On The Terrace Inc

About On The Terrace Inc

Soroptimist International On The Terrace (SIOTT) is a CBD based club that is driving for positive change, both locally and internationally, for all women and girls. We are a friendly club and welcome everyone of all ages and backgrounds who want to make a difference. Email siontheterrace@siswp.org or contact Zena on 0419 911 601 for further information, we want to hear from you.

We are actively working to improve women’s rights with practical actions. Our fundraising and advocacy supports initiatives that are changing the lives of women and girls. 

2024 Fund Raising and Advocacy

Local Projects:

Angelhands
We donate to Angelhands an organisation founded by our member Dr Ann O’Neill AO, born out of her own life experience. Angelhands help trauma victims of family and domestic violence. In the 2021 Queen’s Birthday Honours, Ann was appointed an officer of the Order of Australia (AO) for her distinguished service to the community.

Award for Achievement
We contribute to the funding of the Award for Achievement, a monetary grant up to a maximum of $10,000 provides funds for the recipient to undertake a project over two years that will benefit women and girls. Soroptimist International of Western Australia (SIWA), Soroptimist International Award for Achievement, recognises a Western Australian woman who has made a significant contribution in her chosen field. In 2023 SIOTT's nominee Andrea Creado won the award for her inspiring project at Ishar, Connecting Communities. Andrea has joined SIOTT, and we look forward to learning more about her work and the work of Ishar and supporting Connecting Communities. For more information go to SIWA Soroptimist Award

Foundation for Indigenous Sustainable Health (FISH)
We donate to FISH and have joined the 250 club, committing to an annual donation to help break the cycle of generational trauma, poverty and engagement in the justice system for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and enable them to be valued by and able to positively contribute to their community.

Gentle Friends
We support and donate to Gentle Friends, therapy dogs that visit women in prison. Our member Joy Turner takes her therapy dogs to visit women in four metropolitan prisons at the request of those prisons. The criminal justice system largely fails to meet the needs of women and girls. Dogs offer unconditional affection and acceptance, which prisoners are deprived of.

Grandmother's for Refugees
We support Grandmother’s for Refugees through lobbying members of parliament by writing letters, signing and sharing petitions, educating ourselves and promoting awareness of current Australian government policy relating to asylum seekers, their reception, assessment of refugee status, care, safety, support, path to permanent residency, and the need for humane change in these processes.

Homeless Women
We support and donate to Safe Night Space and other organisations offering support to homeless women. We provide advocacy on behalf of individual homeless woman. We lobbied and will continue to lobby the City of Perth for the continuation of the Safe Night Space in the Perth CBD.

Share the Dignity
We support the annual Share the Dignity appeal for homeless women by donating handbags filled with toiletries.

Women's Council for Domestic Violence
We regularly donate, mostly in kind, to support the needs of women and children in a local Perth refuge. We provide toiletry bags lovingly made and stocked by our members, bedlinen, women's and children's clothes, as well as children’s school uniforms, supplies, and toys.

Women in Prison 
We are part of a joint initiative between SIOTT, Soroptimist International Maylands and Soroptimist International South Perth. The initiative originated from concern about the deplorable condition of women’s incarceration in Western Australia. The overarching aims of the project are to improve the conditions for women in Western Australian prisons and to reduce the number of incarcerated women. In 2019 we held three network forums, focussing on post-release issues for women, particularly accommodation and the incarceration of fine defaulters. As a direct result of Soroptimist International clubs lobbying, in 2020 a bill passed through WA State Parliament and became law, to end the practice of sending people to jail for not paying fines. This is an enormous success for women experiencing hardship, who previously would have been imprisoned for not being able to pay their fines.

International Projects:

Brilliant Futures Fund
We donate to the Soroptimist International South East Asia Pacific (SISEAP) Federation Project. The Brilliant Futures Fund 'pathways to future possibilities' provides a funding stream for SISEAP Clubs to implement or continue projects which they would not be able to deliver without substantial funding.

Catherine Hamlin Fistula Foundation
We provide funds to support the Catherine Hamlin Fistula Foundation fistula surgeries in Ethiopia to end preventable childbirth injuries and restore the health and dignity of women. This includes Desta Mender, which is a rehabilitation and reintegration centre for women recovering from fistula surgery.

John Fawcett Foundation (JFF)
We donate to the JFF which provides prosthetic eyes to restore dignity and confidence in young people in Indonesia.  Their improved appearance helps their self esteem, confidence, and acceptance by their communities, enabling better participation and contribution to community life.

Opening Doors to a Bright Future
We donate to the International President's Appeal. This appeal has established projects in each of the five Soroptimist Federations, with projects up and running in Cambodia, Uganda, Georgia, Trinidad and Tobago, Paraguay and Malawi. The projects focus on education, as a driver for sustainable development, peace, and equality. Investing in women and girls’ education brings high rewards, breaking cycles of poverty and aiding economic growth.

2024 Events and Fundraising

Public Speaking Competition
Women studying in Higher Education are invited to participate in the competition. The competition provides the opportunity to speak publicly about the personal, local and/or global issues that matter to them, and to win cash prizes! We are preparing for our SIOTT UWA heat, with heats also being planned by other WA Soroptimist International clubs at all of Perth's major universities, and TAFE. For more information on our upcoming 2024 competition, go to Public Speaking Competition 

Fundraising planned:

• Raffle coming soon!
• Recycled Clothing
• Film Night
• Lunch in the Valley
• Fashion Parade

2023 Events and Fundraising

• Our March Sausage Sizzle at Bunnings Claremont raised much needed funds for Gentle Friends and other SIOTT projects.
• The winning tickets to our online Mother’s Day Raffle were drawn at the SIOTT Breakfast Meeting in May.  There were five luxury prizes to be won! All funds raised went toward local and international charities supporting women and girls.
• Our fun and fabulous Fashion Parade in May at Wembley Downs Tennis Club was a tremendous success and our biggest fund raiser of the year! All fashions, styling and commentary were provided by the wonderful ladies at Weekends Boutique. All funds raised went to a local women's refuge.
• Our annual Film Night Fundraiser in August was ‘The Miracle Club’, set in Dublin in the 1960s. Funds raised went to John Fawcett Foundation, which provides prosthetic eyes to restore dignity and confidence in young people in Indonesia, and other SIOTT projects.
• Our annual Lunch in the Valley in October at Nikola Estate, was hosted by our unstoppable member and past President Hazel Butorac! With an amazing range of raffle and spot prizes generously donated by Nikola Estate, European Foods, The Wellness Centre and SIOTT members, many guests went home with some extra treats, on top of enjoying a sumptuous three course meal. Hazel spoke about the Soroptimists and the work our SIOTT club does. Foodbank CEO Kate O’Hara also described the work that they do in providing food relief. Prior to the lunch, some guests took the opportunity to partake in free wine tasting at Talijancich Winery. Funds raised went to Foodbank and other SIOTT projects.
• Our annual Linen Cupboard Fundraiser at Marbret Textiles, Osborne Park, once again boosted our charity account.
• Christmas 2023 provided smiles all round as funds raised by our members were used to purchase Christmas presents for all the children spending their Christmas Day in a local women's refuge. Weekends Boutique also generously made a huge donation of brand new, in season, women’s clothing for the women, along with one of our members making gorgeous, crocheted hangers to accompany the clothing.

2022 Events and Fundraising

• A very successful Literary Luncheon was held on Sunday 14th August 2022 in the Swan Valley with special guest Margaret Cameron, author of Under a Venice Moon.  Proceeds were donated to Angelhands (trauma recovery). John Burrell, co-founder of Angelhands, was invited to tell us about the work of Angelhands.
• On October 22nd we held our annual Sausage Sizzle at Bunnings Claremont. The proceeds went towards our charity funds, including support for homeless women and children.
• The SIOTT on-line Christmas Raffle offered valuable prizes including gourmet food and wine from the Swan Valley.  The proceeds were divided among several of our projects.
• A Linen Cupboard Fundraiser at Marbret Textiles, Osborne Park, also boosted our charity account.
• At our Club Christmas Party, members made cash donations which were destined for Rabble Books & Games, to fund the provision of library books for the women in Bandyup Prison.