SI Colchester and District Projects

Each Soroptimist International club identifies the needs of its community, then establishes specific projects to address these needs. All our projects relate to one or more of the six Programme Focus Areas: Economic and Social Development, Education, Environment, Health, Human Rights and the Status of Women, and International Goodwill and Understanding.

More information is available in the Our Work pages, where you can read more about the current Programme Focus aims and the Quadrennial Project, supported by all clubs in the Federation.

The projects listed below include some of the local and international issues we research and support in SI Colchester and District:

Ethiopia Orphanage

The Colchester and District Club has helped to build an orphanage for street children in Ethiopia. The orphanage opened its doors in March 2005.

The Colchester and District Soroptimist Club of Colchester heard about the plight of Tsehaye Seyomn through Jan LeFevre who was on VSO as a teacher trainer in Ethopia. Dilly Meyer, past president of the Colchester club wrote to Jan, who was posted in Ethiopia, offering club support to women in Ethiopia. Women Internationally had been Dillys theme for her year as club president. Jan welcomed suggested that any donation be given to a wonderful lady she had met whose vocation it was to rescue and look after street children. Tsehaye takes these children into her home at night. She has built a shed for them in her tiny compound. In the day she ensures that they get to school safely.

Tsehaye is well known in Ethiopia for her kindness and has appeared on TV and radio. Through this she has raised some funding for food/clothes/exercise books. She wanted to build a proper shelter. The authorities even gave her land, but then told her that she would need to build it out of breeze blocks. This would cost her 90,000 birr (Ł6,000). An impossible target she thought.

However, across the continents, in Colchester and Wivenhoe, we spread the news of Tsehaye and her project. Sponsored Walks, Lunches, Coffee Mornings, Wine Tastings, Poetry Evenings, etc were held. Donations from organisations and individuals were received. Cakes were baked!

In September Ł7,000 was transferred directly to Tsehaye so that she can build her orphanage. We have since heard that the money has arrived safely and wish Tsehaye every success in the building project.

This project will continue to be supported locally.

Updates

11/12/06: Having built our orphanage in Ethiopia, Jan Le Fevre our contact there has returned. On 26th December 2006 Jan is organising a sponsored walk. Its all very well putting the structure in place, but funds are needed to keep this excellent work going. If you are interested in joining Jan and her friends please email me at dilly@essex.ac.uk.

Thank you.

OUR SPONSORED CHILD IN NAZARETH, ETHIOPIA

Rahima Ayiredin will be 12 years old in May 2005. She has one sister and one brother. Her father is a guard and her mother is a daily labourer. Together they earn about Ł160 per year. With such limited resources, Rahimas parents are unable to provide

The community in which they live has high unemployment, limited family incomes and many children receive no schooling. There is also a lack of water and sanitation facilities.

Sponsorship enables an Ethiopian Group (NGO) to run a community-based development programme in Nazareth. Included in their work is a programme for basic educational needs for children who have never before had the opportunity to attend school and also a regular formal education programme (Rahima now attends this because of sponsorship).

Primary health care, HIV/AIDS awareness and childcare are included for adults (Rahimas mother attends this health and welfare programme).

Water For Kids

Following a talk by Donna Telfer, the Colchester Club held several fund-raising events to support Water for Kids. This included funds raised from a sponsored swim and picutred below is Prsident Ann, Past President Dilly and Donna drinking a glass of wate

Headquarters

Groundbreaking for SI Colchester Headquarters Colchester Club finally comes to realise its own headquarters in conjunction with local projects. Pictured: President Margaret Tomkins, Club Secretary Jacquie Bowis and Project Co-Ordinator Jill Hough

In July, members of SI Colchester joined their president, Margaret Tomkins at the Groundbreaking ceremony for the new St Annes Community and Sure Start Centre, where Colchester members will have their Headquarters. The club has gone into partnership with Colchester Borough Council, and Sure Start to build a new Community Centre in this area of Colchester which has been shown to be very poorly served with community facilities, especially for children and families. The building is due to be completed early spring of 2006.

As long ago as 1975 members of the Colchester club had the dream of having their own HQ become a possibility with a legacy from Lillian Gifford, on of our members. This legacy was used to invest in 2 flats, which were rented out and finally sold. This and the substantial sums raised through many fundraising events over the years have allowed us to move forward.

Following extensive discussion and advice from others it was agreed that the club would join forces with other enterprises and the St Annes Sure Start Project was considered to be ideal. Many of you will know Sure Start schemes, they are part of a Government Initiative to achieve better outcomes for children, parents, and the community. The St Annes Forum, has among its objectives the aim of offering local people to meet, to organise community activity, to facilitate self-help, and to combat isolation.

Our project consists of a brand new building, with space for Sure Start to have a creche and a family room. There will be a café area, two function rooms, which can be opened into one large room for 90 100 people. On the upper floor we will have our office, along with other offices, and a room for midwives and health visitors to see people on a 1:1 basis.

We look forward to welcoming you to our HQ in the future.

Colchester Soroptimist and St Helena Hospice

The Colchester and District Soroptimist Club gets the St Helena Hospice going and continues to provide help as part of its Service commitment.

St Helena Hospice Project 1979

A long time ago now, but the Colchester and District Soroptimist Club which was instrumental in the setting up of the Colchester St Helena Hospice still provides service in this area.

History:

Miss Irene Overton was club President for the year 1979/1980 during that year several members had experienced many problems and difficulties when caring for friends and family suffering from terminal illness.

At that time the hospice movement was being considered in many parts of the country. Irene Overton, Enid Macaulay, Gladys Bustard, Gwyneth Jefferies and Betty Lyes formed a group to consider the possibility of organising an open meeting for the people of the town of Colchester to study a proposal to start a hospice in Colchester. The open meeting was held in the Town Hall and hundreds of townsfolk attended.

Fund Raising:
Funds were raised in many ways, including a Fashion Show organised by Betty and Eric Lyes (proprietors of Lloyds of Colchester) and over one thousand pounds was raised that night alone. Fund raising continued in aid of the St Helena Hospice. Betty Lyes, Soroptimist; Peggy Spark, Altrusa Club; David Butcher, Rotary and a member of the Colchester Lions Club formed a group known as the A.L.R.S. committee. Bi-monthly Antiques fairs were held at the Marks Tey Hotel and thousands of pounds were raised over many years until the St Helena Hospice was opened and running.

Continued Support:
The Colchester and District Soroptimist Club continues to support the St Helena Hospice in Colchester by manning the reception desk on Sundays. Members have recently been given Roses to commemorate their continued support.

Betty Lyes
Colchester Soroptimist Club