Club News
Haslemere Christmas Fair - 6 December 2009
A rota of members manned a stall selling homemade produce and gifts at the popular Haslemere Christmas Fair. The day started with the stall being blown away in the high wind and with members battling heavy rain but ended well with nearly £400 being raised to help the President’s charity, Guildford Action.
Above, members Alison and Barbara man the stall just before the Fair opened.
Ladywell Fair - 8 August 2009
Members manned a stall at the Ladywell Fair which, amongst other things, publicised Poole’s Purple TearDrop campaign against trafficking. We also helped man other stalls which raised funds which will assist the work we help with in Jos, Nigeria.
Market Stall - 27 June 2009
Members manned a stall at Guildford’s annual street market, selling a good selection of books, plants and cakes to raise money for Guildford Action Project, President Ishbel’s chosen charity. Members were on site from 8 in the morning to late afternoon and were pleased to raise in excess of £450 which was a good start to this year’s President’s fundraising.
In addition, members sold items in aid of the childrens’ home in Jos, Nigeria which we support and items from a village in Croatia where our Friendship Link Club, SI Zagreb, is working. In this way, we were able to benefit three groups of people, the homeless here in Guildford, children in Africa and villagers in Europe living in an area affected by war.
Fundraising for Phyllis Tuckwell Hospice - 2009
Guildford and District recently celebrated its 50th anniversary and we were privileged to be invited to the Guildhall for a Champagne Reception by Guildford’s mayor, Jenny Jordan, who is also a Guildford Soroptimist.
In turn, we were delighted to invite representatives from the Phyllis Tuckwell Hospice which was the President’s chosen charity for 2008/09. Over the course of the year, as part of the Club’s fundraising activities, £4,000 was raised for the Hospice to help with their valuable work in the local area.
Past President Carole is shown below on the right presenting the cheque to the Hospice.
Soroptimism and Fairtrade
Our meeting on 5 March 2009, coincided with Fairtrade fortnight. In order to highlight the problems of trafficking in the chocolate trade, Soroptimists sponsored a chocolate fountain in the bar of Wates House at the University. Members and visitors to the Wates bar enjoyed the fountain and were offered information about trafficking.
Above, members Alison, Ruth and former President Carole indulge.