March 2010

Saturday of Service for International Women's Day

Three members of SI Derby spent a day redecorating the Derby Rape Crisis Suite for the Saturday of Service. As well as a fresh coat of paint some bright cushions and throws were added to the room.

December 2009

We have been supporting The Infant Trust this year and I am delighted to report that the Coffee Morning at the Mayor’s Parlour raised £285.30, making our total for the year over £1200. This was a great event and I would like to thank everyone who helped out on the day or baked a cake/made marmalade/donated a raffle prize or came along to support us. We all worked so well together with everyone quietly doing their bit to make the event a success.

October 2009

SI Derby member Amanda Baker recently took part in a 10km sponsored run to raise funds for our president's chosen charity, The Infant Trust.

Congratulations to Amanda, who raised over £600 in sponsorship.

Together in partnership with organisations in South Africa, The Infant Trust works to protect children and help break the continuing cycle of violence against the most vulnerable. For more information visit their website.

October 2008

Safe Water for Cameroon

Village Aid, a Derbyshire organisation based in Bakewell, has been working in Cameroon's Northwest area for ten years, supporting the sustainable development of the cattle-herding Mbororo people who live in isolated communities across the high hills and open grasslands of the region. Water is always a problem for these hill top communities and women spend many hours a day carrying, often very dirty water, for their family's needs. Childhood sickness from water borne disease is very common and often sadly fatal. Their partner organization Mboscuda, (The Mbororo Social and Cultural development association) is very experienced at facilitating projects like well digging, and warmly welcomes any offers to improve the health and well being of the village people, through the funding of clean water supplies close to where they live. The provision of easily available clean water is what we have supported by arranging our "Auction of Treasures".

On 31st October, with the help of Charles Hanson of BBC's Bargain Hunt we raised £2500. The evening was well attended and a very enjoyable event. The Mackworth Hotel, where we regularly hold our meetings, donated the cost of the room. The pictures show 2 of our members, Janet Doleman (left) and President Elect Margo Broadhurst, who acted as "porters" on the night, and the presentation of the cheque for £2500 to Susanne Garnett , from our partner organisation Village Aid, by President Pam Burrows and Vice president Celia Beizsley. To read about how the money has been spent and see some pictures, visit our News page.

July 2008

Environmental art competition for primary schools

Once again SI Derby has run an art competition for primary schools, this time on the subject of energy. Bridget Yates (right), the organiser of the competition, is shown with SI Derby president Pam Burrows and one of the winning entries at the presentation in Derby Council House.

May 2008

Ten Talents

At the end of last year SI Derby members were challenged to use their talents to raise funds for Project Sierra (see link on our contacts page for more information). By our meeting on May 1st they had raised a magnificent £1100 by sales, challenges, parties and even becoming an Avon lady. Congratulations to all members.

Member Ann Brawn models jewelry at a party that raised £270 for the project.

March 2008

A hardy group of gardeners from SI Derby continued work to renovate a garden at Derbyshire WISH women's refuge on a cold March morning. Before they were rained off good progress was made and the work will continue later in the year.

November 2007

Members have contributed towards Christmas boxes for children in Eastern Europe distributed by the charity Christmas Child. The club's activities were coordinated by SI Derby member Hilary Bellaby. President Gill Taylor is pictured with some of the boxes.

September 2007

Soroptimist Art Competition for Secondary Schools

For the last 3 years Soroptimist International of Derby has run an art competition for secondary schools. This year's subject was "Water" . The art departments of the winning schools will receive £100 for school funds. Vouchers for art equipment are awarded to the winners by the Mayor of Derby, at the Council House. A 2009 calendar will be produced from the entries with proceeds from sales going to charities helping provide fresh water and sanitation in developing countries. The winner in the over 16's category (left above) was from St Benedict's School and the under 16 winner (right) was from Woodlands School. The entries were judged by local artist, Neil Clarke. The entry this year was the biggest yet with a very encouraging number of schools and children entering. Werrington Young Offenders Institute also enters the competition, with one of their entries coming second in the over 16's this year.

August 2007

Support for Derbyshire WISH

Members of SI Derby have been helping Derbyshire WISH women's refuge (Women in Safe Hands) to refurbish part of their garden as a quiet space for the residents to relax and reflect. Any easy care design has been chosen, but members of the club will continue to maintain the area. Welcome packs for new residents containing items recommended by the management of the refuge have also been provided by the club.

Before and After pictures of the garden

Some of the workers

July 2007

SI Derby Schools Environment Project

SI Derby has been working with primary schools to educate children about looking after the environment, in particular to prevent littering. The subject of this year's project competition was "Recycling". The schools producing the best work in Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 attended a presentation by the Mayor at the Council House in Derby and a day long exhibition of the winning work was held in the foyer of the Guildhall Theatre in Market Place, Derby. The standard of entries was again very good. Derby High and Bishop Lonsdale schools shared the honours for Key Stage 2, each school receiving £75, and the winner of the Key Stage 1 competition and £100 was St Chad's.

The pictures show SI Derby president Gill Taylor with a "Re-cycling robot" and Derby High's "Bags with a Message" at the exhibition in the Guildhall Theatre foyer.

July 2007

Melbourne Carnival

For several years SI Derby has run a very successful tombola at the Melbourne Carnival. This year, in a break with tradition, numbers were attached to the bottom of corks from wine bottles, a commodity which Soroptimists were able to supply in generous numbers. A fine afternoon in a miserable summer resulted in £233 being raised for our President's two chosen charities - Baby Lifeline and the sponsorship of the education of a nurse in Bihar State, India.

March 2007

Derbyshire Constabulary Male Voice Choir

SI Derby organised a concert at The Robert Ludlum Theatre in support of Treetops Hospice. A Cheque for £561 will be presented to the Charity.

Young Carers

SI Derby once again provided Easter Eggs for Young Carers. We are very grateful to Sainsbury's, who donated the eggs this year. The Club also provided healthy eating Goody Bags for the Young Carers' visit to the panto at Christmas time.

International Women's Day

Members from the club manned a stall at Derby City's International Women's Day Event at The Spot, Derby

November 2006

Pyramid of Shoes

On behalf of Handicap International S I Derby built a PYRAMID OF SHOES in Derby market place on 4th November, during Landmine Action Week. The purpose of the Pyramid was to draw attention to the number of civilians who lose their lives or limbs as a result of unexploded cluster bombs. Handicap International, together with other agencies, is running a campaign to Ban Cluster Bombs. We collected 700 signatures for their petition to support the Ban. The Mayor of Derby, Councillor John Aherne and Mark Todd MP for South Derbyshire visited the Pyramid during the day. We would like to thank The European Recycling Co. Ltd. for their support in taking the shoes collected away to be re-used in the developing world after the event.

Members of the public signing the petition

September 2006

Women Walking for Women

On September 23rd members of SI Derby took part in an international sponsored walk organised by the Programme Action Committee of SIGBI. Women all over the world walked to raise funds for our quadrennial project, Project Independence, Women Survivors of War. Our walk took place in our President's home town, Belper and we raised around £200. SI Derby has joined with other members of the Midlands East Region to form a correspondence group to write to women in Bosnia, who are benefitting from the International Project in the form of micro-credit loans, training in income generating skills and also training in understanding their rights.

SI Derby Schools Environment Initiative

SI Derby has been working with primary schools in the City on an environmental project focussing on litter. 7 schools took part and the entries, which were of a very high standard, were judged by a panel of 9 Soroptimists. Agreement on the winners, St Chads Infant and Nursery and Silverhill Primary, was unanimous. Representatives of the children involved at the winning schools, together with their teachers were presented with certificates and badges by the Mayor at the Council House. In addition they each received £100 towards school funds, generously donated by Severn Trent Water, who also supplied excellent education packs for all the schools involved. An exhibition of the work took place in the Eagle Centre Market from 10th to 15th April.

SI Quadrennial Project

As part of the SI Quadrennial project for 2003-2007, Project Independence, SI Derby members, together with members from other clubs in Midland East Region, are writing to women who have survived war in Bosnia. There was a long wait for this opportunity, with the club first applying to take part in March 2004. We are very excited to have this opportunity to take an active role in the SI Quadrennial Project.

Table Top Sale

A successful Table Top Sale held at St John's Church Hall, Allestree, raised £117. The event was in support of Fairtrade and included sale of Fairtrade products and Fairtrade tea, coffee and cakes. The money raised will be used to help set up a smallholding in Africa, via Oxfam.

Cantamus Concert

SI Derby organised a superb concert featuring the Cantamus Girls Choir at Ecclesbourne School, Duffield on 5th March 2005. 300 members of the public attended and the concert raised £2,500 for the Meningitis Trust. The photo below shows the choir and is reproduced with the permission of the photographer Marek Kuczynski.

International Women's Day

5 members of SI Derby manned a stall and display at Derby City's event for International Women's Day on Saturday 5th March 2005. Several women took away information about our organisation and we hope that we have raised awareness of Soroptimism and may recruit some new members.

Magic Million
An Auction of Promises held at the La Gondola restaurant attracted nearly 60 people and raised over £1000 for the Derby Evening Telegraph "Derby Magic Million Appeal" to provide improved cancer care for Derby.

Frugal Lunch

A frugal lunch is held at a member's home in December each year as close as possible to Human Rights Day. The purpose is to raise funds for the Soroptimist International President's Appeal and also to wrap gifts for young people coming out of care in Derbyshire. The picture shows parcels ready for distribution.