SI Winchester and District Projects

Links

Some of the projects listed below have their own websites which offer a wealth of information and powerful insights into their causes. Links to these websites can be found under Links on the left-hand side of this page.

Lobbying

Being part of a massive worldwide organisation for women makes lobbying an important and effective part of our work. Current missions include:

● During Landmine Awareness Week we collected signatures for a petition to the government asking for a ban on the manufacture, stockpiling, transfer and use of cluster munitions by the end of 2008. (See Links for the government's response to a similar e-petition).

● For some years now we have been lobbying at all levels for the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1325. Resolution 1325 calls for increased participation and representation of women in peace negotiations, peacekeeping, democratic processes and post-conflict reconstruction including issues of gender justice. However its recommendations have not been widely adopted (not even in Northern Ireland) so the need to press for its full implementation in all arenas of post-conflict negotiations remains.

● This year we will be raising awareness of the health risks of sun tanning machines, lobbying the government to regulate the sun tanning industry and protect under 16s from excessive exposure to ultraviolet light.

● Soroptimist International is a member of the Fairtrade Foundation. At a local level we are supporting Winchester City Fairtrade Network in its bid to achieve Fairtrade status for the city. (For more information see Links).

Preventing Violence Against Women

There are several elements to our work in this area:

● We serve on the Winchester Domestic Violence Forum and support its awareness raising efforts in the city on White Ribbon Day.

● We support the local Women's Refuge with emergency packs of toiletries and other household and childcare items. We also provide start-up kits to help women set up home after leaving the Refuge.

● We are investigating the feasibility of preventing violence against women and children through curriculum opportunities in primary and secondary education.

● We have sponsored a seminar and provided an overhead projector to a small organisation called CIS'ters which supports women survivors of childhood incest.

Overseas Aid

Soroptimism is a global organisation so we have the opportunity to help in many corners of the world:

● For the next four years, alongside other clubs in our Federation, we will be working for Project SIerra, an ambitious scheme to help disadvantaged women and children in Sierra Leone face their post-war futures with confidence and hope. (For more information see Links).

● The Diocese of Winchester has close ties with the Lango Diocese in Northern Uganda and has pledged support to their clergy as the district emerges from a 20-year war with the Lord's Resistance Army. We are providing a 5-year scholarship to a local girl so that she can complete her seconday education at St Katherine's School in the diocese. (For more information see Links).

● By collecting old and broken jewellery we and other clubs in UK have raised over £3000 for a project to combat Lassa Fever in West Africa. (For more information see Links).

● By donating money in lieu of sending Christmas cards we were able to support our International President's Appeal, the Hamlin Fistula Relief Aid Fund in Addis Abba, Ethiopia. (For more information see Links).

Local Projects

We also support local concerns. This year these include:

● We have chosen Hampshire & Isle of Wight Air Ambulance for our major fundraising efforts this year. This vital service relies entirely on voluntary donations and needs to raise more than £65,000 every month. Encouraged by a speaker from the charity we also recycle old mobiles and printer cartridges in its name. (For more information see Links).

● Club members work with the local Abbeyfield residential home for the elderly in many capacities. We run a 300 Club to raise funds. We sit on both the executive and house committees which means that this year, amongst other responsibilities, we are involved in managing an extension project which will more than double the size of the home. Once the building work is completed we will be providing funds for improvements to the garden.

● We sponsor one of Age Concern's lunch clubs, providing a hot balanced meal and social interaction four times a week for the elderly within 15 miles of the city.

● We have provided a new trolley for the Red Cross mobile shop at the local hospital, replacing the one the club donated in 1974.

Updates

01/05/08: We look forward to raising a huge sum for the Hampshire & Isle of Wight Air Ambulance at our forthcoming fashion show, Bags of Style.