It’s always a pleasure to welcome new members into our club and this week was no exception. After a lovely meal at Hall and Woodhouse, Immediate Past President Liz presented Judy and Leilani with their badges. We then proceeded to our meeting with lots of new ideas and thoughts.

Today, September 1st has been designated as ‘Action for Afghanistan’ day where our thoughts are with those families, women and girls who are left behind and will need to fend for themselves in uncertain times.

A fundraiser was held by Julian House in the form of a treasure hunt which one of our members helped and took part in. It coverd 6 miles and took 3 hours to do.

Trauma teddies knitted by our members and friends arrived at the Co-op FuneralCare office ready to be dispatched to children around the area who need that little bit of extra comfort when losing loved ones.

Hopefully we will get an update as to where they are going but the RUH is one place that they hae been received.

We’ve been collecting blister packs and then donating them to a superdrug store that has a pharmacy attached to it. Many of these blister packs end up in landfill but Superdrug will collect them and recycle them which is so useful to know as millions of pills are taken every day.

Check out your local Superdrug store to see if they have a pharmacy attached to it.

Six club members braved the rain to plant 15 saplings in Melksham to mark our Soroptimist organisation’s centenary this year. Clubs all around the Federation have been doing this to mark the occasion. Melksham was chosen for our first planting and a site in Bath has been chosen for the autumn. There was a mixture of hazel, crab apple and rowan saplings all provided by the Woodland Trust.

Members have been making trauma teddies for various organisations and the Co-op in Bath were happy to accept them and we’ll be sending more to different branches within the area. They use them to give to children who are grieving and also they give to local children’s care homes.