Programme Action: Women’s Refuge Donations
The President and members of Burnley Soroptimists have again been making up and delivering Comfort Packs containing essential items for the women and children who arrive in crisis at the local Refuge.
Pauline Frost Hardwick president of the women’s group said “We try to provide the Refuge with a steady supply of these packs throughout the year but it’s even more important that they have enough with possibly their busiest period ahead. Christmas is a time for loving and giving within families but it can also put great pressure on relationships some of which break down acrimoniously. Women arrive at the Refuge without even the bare essentials of soap and a toothbrush so we make up packs for them adding a few luxuries when we have them. We have been particularly fortunate lately to have had tremendous support from Councillor Julie Cooper who has donated very many of the items in the packs. She also gave us items to make up junior comfort packs which included kiddie tooth care sets.”
The latest Burnley Soroptimist initiative co-incides with the International 16 days of Action Against Gender Violence Campaign (26th November-10th December) which was launched locally at the Refuge’s AGM.
The Refuge are appealing for donations of old mobile phones (with charger) which will be given to women in the community, who are working with the domestic violence services and don’t have a phone. Having access to a mobile phone would dramatically improve a family’s safety. Collection points for the old mobile phones locally are the Children’s Sure Start Centres, Burnley Library, Burnley College and in the Town Hall reception. White ribbons are also available for a £1 donation from the Town Hall reception, Nicholas Street reception and the Calico reception with the proceeds going towards keeping women and children in the local community safe.
Mrs Frost Hardwick said “Domestic violence is often covert and, to maintain the safety of the victims, the East Lancashire Refuges can not have a high profile. They carry out vital work in our community and deserve all the support we can give them.”
Burnley Soroptimists supporting Emmaus
Photo:S.I. Treasurer, Margaret Monckton, handing over the cheque to Kevin Quinn of Emmaus.
Burnley Soroptimists are supporting Emmaus Burnley as one of their ongoing charities.
Many people ask “What is Emmaus?”. Emmaus is the homeless charity that works. The Emmaus Movement began in 1949 from the Paris housing crisis after the Second World War. Since then, it has established400 active communities in over44 countries including the UK. Emmaus offers homeless men and women a place to be safe and secure. Each Companion (as residents are called) has his or her comfortable room, whilst living and working in the Community. Everyone living in an Emmaus Community works full time for the Community’s charitable business by collecting and refurbishing donated furniture and household goods, which are then sold at reasonable prices.
Homelessness is a very real problem in Burnley. Government figures for 2001/2 placed Burnley Borough in the top 30 local housing authorities in England for the rate of homelessness per head of population. Emmaus Burnley is working towards establishing a Community of up to 28 homeless people. With the aid of a Government grant of 1 million and sizeable donations from a number of Charitable Trusts added to ongoing fund-raising by local churches and groups including Burnley Soroptimists, it has been possible to buy a former sheltered housing complex which will be adapted and renovated to suit the Community’s needs. Itshould be open by the end of the year.
Emmaus Burnley was officially launched by Terry Waite, the President of Emmaus UK in March this year. The event, held in St. Peters Church, was extremely well attended by members of the local business community and many local organisations.A Board of Trustees has been established to administer the charity. A Project Director and a Project Administrator have recently been appointed, both of whom work on a paid, part-time basis. One of the Burnley Soroptimists, Ann Haddock, is a Trustee and is Chairman of the Fundraising, Awareness and Communications Group.
On the 7th March this year, Soroptimists held a very successful Olde Time Music Hall, raising 770 for Emmaus. We were very proud to be able to present a cheque for this amount at the Launch. Our next event in aid of Emmaus is a fun mock race night called “Going to the Dogs” on the 26th September. Tickets are available from Soroptimist members or from Emmaus members.
Diary
Tuesday March 9th
“The heritage lottery fund work at Towneley Hall”.
A talk by Simon Goff
Tuesday March 23rd
Club business meeting at Belvedere and Caldervale Rugby Club, Holden Road, Burnley.
Sunday March 28th
Charter - Afternoon Tea at Salvatore’s in Koko’s.
Tuesday April 13th
President’s farewell at Belvedere and Caldervale Rugby Club, Holden Road, Burnley.
Tuesday April 27th
Annual General Meeting at Belvedere and Caldervale Rugby Club, Holden Road, Burnley. Installation of new president - Mrs Kathleen Howarth.
Programme Action: Madushi Imali
Befriending a young Sri Lankan woman.
A past president of SI Burnley, Barbara Murray, made friends with a young Sri Lankan child and her family during a holiday and visit to SI Columbo over a decade ago. The child’s parents asked if she could correspond with the Burnley club member to improve her English. The friendship developed as the litte girl moved through her teens. Following the Tsunami, the Burnley Soroptimists liaised with the family to send much needed aid directly to the people most affected in the Wadduwa area north of Galle.
With hard work the young woman passed all her Sri Lankan accountancy examinations and won the opportunity to study at Brisbane University.
Despite sustaining a broken leg a short time after her arrival in Australia and struggling to cope with the pain, additional expenses and great change in lifestyle, Madushi has passed all her examinations.
Immediate past president Lynn Hepworth, a maths teacher married to accountant Paul, and committed to the provision of appropriate education for young women took a keen interest in Madushi’s development, passing on advice and guidance to her. Lynn and Barbara also supported Madushi on a couple of occasions when her situation became critical.
Madushi is now in yet another year at the University and has taken on part-time jobs to earn enough money to support herself as she tenaciously but apprehensively pursues her dreams.
Programme Action: Project Sierra
International Quadrennial Project 2007–2011
Project SIerra
Photo: ‘Flight’ crew; ‘Airport’ security and ‘Duty Free’ staff raise funds for Project Sierra before the flight of fancy Friendship Evening.
We in SI Burnley are proud to be members of a world-wide service organisation for women. By working together,we can make such a difference to the lives of so many others who don’t have the rights and advantages which we take for granted.
Every four years Soroptimist International launches a major international project in partnership with a charity, NGO or United Nations agency. Each project is designed to be self-sustaining by the end of SI’s four-year commitment. Soroptimist members around the world join forces to give active support to the chosen project and in doing so, have improved the lives of many thousands of women and children across the globe.
Each Federation takes it in turns to propose an international project.The current project was initiated by our own Federation, Soroptimist International of Great Britain & Ireland.
Project SIerra is a four year partnership between Soroptimist International and Hope and Homes for Children which aims to raise over £1million to transform the lives of some of the most deprived women and children in the world. Launched at the International Convention in Glasgow in 2007, this project was conceived and nominated by the Federation of Great Britain and Ireland and has now been adopted and will be supported by every Club and every member of our international organisation.
One Friendship Evening to raise funds for Project SIerra was called Fasten Your Seat Belts and was loosely and lightheartedly based on present day air travel. One of the ”in-flight movies” outlined the aims and objects of Project Sierra and a ‘Duty Free’ shop of donated items raised money for the project.
Programme Action as a member of SI Burnley is very rewarding and we welcome new members.
Programme Action: Pendleside Hospice
Photo: IPP with our donation.
The Pendleside Hospice has been supported by members of SI Burnley since its inception. Our longest serving and Honorary member, Miss Muriel Jobling MBE, was the leading light for many years and laid the foundation stone in 1996. Miss Jobling is now the President of Hospice Care for Burnley and Pendle.
A number of SI Burnley club members besides Miss Jobling have given and some continue to give voluntary service at Pendleside Hospice - among them Kathleen Ashworth; Sheila Clay; Valorie Halstead; Margaret Monckton and Nora Simpson MBE.
Every SI Burnley club president has held at least one fund-raising event for the Pendleside Hospice and some club members or relatives have had need of the palliative care it provides.
It was the main charity of Past President Barbara Murray - who had always known of the vital service the hospice provided but saw at first hand the immediate, unconditional and impeccable service given to a neighbour.
Besides the fund-raising events in aid of the hospice during the past twelve months, every club member was given a yellow Piggy Bank to collect loose change throughout the year and President Lyn continued it in her year. As a result of their efforts, Burnley Soroptimists were proud to present Pendleside Hospice with a cheque for over £6000 in May 2008 and over £600 in May 2009.
Pendleside Hospice is a continuing project wholeheartedly supported by SI Burnley.
Programme Action: SI Osogbo, Nigeria
SI Burnley member Marlies Oloyede and her Nigerian born husband, Ajax, were warmly welcomed by SI Osogbo members and other Soroptimists on one of her visits to Nigeria.
A few years ago German born Marlies was busy knitting scarves and raised over £200 to give to SI Osogbo which she sought out after becoming a member of SI Burnley. She and her husband had previously supported an SI Osogbo Mother and Baby unit initiative. Marlies and Ajax were so impressed by the work of the Osogbo Soroptimists at a school for disabled children that they brought the needs of the young pupils to the attention of the Burnley club members. In 2006 the Burnley club had a quiz night and raised over £500 which was increased to £580 due to the generosity of club members.
In May 2007, Ajax returned to Nigeria and presented the money to the Osogbo Soroptimists to support their work at the school.
The 2007/9 president Barbara Murray was keen to continue the support to the school during her year of office and scheduled another quiz night which added a further £500. Marlies kindly offered to host a series of lunches for the club members and friends to raise even more funds for this deserving school. We asked President Funmi of SI Osogbo what aids and adaptations would help the young pupils and, as a result, we have also posted off a number of guide canes, hearing aids and, to mark International Literacy Day, a number of Braille books.
Ajax again returned to Nigeria last Summer to hand over the proceeds of the previous twelve months of fundraising. When Marlies flew in to join him. the Osogbo Soroptimists asked her to formally hand over the gifts which they had received from us.
In her inaugaral speech, IPP Lynn Hepworth said she was keen to support the provision of clean water and sanitary facilies at the school. Marlies did a feasibility study to ascertain whether it would be possible but, on her return, she reported her findings and it was an unlikely possibility. However, Burnley club members still organised a Quiz night to raise funds for the school which raised over £600 and a Burnley club member continues to send out items for the disabled children. We heard very recently (June 2009) that President Funmi had received the latest donations from Marlies’ husband, Ajax, and they have received every one of the parcels which have been sent to them. As a result, they have been able to supply the hearing aids, white sticks and other aids or adaptations not only to the children at the school which SI Osogbo support but also to ELEVEN other schools in the State of Osun.
Programme Action: Water Initiatives
The SI Burnley Programme Action committee in particular and the club members in general are committed to raising awareness of clean water issues.
At the end of the previous president’s year, club member Geraldine and Programme Action co-ordinator sister Anne kindly hosted a Wine into Water fund-raiser to co-incide with World Water day 2008.
The picture (R-L) shows hostess Anne Farry with Westie ‘Rosie’, Past Presidents Barbara Murray and Geraldine Farry and this year’s President Pauline Frost Hardwick with her husband Rob.
Programme Action: Contact Centre
Photo: Julie Collinson, Contact Centre Co-ordinator; Geraldine Farry SI Burnley past president and member of the Contact Centre Executive handing over the SI Burnley cheque to Julia Watson, Secretary of the Executive Committe of the Contact Centre; Barbara Murray SI Burnley past president and Jean McIntyre, former SI Accrington joint president and now a member of SI Burnley - one of the first links for the Contact Centre and a member of the winning quiz team at the 2009 fund raiser.
Following the Lord Chancellor’s Department’s “Making Contact Work” document in March 2001 and the responses collated by the Children’s Act Sub Committee of the L.C.’s Advisory Committee on family law, various initiatives were implemented.
There were numerous cases reported where divorced or estranged parents deliberately and repeatedly flouted the terms of contact rulings specified by the courts.
In 1997, His Honour Judge Gee contacted a Lancashire Soroptimist, Jean McIntyre who is now a member of the Burnley club - and the rest is history! A Contact Centre was established in Accrington and Soroptimist clubs in the area were asked to provide a rota of volunteers to facilitate and monitor the contact.
Members of SI Burnley have been working in partnership with other local Soroptimist clubs since its inception to provide support for this Contact Centre where the children of estranged parents can meet the absent parent in a safe environment.
Funds are always needed and in September 2009, SI Burnley member Gwen Greenwood held an Italian evening which raised £285 (see News on this site). This was handed over at a Quiz Night organised by the Contact Centre Executive. In total, about £1500 was raised and Burnley Soroptimists were proud to note that Jean McIntyre was in the winning quiz team and, with the good offices of ex club member Anne Farry, SI Burnley donated the first prize for the raffle - a weekend at a Shire Hotel!!
A number of SI Burnley club members have had police CRB checks and conscientiously attend the contact centre every six weeks or so. Club member Geraldine Farry, a local solicitor, is on the Executive Committee for the Contact Centre and is the link person for the SI Burnley members. Club members Marie Diggle coordinates the volunteers and ensures that we have a full compliment when it is our turn. Besides Geraldine and Marie and retired club members Janet Bullas, Anne Farry regularly volunteer alongside current club members Ann Haddock, Una Green, Valorie Halstead, Barbara Murray, Kath Howarth and Judith Nesbitt to offer their services to this very worthwhile and vital provision.
SI Burnley is committed to continue their support to the Project.
Programme Action: Fair Trade
Local MP Kitty Ussher led an initiative to enable Burnley to become a fair-trade town and Burnley Soroptimists were involved since the initial explorative meeting.
The MP said it was clear from her mailbag (and a significant amount of it was from SI Burnley members) that it was something that her constituents wanted and was “the right thing to do to give a guaranteed income to subsistence farmers throughout the world.”
A number of SI Burnley members attended the initial meeting where the MP asked for suggestions and proposals from the members of the various church groups and voluntary organisations who had been invited.
Suggestions were offered and information was exchanged. More meetings took place and much progress has been made since then with many large employers, shops, cafes and restaurants now offering fair-trade produce to their staff and customers.
Burnley Soroptimists continue to support the campaign and Fair Trade initiatives. The Council passed a resolution to enable Burnley to fulfil the criteria to become a Fair Trade town and this was confirmed in time for the 2008 Fair Trade fortnight. Members of SI Burnley attend the Fair Trade planning meetings and support all their initiatives.
About our Club
Soroptimist International of Burnley is in its 67th year. We have had many meeting venues over the years but currently meet at the Belvedere and Caldervale Rugby Club. We USED to meet on the first and third Tuesday of every month but to facilitate our new president with her Parish Council commitments, this year we will meet on the SECOND and FOURTH Tuesday of the month.
On the second Tuesday we usually have a guest speaker or an outside visit and members may bring guests or prospective new members. The fourth Tuesday of the month is the main business meeting for the club. We also have a busy programme of fund-raisers; social events; conferences/meetings and programme action initiatives - see other areas of this site.
We have formal friendship links with the historic UK cities of Bath and Oxford but unfortunately these clubs don’t have a website.
We have links with Alhambra/San Gabriel/San Marino in California USA
http://www.caminorealregion.org/mpalhambra.htm;
with Copenhagen, Denmark http://www.soroptimist-danmark.dk/;
with Berlin, Germany http://www.clubberlin.soroptimist.de/
and with Burnie in Tasmania http://www.siswp.org/Burnie-Inc/.
Please see the the Club News on this site for recent events; the Diary section for specific information about our guest speakers; the left hand side of the President’s Message for our Programme Action work. Please contact us via this website if you would like to know more about us and our involvement at local, national and international levels.
President’s message
Welcome to SI Burnley
I am delighted and privileged to be President in this our 67th year. There is an illustrious list of past presidents and as a relative newcomer, joining The Soroptimist’s in 2006, I hope I can live up to their exemplary standards!
The club has a long history of supporting local, national and international projects and working with a wide range of organizations including the Woman’s Refuge, Contact Centre, Fair Trade and Project Sierra
As well as continuing to support these organizations I have chosen three projects that are particularly close to my heart and express what Soroptimism is all about.
· Burnley SI has very close ties with the Pendleside Hospice and I don’t think anyone would have spoken to me again if I didn’t choose them as one of our main charities! Not that I wouldn’t want to. The hospice has an outstanding reputation in East Lancashire caring for and improving the quality of life for its patients. The dedicated staff provide specialist nursing care and the provision of social, emotional and spiritual support for the patient and their family and carers.
· Emmaus communities offer homeless people a home, work and the chance to rebuild their lives in a supportive environment. Emmaus is a secular movement, spanning 36 countries, with 19 Communities in the UK. Terry Waite CBE is their President. This is a new venture in Burnley and is still in the developmental stage so there is much to do.
· The club is truly international in its outlook and has been supporting a school for disabled children in Osogbo, Nigeria, helping provide educational equipment and improving facilities, many of the things that we take for granted in the UK.
As a fairly new Soroptimist I must admit to feeling a little apprehension on assuming the responsibilities of President. When Past President Barbara Murray approached me two years ago it all seemed a long time off. But time has flown and now that it’s here I’m really starting to enjoy myself. I am being well supported by my fellow club members and am looking forward to working with them in the coming year. I’m sure it will be hard work but by working together I’m sure it will be a happy and productive one.
In friendship,
President Pauline Frost Hardwick
Club Officers
Our Officers
| Pauline Frost Hardwick | ….. | President |
| Kath Howarth | ….. | President Elect |
| Gwen Greenwood | ….. | Vice President |
| Lynn Hepworth | ….. | Immediate Past President |
| Doreen Rawstron | ….. | Hon. Secretary |
| Margaret Monckton | ….. | Hon. Treasurer |
| Doreen Rawstron | ….. | Minuting Secretary |
| Sylvia Thornton | ….. | Dinner Secretary |
| Marlies Oloyede/Kath Howarth | ….. | Programme Action Convenors |
| President Pauline | ….. | Social Convenor |
| Margaret Parsons
Ann Haddock |
………. | Press and Publicity
Membership Officer |