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Domestic Violence Protection Shelved

 

The Police have asked people to be aware that Teresa May has abandoned a scheme for the protection of women. Since this is a topic which is close to soroptimist hearts you may wish to alert any organisation that you belong to and contact your MP.  This article is from PoliceOracle/ Police Daily Briefing.

A scheme to protect women from domestic abuse by removing violent partners from the family home has been shelved by the Government, sparking fears that public protection is being put at risk by the coalition’s cuts programme.

Under Domestic Violence Protection Orders – also known as “Go Orders” – planned for England and Wales, senior police officers would have been given the power to act instantly to safeguard families they considered at threat.

They were aimed at intervening in cases where police were worried about violent behaviour within a household, but did not have enough evidence to bring a criminal charge.

Deborah McIlveen, head of policy at Women’s Aid, said: “It is disappointing that an initiative that may have potentially helped to save lives is being cut.”

The orders – modelled on a scheme from Austria – would have applied for up to a fortnight in a bid to prevent women having to flee to emergency accommodation such as refuges.

An officer of the rank of Inspector or above would have had the power to order a perpetrator from a property and the immediate area for up to 14 days.

Breaching the orders could lead to a prison sentence.

The scheme, first unveiled by then Home Secretary Alan Johnson last year, was due to be trialled in Wiltshire and the West Midlands prior to being rolled out.

Victims were expected to have access to help and advice by caseworkers on the options open to them if they left the relationship – including securing a longer-term injunction.

But Home Secretary Theresa May wrote to charities last week to say that she had taken the decision to “defer” the pilots due to budgetary pressures and concerns about the “practicability” of the legislation.

A Home Office spokesman confirmed that pilots have been “deferred”, with a final decision due after the autumn spending review, and after the department had “explored options for reducing costs of implementation”.

The spokesman insisted that May considered tackling violence against women a priority, adding: “However, in tough economic times we are now considering our options for delivering improved protection and value for money.”

Brian Moore, the Association of Chief Police Officers’ spokesman on violence and public protection, said the police were not consulted about the decision.

Moore, Chief Constable at Wiltshire Constabulary, where the scheme was due to be piloted in October, said: “We were advised but not consulted that domestic violence protection orders were not proceeding at this stage. I am concerned at the number of gaps in public protection that may arise as a result of government budget planning.”

David Hanson, the shadow Police Spokesman, branded May’s decision as “a retrograde step” for women vulnerable to violence in the home.

He said he was tabling urgent Commons questions demanding to know the reason for the decision, and whether police had been consulted.

He pointed out that neither the Liberal Democrats nor the Conservatives opposed the plans when they were discussed in parliament prior being enshrined in the Crime and Security Act last April. “I am very concerned by this,” he said. “The scrapping of a potential prevention measure in domestic violence is a very retrograde step.”

The Home Office is under pressure to reduce its £10bn budget by up to £2.5bn. But Hanson claimed that the pilots were not costly to administer.

Under the present law, only those arrested and charged with an offence can be barred from their home either through bail conditions or by the victim seeking an order in the civil courts.

David Chaplin, a spokesman for the NSPCC children’s charity, said the organisation was “deeply disappointed” by the move.

He said: “We strongly supported the orders. They would have given some vital respite to the victims of abuse.”

 

Stop the Violence against Women

 

Stop Violence Against Women!

Dignity and respect were the key themes of the  Study Day was held at the University of Reading on Saturday 10th July on the topic of Stop Violence Against Women with a keynote speech on Forced marriages, workshops on the key concerns (see 1-5 below) and a short play on domestic violence.  

 

 

 

 

 Below is the information from the Soroptimist website which shows what Soroptimists do (UKPAC) on this topic and information from linked organisations.

 

 

VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN - STOP IT NOW

 

 

  

 

The UKPAC’s Flagship Project

 

 

 

 

 

There are five areas of concern under the UKPAC’s umbrella Violence Against Women project:

By clicking on the above links, or at the foot of this page, where you’ll see see subpages, you will be taken to dedicated pages for each area of concern (plus a sixth for the United Nations). Do visit these pages often, as they are being continually updated.

 

Matrix of Soroptimist work

The UKPAC has recently completed the most detailed analysis it has ever undertaken of the work being done around the UK on the subject of Violence Against Women. The outcome of this analysis is a detailed Matrix of the five aspects of VAW, Region by Region and club by club of work, across the country; from Easter Ross, our most northerly club in the Scotland North Region, to Jersey, in the South West and Channel Islands Region. To view this document (it is a PDF so will download quickly), please click here. 

Go to the sub pages 

Within the sub-headings at the foot of the page you will find information on current events. For example, on 2 July the government’s Forced Marriage Unit released figures that show a marked increase in the number of people willing to come forward to seek protection from forced marriages. Already this year the Unit has received 770 calls or emails. For the full story and to download a PDF of that report, click the link.

Foreign Office minister, Gillian Merron, visited Pakistan at the end of February and you can read a transcript of her speech on forced marriages by following the link to the Home and Foreign Office. And The Times, on 16 March, published an article on FGM and there is a link to that article. 

Stern Review

The Government Equalities Office (GEO) has released a PDF of the 157-page Stern Review of how reports of rape are handled in the UK. You can download this by clicking on the above link. Also available is the 30-page Interim Government’s Response to the Stern Review.

The Map of Gaps

The Map of Gaps is a unique campaign by the Equality and Human Rights Commission and the End Violence Against Women coalition which maps services for women who have experienced violence.

The two organisations worked together to map services that work primarily on violence against women and provide significant support to female victims/survivors. This includes voluntary sector services, such as Rape Crisis Centres and domestic violence refuges, as well as statutory services such as Specialist Domestic Violence Courts and Sexual Assault Referral Centres.

The geographic plotting was carried out by geographers in the Cities Institute of London Metropolitan University, with services located within local authority boundaries.

The Map of Gaps covers all the local administrative categories of District Authorities and Unitary Authorities. The full report of the findings is 80-pages long and can be accessed at this link. There is also an executive summary of 8-pages. Both these documents are in PDF format so will download quickly.

Also on the website is an interactive map showing the provision, region by region, of services across the UK.

 

NEWS

March 2010: Baroness Glenys Kinnock takes on Violence Against Women overseas

On International Women’s Day this year, Baroness Kinnock became the first Special Representative for tackling violence against women overseas. Prime Minister Gordon Brown announced the role coordinating the UK’s efforts to tackling violence against women, working in particular with the United Nations to ensure international commitments are met and action is taken.

Baroness Kinnock will focus on coordinating UK efforts to tackle the problem, working across departments including DFID, the MOD and the FCO. The appointment is the first time such a dedicated responsibility has existed.

 

 

November 2009: Ban Ki-moon launches UNiTE Network of Men Leaders

On 24 November, 2009, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon marked the 10th anniversary of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women by launching a Network of Men Leaders, a major new initiative bringing together current and former politicians, activists, religious and community figures to combat the global pandemic.

He said it was unacceptable that as many as 70% of women would experience some form of physical or sexual violence from men - mostly from their husbands, intimate partners, or someone they knew, during their lives. Men must teach each other that real men do not violate or oppress women - and that a woman’s place is not just in the home or in the fields but in schools, offices and boardrooms.

Archbishop Desmond Tutu, the South African Nobel Peace Laureate, said: “You are a weak man if you use your physical superiority to assault and brutalise women. I will continue fighting until the end of my days for the right of women and girls to live a life free from violence and abuse.”

The Secretary-General said, “As I launch this Network, I call on men and boys everywhere to join us. Break the silence. When you witness violence against women and girls, do not sit back. Act. Advocate. Unite to change the practices and attitudes that incite, perpetrate and condone this violence. Violence against women and girls will not be eradicated until all of us – men and boys – refuse to tolerate it.”

Each member of the Network, part of the “UNiTE to End Violence against Women” campaign that Ban Ki-moon launched last year, will work to support the longstanding efforts of women and civil society organisations worldwide to end violence, undertaking actions from raising public awareness to advocating for adequate laws.

The Secretary-General continued, “Everyone can do something. For my part, I commit to doing everything in my power to ensure the success of this fight. Within and outside the United Nations, I will continue to use my Campaign to highlight the issues. Create partnerships with women to end this violence. As I launch this Network, I call on men and boys everywhere to join us.

“Violence against women and girls will not be eradicated until all of us – men and boys - refuse to tolerate it. Together let us make that pledge.”

 

May 2009: Cadbury goes Traffik free

Cadbury’s have announced that, by the end of the summer, their Dairy Milk bars will be fairtrade, and they are now looking to adopt the policy across their entire product range.

Two years ago STOP THE TRAFFIK met with Cadbury in an attempt to get them to take responsibility for the chocolate they sold and ensure it was traffik-free. At the time Cadbury said it was impossible and impracticable, a decision they have decided to overturn.

STOP THE TRAFFIK said, “This is a victory for every person who has complained, campaigned and spread the message. But most of all, it is a victory for every child held in exploitative labour on West African cocoa farms. It is important to remember though that all exploited children will not be free until Mars, Nestle, Lindt, Hershey and all the others have put human rights before profit and make similar announcements.”

 

Violence against Women - the consequences of armed conflict

An extract of a paper produced by Kay Richmond, the UKPAC’s liaison with Landmine Action and the Cluster Munitions Coalition

Although violence against women (VAW) is well recognised in many settings, that in time of armed conflict tends to concentrate on rape. Women’s bodies have become part of the battleground for those who use terror as a tactic of war — they are raped, abducted, humiliated and made to undergo forced pregnancy, sexual abuse and slavery. UNIFEM claims that 70% of the casualties in some recent conflicts were non-combatants - most of them women and children. 

Due to the greater military efficiency of weapons there is an inherent and increased potential for injuring civilians. This means that for a country recovering from war, the presence of mines causes a serious environmental, social, and economic burden, and for the victims, continued tragedy not only for their families but also the whole country for many years.

UKPAC and the SIGBI Federation have been lobbying for the Cluster Munitions Convention, signed by the UK Government on 3 December 2008, but our work has not finished. Our Government has not ratified it due to insufficient time in the current legislative programme but has told the CMC (Cluster Munitions Coalition) that they will do so later this year or early next year. Despite 96 States Parties signing the declaration only 5 have ratified it so far - Sierra Leone, Ireland, Norway, Lao DPR and the Holy See. Thirty ratifications are required before it can come into force.

 

 

If you would like to read the full report, click here

 

UNIFEM

Update: UNIFEM’s Say NO to Violence Against Women The first, year-long phase of this campaign concluded on 25 November 2008, International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, when signatures, collected world-wide, were presented to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon at a ceremony at the ECOSOC chambers of UN Headquarters.

The petition was a broad-based call for governments to take action to end violence against women and girls.

There is still an opportunity to add your name to those people who have already signed the petition. Click on the petition - it only takes a few seconds.

Violence against women is often ignored and rarely punished. Women and girls suffer disproportionately from violence - both in peace and in war, at the hands of the state, the community and the family.

THE THOUGHTS BEHIND THE UKPAC’S FLAGSHIP PROJECT

We all work on a multitude of projects. Every year our clubs work on new Programme Action topics but sometimes this work can be random or uncoordinated. Every four years we have a new Programme Focus, and the emphasis changes again.

We on the UKPAC felt that we wanted to engage with a specific area of Programme Action work and continue with it for the foreseeable future.

The Committee agreed that it should be on the theme of violence against women; this would incorporate many areas, such as trafficking, domestic violence, FGM etc. As we do not feel that this subject will ever go away, it is intended that we will continue to work on this project on a permanent basis. We say “continue”, as many clubs are, or have been, already working on aspects of this for years. It is just that the UKPAC will now have an umbrella project, under which all this work will fall.

All your own work!

Let’s be clear - we will not be taking any credit for club or Regional work that has been or will be done! The plan is to bring disparate themes of Programme Action together so that we all work for the same goal; bringing it under one roof as it were. To echo Past Federation President, Janet Garnons-Williams’ theme for her year, Together We are Strong.

The UKPAC has direct access to government ministers and other influential people, and has representatives on a number of outside organisations; to be able to speak with one national voice on matters concerning violence against women is far more effective than many single voices.

This page will be dedicated to the work that is being done around the country on the subject, in the hope that a coordinated effort will produce results. Armed with the information we will lobby and draw media attention to the problems of violence that women face in the UK. And we intend producing literature and offering help and guidance for clubs and Regions.

For example, FGM (which, regrettably, happens all too often in this country, not just ‘abroad’) has been illegal in the UK for a decade but, incredibly, not one single prosecution has been made to date. Why? The practice certainly goes on here. This is an area in which we could lobby and question the government on its record. SI Tenby received a much deserved Good Practice Award from the Federation at the conference in Harrogate in November 2007 for the splendid work they have done, and continue to do in this field.

And there are clubs, right across the country, that have been doing sterling work - often in isolation - on trafficking or domestic violence. Pulling all these threads together will give us far more muscle.

Working with Partner organisations

Representing the membership of the British Isles as it does, the UKPAC is in a strong position to work in concert with outside organisations to increase the impact of our campaigns.

• Chairman’s July Message
• Six 0 Group
• Study Day 2010
• UKPAC Aims and Objectives
• UKPAC Award
• VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN - STOP IT NOW

 
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Forthcoming Meetings

For the yearly programme see Events 2010-11

Next few meetings:

6th September 2010        Welcome Back 7 30         St Andrew’s.

Public Speaking Workshop - Baroness Flather

 

Julie Blackwell, our regional president wrote about the event:

There were nine of us present at the Public Speaking workshop hosted by Baroness Shreela Flather on Tuesday 15 June. She is a feisty lady and broke the mould when she became the first Asian in the House of Lords and a woman too. There was a good representation from the Clubs of SILC Region and we spent the morning showing her our prepared speeches. It was clear that perhaps we didn’t all interpret the meaning of Public Speaking correctly and she made it clear who had it right or not. We were invited to mark certain elements and make our own comments about each other.

 

It was during this discussion that other talents became apparent and after lunch we reorganised our speeches, some changed content totally and we re-presented the results. This time around the messages were more succinct, better timed, and more entertaining – amazing what a few sandwiches, juice and coffee can do. It showed that we had listened and taken note of what she had said. It was a pleasant informal day in one of the meeting rooms used by the Lords.

 

We were delighted to buy signed copies of the Baroness’ book ‘Woman: Acceptable exploitation for Profit’ at the end of the day. This event has first been arranged by former Region President Sylvia Watson and had taken a while to come to fruition. The Baroness confirmed she would be willing to do this again so we look forward to offering spaces to more Soroptimist members from the Region to take part.

 Joan Howe (from the Bedford Club) who thoroughly enjoyed the workshop and found it very valuable is on the front row second from the right.

Events in our Region August/Sept

Soroptimist International of Great Britain and Ireland
“75 years of service, 75 years of campaigning, 75 years of making a difference”
www.soroptimist-gbi.co.uk

 

Dear Diary…….2010

 

London Chilterns Region : Monthly Events Bulletin : August 2010

 

Regional Events are kept up to date on the Web site www.soroptimist-gbi.co.uk/london-chilterns - please refer regularly to the “Planned Regional Meetings and Events” page.

 

Ongoing

1^st May - 4 September

 Museum of Richmond upon Thames, Surrey, FREE EXHIBITION How the Vote was Won. Discover how artists, actresses and writers played a part in winning Votes for Women one hundred years ago; you will value your vote, and Soroptimism, even more!  Open Tuesday to Saturday, 11am - 5pm.

The exhibition is curated by Soroptimist Irene Cockroft and suffrage theatre specialist Dr Susan Croft. 

Museum of Richmond, Old Town Hall, Richmond TW9 1TP, www.museumofrichmond.com; Telephone 020 8332 1141.  Limited parking, public transport advised.

 

Last Time

 

2010….

 

SI Hertford & District

Monday 2^nd August

Summer supper at “The Crooked Chimney”, Lemsford, Wheathampstead  AL8 7XE  at 7.00pm for 7.30pm with a talk by Barbara Farrow of Keech Hospice Care.  A special invitation is extended to SI St. Albans but members from other clubs are most welcome.  If you would like to join us, please contact us on sihertford@btinternet.com or 01763 271912

 

 

SI Central & South West London

Tuesday 10th August

The Club Summer Picnic in Kensington Gardens from 6.30pm to 9.00pm. We meet at 63 and then walk over Bayswater Road to the Park.

Bring friends, family members, snacks and fun games-entrance is free just bring something you like eating and/or drinking at a Picnic and yourself. So come and join the fun! There will be a Raffle draw and an enjoyable time await you.

 

 

September onwards ……

 

 

SI Hertford & District

Monday 6^th September

‘Frugal  Supper!’  7.15 for7.30pm at 14 Hebing End, Benington, Herts. SG2 7DD.  No charge - just donations to A-CET (African Children’s Educational trust). As we’re also incorporating International Literacy Day, members are invited to bring along a favourite reading or poem. For more information, please contact us on sihertford@btinternet.com or 01763 271912

 

 

The Region Olympic site visit

Saturday 18 September

Due to the nature of attendees coming from different areas, it has been decided to ask those interested to get to the start point independently.

Meet at The House Mill for 10.30am start. Please respond to silondonchilterns@hotmail.co.uk with your interest to SILC Treasurer Lynda Smith. Cost £10. Please  indicate interest before turning up as this will not take place unless the minimum amount of walkers is confirmed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Region Arboretum visit

Saturday 25 September

The dedication of trees for past, present and future Soroptimists will take place at the National Memorial Arboretum .

There will be a Celebration in the Chapel at 11.30 am, followed by the Dedication of the trees on our site.

(Access to the Chapel will be from about 11.20 am)

A finger buffet lunch will be provided within the Arboretum at 1.00 pm.

A limited number of tickets are available at a price of £20 all inclusive

If you would like to attend please contact: Annette Porter Telephone: 01332 517828

E-mail: annette.porter@virgin.net

 

Open Council Meeting and AGM

Saturday 9 October

Lancaster Hall,  London. Further information will be sent out at the beginning of September. The cost is £2.50 per person and notification of interest can be sent to the Registrar Angela Elkholy at angela.elkholy@towerhamlets.gov.uk . We shall have Federation President Jackie Mosedale and our speaker is Jocelyn Hillman from Working Chances, a charity which helps women offenders back into work.

 

SI Aylesbury & District

Sunday 10th October

Charter Tea will be on at Hartwell House. Details to follow.

 

SI Greater London

Saturday 16^th October

Food & Culture day to celebrate World Food Day - Cultural headgear tying - Henna painting - Nail art - Indian dancing - Sari tying - Food from different parts of the world

Venue: London       Entry Price: £10     Contact: Panna Nagar pans.people@hotmail.co.uk

 

SI Hertford & District

Friday 19^th November     

Quiz Night at Wodson Park, Ware.  Details to follow.

 

Advance date “one-liners” to aid with diary planning.

 

21-23 Oct  SIGBI Conference Manchester

30 Oct Regional PAC Workshop

11 Dec Regional Meeting& Human Rights Day celebration,

 

Dates of Interest

 

8 September International Literacy Day

21 September International Day of Peace

3 October International Friendship Day

16 October World Food Day

1 December World Aids Day

10 December Human Rights Day

 

2010 in the International year of Biodiversity

2010 is the Chinese Year of the Tiger

 

Dear Diary……is published every month so let’s hear about your club’s events. Dates for the September 2010 edition should reach Debra Skeen by August  30th 2010 at dskeen@nildram.co.uk

Bedford Club Events 2010-11

Dates . Meetings & Events

17th May 2010 Welcome from President Pauline Speaker: Karen Perry: CEO Age Concern Bedfordshire

7th June 2010 Visit to Shuttleworth College arranged bt the International Committee

21st June 2010 Business & Feedback from Regional Meeting

5th July 2010 Speaker from Alcohol Services in the Community

19th July 2010 Summer Outing to Moggerhanger Park

 

August 2010 Holidays!!
6th September 2010 Welcome Back 

 20th September  2010 Focus on Human Rights 

3rd October 2010 Charter Event

4th October 2010 Health & Environment:: Speaker: Paul Fuller, Chief Officer, Bedfordshire Fire & Rescue Service

18th October 2010 Business & Feedback from Regional Meeting; Motions for Conference

1st November 2010 Business & Feedback from Conference

15th November Presidents Evening 2010

6th December Christmas Celebration 2010

3rd January 2011 New Years Celebration

17th January 2011 Business & Club Review

7th February 2011 Focus on Education

21 st February 2011 Soroptimism: An International Perspective

7th March 2011 Celebration of International Women’s Day

21st March 2011 Health & Environment: Paul Jarrett - Mission for Seamen

4th April 2011 Housing AGM 18th April 2011 AGM & Change of Insignia

Joan Reeves

 

 

Joan Reeves 1943-2010

We are sad to announce that our dear friend and Soroptimist colleague Joan Reeves  died peacefully at home after after a short illness on Wednesday 28^th April 2010.

Joan was a former President of Bedford Soroptimists and a former Programme Action Officer for the London Chilterns Region.

Joan, who took her first degree in physics, was a committed educationalist from her days in Africa on VSO through to her time as an HMI and even  to the very end of her life as an active school governor of a number of schools. Her competence, integrity and care for others was an inspiration to her family. colleagues and friends.

 

 

International Women’s Day Event March 8th

Soroptimist International “A Global Voice for Women”

Great Britain and Ireland: www.soroptimist-gbi.co.uk “75 years of service, 75 years of campaigning, 75 years of making a difference” Soroptimist International Great Britain and Ireland (SIGBI) Limited Company No: 0705866

www.womenforwomen.org www.soroptimist-gbi.co.uk

JOIN WOMEN ON THE BRIDGE - LONDON

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY MONDAY 8TH MARCH 2010

 

“Join Women on the Bridge” is a global event to mark International Women’s Day by uniting women all over the world in showing that they can build the bridges of peace and development for the future. Join in and stand alongside women in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Afghanistan, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Kosovo, Iraq, Sudan, and Nigeria in saying no to war and yes to peace, development and hope.

 

Meet at Victoria Embankment Gardens, London WC2, the starting point of our march along the Embankment to the Millennium Bridge, where we will stand in solidarity with women around the world,

 

The Millennium Bridge, London EC4, will be displaying white banners with images of peace and development made by women participating in the campaign. At 12:00 all participants of the march join hands on the Millennium Bridge for a photo opportunity. Several celebrities will be on the bridge backing the campaign.

 

There will be an opportunity to sign a petition and view information stands on the green outside the Tate Modern, London SE1 until 3pm.

Women for Women International and partner organisations in the UK e.g. Soroptimist International and the National Federation of Women’s Institutes will gather for this very special celebration.

 

Women perform 66% of the world’s work, produce 50% of the food, earn 10% of the income and own 1% of the property. Statistics such as these clearly show the important yet undervalued place that women hold in the story of global development. 70% of the world’s poor are women and 75% of the civilians killed in war are women and children. Women are disproportionately both the victims and survivors of conflict. When trying to foster peace and development in war torn regions women are key. Internationally, UN Security Council Resolution 1325 recognises the important role women play in peace and security and the Millennium Development Goals include specific targets on women’s empowerment. Implementation of both is falling short and unless there is greater commitment to acting on internationally agreed standards and investing in women properly, peace, security and development will not be achieved.

 

 

Happy New Year! Twelfth Night Supper

Happy New year to all Bedford Soroptimists 2010

It may have been cold outside but our traditional Twelfth Night Supper warmed us up!  These are some of the party who went out for a meal thanks to the kindness of Jo Faccenda, a long time Soroptimist, who died in 2009 and left us a bequest which will also pay for our summer outing.

Soroptimists at Fun Day

Soroptimists were represented st the Sue Ryder Care Fun Day at St John’s Hospice on 9th August 2009. We raised some money for the hospice, raised the profile of Soroptimism, laughed with friends and found a pirate (Captain Jack Vincent of the Avenger ) to draw the raffle!

More pictures to follow.

Contact Us

Useful Links

 Soroptimist Websites

Our local region is London Chilterns:

 http://soroptimist-gbi.co.uk/london-chilterns/

Soroptimist International of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

 Soroptimist International

Soroptimist International of the Americas

Soroptimist International of Europe 

Soroptimist International of the South West Pacific

Programme Action (what we do!)

UK Programme Action Committee

Soroptimist Residential Club

Number 63, Bayswater Road, London

Projects and Partners

Quadrennial Project 2007-2011

Project SIerra www.projectSIerra.org in partnership with Hope and Homes for Children

Project Five-O

Project Five-O, in partnership with:

Business and Professional Women International
International Council of Women
International Federation of University Women

Other NGOs and Partner Organisations

United Nations Agencies and Supporting National Committees

Plan International

Save the Children

Trade Justice Movement

United Nations (UN)

The UN Millennium Development Goals

UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC)

UN Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM)

UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF)

UNICEF UK

UN Development Fund for Women in the United Kingdom (UNIFEM UK)

UN Environment Programme (UNEP)

UNEP World Environment Day 2004

World Health Organisation (WHO)

Women’s National Commission

Zonta International

Charities

Amnesty International

WaterAid

Fairtrade Foundation

Landmine Action Campaign

The National Memorial Arboretum

Members of SIGBI wear it Pink! (October 2006)

This website includes providing direct access to other internet sites.  However SIGBI takes no responsibility for the content or information contained on other sites, including those of other Soroptimist sites that link to this site, nor does it imply endorsement or approval of products or information offered.

 

Our Friendship Links

Bedford Soroptimists have friendship links with a number of other clubs including:

Manly (in Sydney) Australia

Bamberg Germany

Colorado Springs USA

Utrecht

Western Jamaica

Our friendship linkwith Western Jamaica led, a number of years ago, to our long running support of a nursery called Wee Care and now we are also involved both with the nursery and with the linked primary school.

Charities Supported by SI Bedford

Charities and organisations recently supported by Bedford Soroptimists include:

St John’s Hospice, Moggerhanger 

Raynaud’s and Scleroderma Association

Project Sierra (working to aid women and children survivors of war)

This year we are primarily offering support to Age Concern Bedfordshire

For projects support by our region (London Chiltern)  use the web site below or go to our links page

 http://soroptimist-gbi.co.uk/londonchilterns-/

About our Club - Bedford’s Home Page

Welcome to the Bedford Club

We meet on the 1st and 3rd Mondays of each month except on Bank Holidays and during August at St Andrew’s Church Hall, Kimbolton Road, Bedford. Meetings start at 7 30pm.

Some of the activities of Bedford Soroptimists include:

• Discussion and debate about a wide variety of topics of local, national and international importance such as Age Concern,educational opportunity and the well-being of children, violence against women

• Running a housing scheme for women of limited means

• Taking up matters  at a local level e.g. lobbying MPs on issues of importance

• Raising money for local, national and international charities

• Continuing our friendship links with clubs in Australia, Germany, Holland, US and the West Indies

• Having  fun - with food, friendship and outings

 

To contact us see contacts page

Club Officers

SI Bedford

Executive Committee 2010/2011

 

Post	2010/2011
President	Pauline Panter
President Elect	Joan Howe
Immediate Past President	Rita Beaumont
Honorary Treasurer	Lynda Smith
Honorary Secretary	Rita Beaumont
Programme Action Representative	Rita Beaumont assisted by Jill Scobie & Caroline Lightfoot
Regional Representative	Lynda Smith
Membership	Margaret Badley
Press & Publicity	Margaret Badley
Web Mistress	Margaret Badley
Human Rights & the Status of Women	Sandra Parsons
International Goodwill & Understanding & Economic & Social Development	Sheila Hunter
Health & Environment	Joan Howe
Education	Carol Ash