Gallery 2010
Problem with photos for 2010 & 2011 - resolvingI
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On April 25th Soroptimists from South Perth laid a wreath at a local ANZAC Day service.
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The 24 hour Relay for Life was held on 1 & 2 May 2010 at the new athletics stadium. It was the 10th anniversary of the event, which raises money for cancer research and other programs supported by the Cancer Council. Team leader Vida Corbett and her partner Bruce have participated in all 10 events and received certificates to acknowledge this milestone. To celebrate, Vida walked or jogged for 24 hours, an amazing achievement! Soroptimists raised over $4,000 through sponsorship and the sale of raffle tickets.
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Three members of SI Helena spent a lovely 2 hours on Friday 16th July assisting the Spring Road Reserve group in Kalamunda, with planting native seedlings on the strip of Reserve along Spring Road. We joined residents of the street, volunteers, and Rangers from the Department of Environment and Conservation and were provided with the plants, fertiliser, trowels, and already dug holes. We were rewarded with a delicious morning tea off the back of the ute at half time.
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Past President of Soroptimist International, Margaret Lobo AM gave an outstanding presentation as per usual. The room was packed, there was a wonderful buzz, and new members were attracted to the club.
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Soroptimists from all over Western Australia met for a weekend of training, friendship and fun.
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This event was one of the first ever undertaken by the club and has been running for 17 years. It is always a great night, where Soroptimists cook a Christmas dinner, act as waitresses and provide entertainment for the day club members and their carers at Lefroy Hostel. A few partners, or ‘Soroptimisters’, also attend to act as waiters on the night.
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Cullunga is an Independent Aboriginal Community School set in the Swan Valley of Western Australia. Soroptimist International of Joondalup have been supporting the school as a President's Project for the last 18 months. Cullunga Aboriginal Community School enables Indigenous people to gather together and produce a positive cultural environment. By providing a strong social, cultural and educational environment in which Aboriginal people significantly direct the school and act as role models, it is hoped to encourage students to further their education and take up a range of career opportunities that a good education offers. Cullunga is committed to developing a strong understanding of cultural identity, spirituality and a sense of pride. The school busses in the children from a wide area, and their philosophy is to teach the children a standard curriculum while maintaining their Aboriginal culture. Jennie van Driel went as a representative of Soroptimist International of Joondalup to Cullunga for a Special Parents Day where children’s work was demonstrated and displayed for parents to see.
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Several members from Soroptimist International of Helena volunteered their time on Sunday 1st August to welcome people into the 3rd Annual Mundaring Truffle Festival.
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SI Fremantle ran a small doll making workshop for young indigenous mums at a local playgroup. The workshops were requested by the Aboriginal Liaison Officer of the local primary school who had set up the play group as a way of strengthening links between families and schools. The playgroup provides developmentally appropriate activities for the pre-school age children which will build better foundations for literacy and numeracy development. The Liaison Officer wanted to provide an activity for the mothers that would teach new skills whilst affording an opportunity to engage in discussions, parenting/child development issues in a friendly, non-threatening environment. The hour long workshops ran for a term. The mothers enjoyed the group time and were pleasantly surprised by their ability to create a doll for each of their children.
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Soroptimist International of Helena's guest speaker for August was ex-international model and owner of Image Power, Natalia Josephs. Natalia spoke about social skills and etiquette and her presentation was enjoyed by all in attendance.
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Soroptimist Mary Hayes is a regular traveler to Bali. On every trip Mary visits the Bumi Sehat Foundation’s birthing clinic, taking along baby blankets, hats, and medical supplies for the 550 babies born there each year. The supplies are paid for by Soroptimist International of Riverside, of which Mary has been a long-term member. On her upcoming trip Mary will take 69 baby wraps and two blood pressure machines for the clinic.
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Several Western Australian Soroptimist International clubs are supporting this project that trains women in Timor Leste in sustainable farming methods, allowing them to earn an income to educate their children.
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Guest Speaker Kevin Giles – Project Officer – Aboriginal Health representing the Heart Foundation. Brochures were given on Women and Heart Disease as heart disease is the top killer of women and men. On average heart disease kills 31 Australian women per day. More than 11,000 women die each year from heart disease. Australian women are four times more likely to die of heart disease than breast cancer. Heart disease is preventable by leading a healthy lifestyle. Kevin Giles was a very dynamic speaker and apart from his involvement in the Heart Foundation he is heavily involved with RECLINK (Rebuilding lives through sport and arts). He has formed a football team, the Midland Miracles, and has secured an enormous amount of sponsorship from various organisations including the AFL as his project is helping youth and getting them involved in sport and the arts. Kevin's philosophy is 'prevention methods are far better than a cure'. A flyer was provided promoting the 2010 Football Grand Final Day at Fremantle on 16th September when the Midland Miracles will be playing against Clontarf.
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The Soroptimist International of Western Australia region meeting and Stella Giles Award presentation lunch was held on September 11 at Eat Greek Restaurant.
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Every year banners for Soroptimist International appear on St Georges Terrace, Perth, to encourage women to join and serve their community.
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Past International President of Soroptimist International Margaret Lobo AM received Queen's Birthday Honours in 2010, being awarded a Member of the Order of Australia medal.
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Lynnette Ellard won the Stella Giles Award in 2009 for her charity Peduli Bali to provide fresh water to a village in Bali.
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Soroptimist International of Cambridge visited Share and Care in Northam to understand the work they are doing in the Northam and Narrogin areas and the services provided to the women's refuge, to see if there was an opportunity to provide support. As a result of our meeting the wonderful women working at Share and Care, Soroptimist International of Cambridge donated $1000 to provide support materials for the 'Back to Basics' mentoring program. This program provides information in a friendly and informal manner while focusing on personal skill development and the growth of healthy families.
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Soroptimist International of Cambridge invited other Soroptimists to hear Vivienne Pillay (Manager) and Yolanda Strauss (Counsellor) talk about their work with the Multicultural Women's Advocacy Service (MWAS). MWAS works with culturally and linguistically disadvantaged (CALD) women by providing specialised counselling to assist women to pursue a path through education and or employment to independence. The service includes information, referral, assessment, safety planning, short-term crisis counselling and assistance with government and non-government services such as legal, immigration, housing, medical, police, financial as well as referring to and accessing services for children. MWAS provides services in Perth City as well as outreach services in Northbridge, Mirrabooka, Gosnells, Rockingham, Fremantle and Mandurah. MWAS also provides services to all the Women's Refuges throughout the state through visits, or via the telephone and email. Vivienne and Yolanda showed a DVD made by their clients as part of their TAFE course to share their stories of success. It was uplifting to hear the stories their clients and the desire of these women to help other women who find themselves in similar situations to themselves.
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The Hulbert Street Sustainability Fiesta was held on September 18th and 19th. For three years now Hulbert Street, a local street in South Fremantle, has hosted a Spring Sustainability Fiesta. Homes, artists' studios and local gardens are open to the public and over 60 stalls, 100 performing artists, 30 speakers and about 5,000 visitors enjoyed the day. The vision behind the Fiesta is one of celebrating sustainable living, and encouraging people to take on a more sustainable lifestyle by coming to visit the most sustainable accommodation option in WA – The Painted Fish and Fremantle’s “Sustainable Street” – Hulbert Street. Sustainability and community are an important aspect of life on Hulbert Street, with 37% of the houses being connected to their own solar power, two thirds of households growing some of their own food and regular street movies, gardening days and courses ensuring people in the street are well connected and in a perfect situation to host the Fiesta. Soroptimist International of Fremantle hosted a stall to promote Soroptimism and raise funds for The Uthando Project and Project SIerra. Doll making kits were sold for the Uthando Project and many of the Soroptimist International of Fremantle members had knitted tea cosies and coat hanger covers which were sold to raise funds for Project SIerra. The I-Spy Quilts for Foster Children project was also promoted and many of the completed quilts were on display. A number of people were interested in the project and took away an information brochure with a promise to make a quilt. It was a great day and well supported by the local community.
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On Saturday 21 August 2010 Soroptimist International of South Perth held its second sausage sizzle fundraiser at Bunnings Cannington. Over the day, which started at 7 am, Soroptimists and Soroptimisters sold more than $1,400 worth of sausages, bread rolls and drinks. After costs, the amount raised was more than $1,000.
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On September 18 2010 Margaret Lobo, Robyn Cain and Berenice Ritchie accompanied Region Extension Coordinator Bobbi Buckle to Margaret River and Busselton. They held open information meetings in both towns, including an inspiring presentation by Margaret, with the view of starting up a club in each one. They were delighted at the very positive response from a few local women in each town. It seems that now is an optimum time to encourage membership of a new club as there is no organization specific to women in either area. Soroptimist International of WA are looking forward to mentoring two groups of committed women in our south-west, and are happy to receive details of contacts any of you may have there. Watch this space for developments!
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Recently Michelle Hogam shared her stories of Bhutan's Project RENEW for disadvantaged women and girls with Soroptimist International sisters. In 2006 Michelle spent eight months working in Bhutan developing a marketing campaign promoting positive health messages. During this time, Michelle worked closely with the Queen of Bhutan, Her Majesty Queen Ashi Sangay Choden Wangchuck, the Goodwill Ambassador of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), on her project RENEW. RENEW stands for Respect, Educate, Nurture and Empower Women. RENEW is a non-governmental organisation dedicated to 'empowering disadvantaged women and girls in Bhutan and integrating them back into their own communities as independent, socially and economically productive members of society'. The main beneficiaries of RENEW are out-of-school adolescent girls, disadvantaged women who are victims of domestic violence, women and adolescent girls who are victims of rape and sexual abuse, commercial sex workers, women and adolescent girls who are HIV positive or victims of drug abuse. Michelle is interested in working with groups to explore ways to support RENEW. Before leaving Bhutan, Michelle was asked by the Queen to be an ambassador for Bhutan. In this role Michelle has organised an exchange with Bhutanese police officers to visit Perth and learn how our police work with domestic violence victims. Michelle has established a travel company called My Secret Bhutan and regularly takes tours to Bhutan. Michelle recently launched her new partnership with the Australian Himalayan Foundation specifically for educational scholarships for women and children. This program enables sponsors to support individual recipients who normally would not have access to books, uniforms, and accommodation close to schools.
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Soroptimist International of Helena supported the annual Trek the Trail held on Sunday 19th September which consisted of an 8.9 km walk or bike ride from Parkerville to Swan View. Organised by the Mundaring Shire the Soroptimist ladies did an awesome job handing out 2010 Passports to participants which outlined the highlights of the Trek and provided information to the public. At 9.00am Helen Dullard the Shire President cut the ribbon for the cyclists and at 9.30 am the walkers were on their way. Approximately 3,500 people passed through the start line to commence the Trek. It was truly a joy to see families with babies transported in trailer prams and children on their bikes which was an inspiration to the healthy lifestyle we all desire. Fay and Viv did the head count and Rosalie, Val, Glenys and Jill assisted at the Information Tent.
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At their meeting in early September Soroptimists from Maylands Peninsula were very pleased to be able to formally welcome a new member, Lata Gain. Lata, a counsellor, had heard about Soroptimists through her work with Women's Refuges and was impressed by their support. She had attended several of the club's meetings and had even volunteered to be on a project sub-committee so she was already showing willingness and commitment. Sue Mulholland, the new President, carried out her first induction when welcoming Lata and presenting her with her membership certificate and badges. Lata, welcome. We are pleased to have you officially in the club.
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Soroptimist International of Cambridge has been supporting women in developing countries by lending money through KIVA, a micro-lending organisation. They support a women’s group from Sierra Leone called Just Imagine Group to expand their clothing sales businesses. KIVA is internet-based and loans money through a range of locally based micro-financing institutions or field partners to individuals or groups of people for the specific purpose of alleviating poverty. The field partners distribute the loans, collect repayments, return the repaid amounts to KIVA and post information about entrepeneurs on the KIVA website. The repaid monies are returned into the lender's account for lending again. In the last 12 months Soroptimist International of Cambridge along with other lending partners has assisted 162 women in Togo, Peru, Philippines, Azerbaijan, Tajikistan, Mali, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Nicaragua, Bolivia, Chile, Paraguay, Sierra Leone, Uganda, Kyrgyzstan, Senegal and Cambodia. They made 20 loans of US$50 each to individual women and groups of women valued at US$1100 for a range of businesses including food and clothing production and sales, farming and farm supplies, homewares, general retail and fuel, firewood and charcoal sales. This is a wonderful way for women to lend money to women, for women to repay their loans so that it can be loaned again to other women. For more information on how KIVA works go to www.kiva.org
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Soroptimist International of Cambridge helps to support the Wakimbizi Project in Kenya by sponsoring a young Anwat Sudanese woman refugee, Ariet Agwa. Ariet has been chosen by her people as a potential community leader. To prepare her for this, Ariet is studying community development in Nairobi, hundreds of kilometres away from her home. Ariet has been finding living in Nairobi really difficult, has suffered from isolation from her community, has had malaria and is finding studying really challenging. Barbara Ladyman, our sponsor contact for Wakimbizi Project visited Naiorbi and shared her story of meeting Ariet with Soroptimist International of Cambridge members and Margaret Lobo AM, Past President of Soroptimist International. Margaret being familiar with the Soroptimist International projects in Africa shared her experiences including the wonderful work at the Hamlin Fistula Clinic in Addis Adaba.
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Margaret Ward is Soroptimist International of Cambridge's newest member. She has been a teacher, travel agent, retailer and primary carer several times over. Marg has a long history of helping others and looks forward to the collaborative working of Soroptimists where larger projects can be attempted and significant results achieved. She is also attracted by our programme of interesting guest speakers and is enjoying the fellowship of club members. We are fortunate to have her join Soroptimist International of Cambridge.
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The House that Soroptimist International of Cambridge Built...for a Child-Headed Family in Rwanda
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On the first Monday in September six members of Soroptimist International of Joondalup drove out to Middle Swan to coach the young students at Culunga Aboriginal Community School in reading. Jan Mantell, Jan Musk, Maggie Martin, Bobbi Buckle, Sylvia Takiari and Jennie van Driel took over the Junior Room and between them gave the young students some valuable one-on-one reading tuition. Some of the students at Culunga are struggling to learn to read: their first language may be an Aboriginal dialect, or they may have transferred from a remote Aboriginal community and find themselves in a bewildering new environment. Some of the children were fluent readers, and just wanted to read all morning. One little girl said she had her own little corner at home with her books, and whenever she could she retreated there to read. Their teacher said it was a wonderful opportunity for the children to have the undivided attention of an adult who could listen to them read and share the wonder and delight of a children’s storybook. Members of Soroptimist International of Joondalup have committed to share their reading skills with the children of Culunga for one morning a month, and have a roster of nine members. We share the task with the Country Women’s Association ladies and other volunteers.
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Each year on October 3 Soroptimists gather to share the spirit of friendship. This year a picnic at Kings Park was organised by Soroptimist International of Canning District on what was a beautiful Spring day. A great time was had by all who attended.
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August 2010 Visit to Bali Birthing Centre – Yayasan Bumi Sehat - by Soroptimist International of South Perth President Kathryn Reynoldson. In August Kathryn visited the Bali Birthing Centre and delivered several large bags of baby clothing, bunny rugs, sheets and towels to new mothers at the centre. South Perth Soroptimists and their friends donated these items. She also used money donated by members to buy large quantities of sanitary items for the Birthing Centre. During her stay in Bali Kathryn was introduced to a retired female doctor who runs a mobile health clinic, Klinik Keliling Wanita. The clinic, which consists of a small bus and trailer, visits villages to conduct health checks and educate women about their health. The mobile clinic was established and maintained with funds donated by a Melbourne Rotary Club. However, the funds are gradually running out because the Melbourne Rotary Club plans to move on to supporting other projects. Kathryn feels that the Women’s Mobile Health Clinic is a worthy project for support by Soroptimist International of Western Australia clubs.
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Mary Hayes from Soroptimist International of Riverside often visits Bali, taking with her donated blankets, baby clothing and medical supplies for the Bumi Sehat Birthing Clinic. The clinic is supported by many Soroptimist International clubs in Western Australia. On Mary's most recent trip she took a large picture of the Soroptimist International logo so a local carver could make a plaque for the clinic, in recognition of the support Soroptimists have given over the years. This is the finished product!
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A Night in Africa was Soroptimist of International of Western Australia's major fundraiser for Project SIerra.
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Soroptimist International of Helena helped out at the annual Zig Zag Festival held in Kalamunda at the end of October. This was the 26th year that the festival had been held which is a community base celebration. Soroptimist International of Helena held an information stall during the day and sold eco bags as well as promoted the projects that they are involved in. At 6pm members participated in the street parade which included school children dressed as circus clowns and performers tumbling down the street, people on stilts, the Girl Guides, musicians, bands and the Soroptimist International float. The main street of Kalamunda was lined by cheering families and children and our members shook tins and collected donations for the Royal Flying Doctor Service. Several members also helped with marshalling to make sure the participants were where they were supposed to be at the right times! There was a fantastic, fun atmosphere as our members walked down the main street of Kalamunda and finished up in Stirk Park where the evening celebrations concluded with a band playing for the rest of the evening.
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The Place of Reflection in Kings Park will be a peaceful, reflective place to help those people affected by loss and tragedy. Soroptimist International of South Perth is one of five organisations that formed a consortium to seek funding to design and build the Place of Reflection. Work started on the site this month, with the expected completion date of March 2011.
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Visitors to the Wellness Day experienced massage, reflexology, homeopathy, bellydancing, meditation, osteopathy and myriad other therapies.
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SIOTT has hosted two very successful and entertaining events in the last couple of months; a Fashion Parade and a High Tea. The Fashions To Die For event was held at the Oakwood Funeral Parlor and attracted a maximum crowd of over 100. Don Chipper at Oakwood is a very generous sponsor along with his team who were very giving of their time on a Sunday in helping to keep things running smoothly. Our prize sponsors, The Parmelia Hilton, Liz Davenport, Simone Pèréle and Marlene Page were very generous with their gifts and vouchers. Our MC was Harvey Deegan from 6PR and the models were from Rita Munro. The High Tea actually overflowed a little; as storm clouds gathered to give us the hosts a fright and a Plan B opportunity (move everything inside!). The weather was finally kind though and all went well. Feedback has been extremely positive. Check out the food! So next onto 2011 when we will hold an Art Auction in April. The auction is a joint venture with SI Maylands Peninsula so keep April in mind as a ‘not to be missed’ opportunity to enjoy good art, purchase your long awaited original and, of course, to support projects. Once again, the good auspices of The Old Bakery on Eighth Gift Gallery will be the venue. SIOTT is very grateful for the opportunity that the Gallery offers. www.oldbakery.com
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Donation of Quilts to Sandalwood Hospice Julia Harvey is a nurse at the Glengarry Hospital Palliative Care Unit known as Sandalwood Hospice and she is also a member of Soroptimist International of Joondalup. She thought the wards needed “brightening up” so she spoke with fellow Soroptimists Jennie van Driel and Maggie Thatcher who are both members of The Australian Sewing Guild. Maggie Thatcher asked her sewing group, “Joondalup Stitchers”, a member of the Australian Sewing Guild if they would help out and they said yes. Many of these talented ladies have embroidery sewing machine and are experienced in embellishment and decorative sewing. The Sandalwood Hospice donated $200 towards the cost of Material, and Maggie and Julia chose the material and the Sewing Guild choose the design and decided on a strip quilt to cover the foot of the bed. Each quilt has the machine embroidered design of an Australian wildflower and an Australian animal placed on the quilt and in the centre a digitalised design of the Sandalwood Hospice logo of a sandalwood tree. The members of The Sewing Guild under the leadership of the co-ordinator of Joondalup Stitchers, Gill Lane, made and embroidered the quilts during the year until finally all 11 of them were completed, one for each bed in the Hospice and one spare. Jennie van Driel of SI Joondalup co-ordinated the project between the hospice and the Sewing Guild and on Wednesday 8 December the three organizations got together to officially hand over and receive the quilts at Sandalwood with members of SI Joondalup, Joondalup Stitchers and staff members from the Hospice all present. The quilts were presented by Maggie Thatcher a member of Joondalup Stitchers, the State Liaison Officer for The Australian Sewing Guild and a member of SI Joondalup to Sally Harris the Clinical Co-ordinator of Sandalwood Hospice. Also at the presentation were Julia Harvey, a staff member of Sandalwood and a member of SI Joondalup, Jennie van Driel representing SI Joondalup, Tracey Robinson a Clinical nurse at Sandalwood and Gill Lane co-ordinator of Joondalup Stitchers. After the presentation sandalwood Hospice invited the guests to a delicious afternoon tea. The quilts were very much admired by members of the staff at Glengarry Hospital, and The Sewing Guild was thanked for their beautiful work which will cheer up the patients and brighten up the wards.
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Popular gardening-guru and conservationist, Josh Byrne, launched the Water Corporation's H2Ome smart initiative in Karratha on Friday evening, and outlined the urgent need for individual involvement, and how effective each person can be when they implement simple strategies to reduce their water usage. Karratha Soroptimists Arran McOscar, Lindy Chan, and Glen Slee were among the first to commit to the programme. "It's part of our Soroptimist ethos," said Glen Slee. "We are about integrating sustainability into personal choices and government policies and programmes, and see this campaign as a huge plus. It really does come down to each persons awareness, followed by positive action." Do you know how much water a slow-drip tap will waste in a day? We're talking about a drip - noticeable, but seemingly insignificant. The answer - a whopping 25 litres - two and a half buckets! It doesn't require much effort to imagine the savings that could be made if shower time was reduced by a few minutes, or if the garden reticulation time was cut back by two minutes. Although H2Ome smart is primarily focussed on changing behaviour and habits, the budget includes funds to install tap aerators, water saving shower roses, and dual flush toilets; and to repair leaking taps and toilets. While current building codes address water efficiency in new houses, it is the older homes that need attention - and they're in line to get some tender loving care, but they need you to grab the opportunity. Get the ball rolling. Register for H2Ome smart - online www.watercorporation.com.au/h2omesmart or phone 6218 4264.
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Last Wednesday the Department for Child Protection hosted a delightful morning tea in the Malloy Courtyard at Notre Dame University, to help SI Fremantle promote the ‘I Spy Quilts for Foster Children’ project. The lovely old courtyard was awash in colour, with quilts draped over the benches and hanging between the trees. Guests were able to admire each quilt and hopefully many were inspired to go away, pull out the fabrics and the sewing machine and start quilting. Among the 60+ guests were representatives of the Department for Child Protection including the Director General, Terry Murphy, quilters and friends of SI Fremantle as well as Faye Alford and other representatives of Foster Care Association, WA. We were pleased that other Soroptimist clubs were represented and members of the Region executive were also able to be there . Robyn MacSweeney, MLC, Minister for Communities and Minister for Child Protection addressed the guests and spoke of the value of the quilts to the 3300 + children in care. The foster mum of the first little toddler to receive a quilt spoke of how well the quilt had been received and what a joy it had been to see his response to the ‘little piggies’ he found hiding in the fabric. Guests were entertained by the Starlight Hotel Choir who performed songs from their recently produced CD. Almost 200 quilts have been received to date, each one a unique work of art, sure to bring much pleasure to its future owner. We are in awe of the generosity and creativity of the quilters around the state and can’t thank them enough for the support they are showing for this project. The rate at which we are receiving quilts is impressive but we need to keep the momentum going as we are still quite a way from 3000. Unfortunately there are always more children being taken into care, so we anticipate this being an ongoing project. SI Fremantle would like to acknowledge the support of the Department for Child Protection, the contribution of Notre Dame University who provided the venue and assistance in creating the display, the amazing Starlight Hotel Choir and the beautiful quilters who are making this project work.
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The donation provided by SI Canning District is used to give the children raised by Grandparents a Christmas Party. 2010 event was held 5 December at Belmont City College. This ongoing project of SI Canning District is financed by the Club through the sale of Entertainment Books, in addition to profits from a Clothing Swap Party and the annual Fashion Parade. Heather Williams is also a mentor to one of the grandmothers in the Grandcare family.
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Three members from Soroptimist International of Helena attended the Kalamunda Youth Swing Band (KYSB) Christmas function and wind up for 2010. The function was held at the KYBS headquarters in Lesmurdie and we were warmly welcomed by Jon Fernandes the Musical Director. We had a lovely barbecue dinner with most of us moving indoors to eat as it tried very hard to rain! To cap of the evening, certificates were handed out to members of the No 1, 2 and 3 bands as recognition for their contributions and efforts throughout 2010. We presented our Scholarship to Emily Clarke and then presented an Honours Board to the members listing the recipients of our scholarship for the past 3 years. We are looking forward to attending some of the free Jazz in the Park concerts that are held on Thursday nights 6.30pm – 8.30pm at Stirk Park, Kalamunda from February to April in 2011.
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Soroptimist International of Joondalup enjoyed a delicious Christmas Dinner at the Karakatta Club in Sherwood Court in the city on Wednesday 8 December. Jan Musk, as a member of the club, greeted guests as they came into the genteel confines of this, the oldest women’s club in Australia founded in 1894. Guests enjoyed a glass of champagne and capes in the lounge and a chance to socialise with fellow members before entering the dining room for dinner. President Bobbi Buckle welcomed members to the celebration and said it was a chance to relax socially with each other as we reflected on another excellent year of service to the community. Sylvia Takiari had organised a women’s choir, Dolce Niente, to come and sing for us during the evening and it was truly delightful to hear this unaccompanied choir singing carols and old favourite songs. A lovely evening came to an end at about half past ten, and members and their partners made their way home by car and taxi.
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Soroptimist International of Helena held their last meeting of 2010 at the new venue they will be using for their business meetings next year – Midland Junction Lotteries House Board Room, 39 Helena Street, Midland. They were very fortunate to have visiting Soroptimist Myrea Jenkins join them from Soroptimist International of Downpatrick, North Ireland. Myrea told the club about the Best Practice Award her club had received for their efforts on a Climate Change leaflet. The leaflet is designed to raise awareness of, and provide ideas on how to reduce, the individual and family’s carbon footprint. After the meeting members crossed the road to try out the new venue for social meetings at The Eastern. They enjoyed HEAPS of food and swapped Secret Santa gifts in the true spirit of Christmas. The club is now on break until the 18th January 2011 when they have their first guest speaker of the year from The Esther Foundation.
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Every second year, as part of the Fremantle Arts Festival, Agnes Street, Beaconsfield, is home to an ‘Airing of the Quilts’, to showcase the work of all the quilters who live in the street. Ropes are strung along the street and colourful quilts are displayed, along with the works of other artists who live in this very talented little community. Some of the pieces are for sale, others simply on show. This year, SI Fremantle approached the organisers to ask if we could join in the day with a display of ‘I Spy’ quilts being donated to the foster children of WA. The residents of No 11 were kind enough to string up a rope for us and we aired some beautiful quilts which attracted the attention of the passers-by. It was a very pleasant afternoon and we were able to hand out lots of our brochures to people who were interested in making a quilt for the project.
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SI Fremantle ran the sausage sizzle at Bunning Melville on 2nd and 3rd January which was a huge success, despite the hot weather. Bunning’s customers supported the fund raising efforts and we were able to raise $1,800 towards our educational scholarships and Girl Guides project. Thanks go to all members (and partners/husbands) who assisted and Dorsogna who supplied the sausages.
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Our first meeting for 2011 was well attended with several visitors and potential members at our new meeting venue - The Eastern - in Midland. We heard first hand the difference that The Esther Foundation is making to the lives of young women. One of the course participants told us of her own situation. The transformation that had occurred in this confident 16 year old lady standing talking to a group of women, was nothing short of amazing. In just 2 short years she had gone from self harming, being put in psychiatric wards and being on constant suicide watch to being a leader at the foundation who is now applying for a job in the police force. Members also brought along donations for the Region call out to send up to those affected by the floods in Carnarvon.
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Inspiration – Michelle Hogan, Director of My Secret Bhutan, spoke at Soroptimist International of Cambridge’s meeting about a new educational scholarship program for women and girls in Bhutan. She also shared her experience of working there and talked about the dedication of Buddhist nuns and their life. Action – Pamela Fruin and Patricia Cowley invited Soroptimist International sister s and friends to sew, knit or crochet red beanies for the Nuns of Bhutan. The Red Beanie Thunder Dragon Project started to breathe fire. Soroptimist International sisters at South Perth, Joondalup, Karratha and Districts, Rockingham, Fremantle and Cambridge and their friends together made 424 red beanies; 276 polar fleece beanies and 148 knitted and crocheted or commercially made beanies. What a fantastic effort! Delivery – Two bags of securely wrapped red beanies travelled with us to their final destination in Bhutan. The largest bag with 300 red beanies found its new home in Bumthang and the smaller bag of 124 beanies was delivered in Thimpu. Pema Thak Cho-ling Tang Bebzur Nunnery in Bumthang Bezbur Nunnery is in the remote area of Bumthang in central Bhutan. Our guide Kuenga arranged the visit, introduced us to the head Monk Khampo Sonam Tetjay, senior monk and nun and Sherab, a beautiful, gracious nun who translated for us. 50 nuns assembled in the prayer hall and under the guidance of their seniors, began to chant a prayer ceremony. Prayers of thanks and prayers to wish us safe travel. Sherab said that ‘we would not be forgotten until their bodies turn to ashes’. A protocol that was observed in giving the beanies, the most important first. As the nuns left there were giggles of excitement. 150 nuns live at Pema Thak Cho-ling Tang Bebzur Nunnery in austere accommodation. Funding for building, maintenance and its operation is mainly from donations. The winters in Bhutan are severe with temperatures as low as minus 20. 300 beanies were delivered here and will bring a little comfort during the winter. Zilukha Nunnery in Thimpu Pema Pal, the senior nun, a beautiful, gentle, caring woman welcomed us. She has 50 nuns in her care including lots of little nuns. The nuns assembled and held a prayer ceremony for us. Beanies were given to the nuns here.
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One of SI Cambridge's most recent projects was a donation of $500 to RENEW for educational scholarships for woman and girls in Bhutan.
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Mair Pinnell was delighted to meet members of SI Joondalup and their partners at a BBQ in January. Jennie van Driel and husband Keith organised the evening and hosted a total of 17 Soroptimists and their husbands who were all pleased to meet Mair and exchange information and friendship. She has been coming out to Western Australia from Leeds in England for many years to spend Christamas with her brother and his family and to re-connect with SI Joondalup. Mair has a long association with Joondalup; when we were chartered as a club in 1978 a member of Leeds came out to accompany the President of GBI and a Friendship Link was formed between the two clubs with Mair as the correspondent. Mair went on to become the Federation Friendship Link for GBI and she has continued being a stalwart correspondent and friend to SI Joondalup. During the evening President Elect Kate Haydock welcomed Mair and gave her a gift of a silk purse made by the women of the Tabitha Foundation of Cambodia. The women who weave the silk and make the purses are widowed mothers, landmine victims street women and Aids Suferers, and this project gives them dignity and an income. In return Mair presented two of her dear friends and foundation members of SI Joondalup, Verna Ramm and Noreen Biffen each with a single red rose. She said how pleased she was to meet with the members of SI Joondalup again and she congratulated them on their Programme of Service.
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On a very hot Sunday afternoon on 30 January, around 250 people attended the Region film fundraiser, The King's Speech. Thank you for all those people who supported us.
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Pre-Christmas Barbecue Anne Butorac kindly invited the club to use her home for our end of year social gathering, held on the 16th December. About 14 club members and some partners enjoyed an informal night with good food, wine and good company. Christmas crackers, hats, fairy lights, champagne and a lovely garden setting all contributed to a good night. A special part of the evening was when a very talented Trish Robinson shared some of her poetry with us. Thank you Trish. We also wished Sue Mulholland a Happy Birthday. Treats for Orana Women’s Refuge Several SI Maylands Peninsula members met the next evening, 17th December to pack up small presents, chocolates, sweets and cards for women and children who were likely to be resident at Orana Refuge over the Christmas season. The children’s bags also contained balls, bubble kits, stickers and other items and food vouchers were provided for the women. The club has made this an annual project and raised money during the year through bookstalls and Bill Prendergast’s half-marathon run. Donations of goods were also made by several women. Margaret Harris volunteered for the task of shopping for the items and Trish Robinson, Kath Lymon, Margaret and Roz Turner gathered at Lynne Yellands’ house by the river with champagne while we worked. We enjoyed putting the Christmas gifts together knowing they would bring some delight to the recipients. Roz, a new-comer to our group, generously donated lots of items for the mothers and children. Thanks Roz, we look forward to officially welcoming you to our Club.
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Region President Berenice Ritchie, Past International President Margaret Lobo & SWP Federation Programme Director Robyn Cain at the Volunteers WA Christmas function at Government House Perth, 2010
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Problem with photos for 2010 & 2011 - resolvingI
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On April 25th Soroptimists from South Perth laid a wreath at a local ANZAC Day service.
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The 24 hour Relay for Life was held on 1 & 2 May 2010 at the new athletics stadium. It was the 10th anniversary of the event, which raises money for cancer research and other programs supported by the Cancer Council. Team leader Vida Corbett and her partner Bruce have participated in all 10 events and received certificates to acknowledge this milestone. To celebrate, Vida walked or jogged for 24 hours, an amazing achievement! Soroptimists raised over $4,000 through sponsorship and the sale of raffle tickets.
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Three members of SI Helena spent a lovely 2 hours on Friday 16th July assisting the Spring Road Reserve group in Kalamunda, with planting native seedlings on the strip of Reserve along Spring Road. We joined residents of the street, volunteers, and Rangers from the Department of Environment and Conservation and were provided with the plants, fertiliser, trowels, and already dug holes. We were rewarded with a delicious morning tea off the back of the ute at half time.
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Past President of Soroptimist International, Margaret Lobo AM gave an outstanding presentation as per usual. The room was packed, there was a wonderful buzz, and new members were attracted to the club.
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Soroptimists from all over Western Australia met for a weekend of training, friendship and fun.
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This event was one of the first ever undertaken by the club and has been running for 17 years. It is always a great night, where Soroptimists cook a Christmas dinner, act as waitresses and provide entertainment for the day club members and their carers at Lefroy Hostel. A few partners, or ‘Soroptimisters’, also attend to act as waiters on the night.
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Cullunga is an Independent Aboriginal Community School set in the Swan Valley of Western Australia. Soroptimist International of Joondalup have been supporting the school as a President's Project for the last 18 months. Cullunga Aboriginal Community School enables Indigenous people to gather together and produce a positive cultural environment. By providing a strong social, cultural and educational environment in which Aboriginal people significantly direct the school and act as role models, it is hoped to encourage students to further their education and take up a range of career opportunities that a good education offers. Cullunga is committed to developing a strong understanding of cultural identity, spirituality and a sense of pride. The school busses in the children from a wide area, and their philosophy is to teach the children a standard curriculum while maintaining their Aboriginal culture. Jennie van Driel went as a representative of Soroptimist International of Joondalup to Cullunga for a Special Parents Day where children’s work was demonstrated and displayed for parents to see.
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Several members from Soroptimist International of Helena volunteered their time on Sunday 1st August to welcome people into the 3rd Annual Mundaring Truffle Festival.
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SI Fremantle ran a small doll making workshop for young indigenous mums at a local playgroup. The workshops were requested by the Aboriginal Liaison Officer of the local primary school who had set up the play group as a way of strengthening links between families and schools. The playgroup provides developmentally appropriate activities for the pre-school age children which will build better foundations for literacy and numeracy development. The Liaison Officer wanted to provide an activity for the mothers that would teach new skills whilst affording an opportunity to engage in discussions, parenting/child development issues in a friendly, non-threatening environment. The hour long workshops ran for a term. The mothers enjoyed the group time and were pleasantly surprised by their ability to create a doll for each of their children.
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Soroptimist International of Helena's guest speaker for August was ex-international model and owner of Image Power, Natalia Josephs. Natalia spoke about social skills and etiquette and her presentation was enjoyed by all in attendance.
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Soroptimist Mary Hayes is a regular traveler to Bali. On every trip Mary visits the Bumi Sehat Foundation’s birthing clinic, taking along baby blankets, hats, and medical supplies for the 550 babies born there each year. The supplies are paid for by Soroptimist International of Riverside, of which Mary has been a long-term member. On her upcoming trip Mary will take 69 baby wraps and two blood pressure machines for the clinic.
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Several Western Australian Soroptimist International clubs are supporting this project that trains women in Timor Leste in sustainable farming methods, allowing them to earn an income to educate their children.
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Guest Speaker Kevin Giles – Project Officer – Aboriginal Health representing the Heart Foundation. Brochures were given on Women and Heart Disease as heart disease is the top killer of women and men. On average heart disease kills 31 Australian women per day. More than 11,000 women die each year from heart disease. Australian women are four times more likely to die of heart disease than breast cancer. Heart disease is preventable by leading a healthy lifestyle. Kevin Giles was a very dynamic speaker and apart from his involvement in the Heart Foundation he is heavily involved with RECLINK (Rebuilding lives through sport and arts). He has formed a football team, the Midland Miracles, and has secured an enormous amount of sponsorship from various organisations including the AFL as his project is helping youth and getting them involved in sport and the arts. Kevin's philosophy is 'prevention methods are far better than a cure'. A flyer was provided promoting the 2010 Football Grand Final Day at Fremantle on 16th September when the Midland Miracles will be playing against Clontarf.
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The Soroptimist International of Western Australia region meeting and Stella Giles Award presentation lunch was held on September 11 at Eat Greek Restaurant.
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Every year banners for Soroptimist International appear on St Georges Terrace, Perth, to encourage women to join and serve their community.
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Past International President of Soroptimist International Margaret Lobo AM received Queen's Birthday Honours in 2010, being awarded a Member of the Order of Australia medal.
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Lynnette Ellard won the Stella Giles Award in 2009 for her charity Peduli Bali to provide fresh water to a village in Bali.
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Soroptimist International of Cambridge visited Share and Care in Northam to understand the work they are doing in the Northam and Narrogin areas and the services provided to the women's refuge, to see if there was an opportunity to provide support. As a result of our meeting the wonderful women working at Share and Care, Soroptimist International of Cambridge donated $1000 to provide support materials for the 'Back to Basics' mentoring program. This program provides information in a friendly and informal manner while focusing on personal skill development and the growth of healthy families.
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Soroptimist International of Cambridge invited other Soroptimists to hear Vivienne Pillay (Manager) and Yolanda Strauss (Counsellor) talk about their work with the Multicultural Women's Advocacy Service (MWAS). MWAS works with culturally and linguistically disadvantaged (CALD) women by providing specialised counselling to assist women to pursue a path through education and or employment to independence. The service includes information, referral, assessment, safety planning, short-term crisis counselling and assistance with government and non-government services such as legal, immigration, housing, medical, police, financial as well as referring to and accessing services for children. MWAS provides services in Perth City as well as outreach services in Northbridge, Mirrabooka, Gosnells, Rockingham, Fremantle and Mandurah. MWAS also provides services to all the Women's Refuges throughout the state through visits, or via the telephone and email. Vivienne and Yolanda showed a DVD made by their clients as part of their TAFE course to share their stories of success. It was uplifting to hear the stories their clients and the desire of these women to help other women who find themselves in similar situations to themselves.
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The Hulbert Street Sustainability Fiesta was held on September 18th and 19th. For three years now Hulbert Street, a local street in South Fremantle, has hosted a Spring Sustainability Fiesta. Homes, artists' studios and local gardens are open to the public and over 60 stalls, 100 performing artists, 30 speakers and about 5,000 visitors enjoyed the day. The vision behind the Fiesta is one of celebrating sustainable living, and encouraging people to take on a more sustainable lifestyle by coming to visit the most sustainable accommodation option in WA – The Painted Fish and Fremantle’s “Sustainable Street” – Hulbert Street. Sustainability and community are an important aspect of life on Hulbert Street, with 37% of the houses being connected to their own solar power, two thirds of households growing some of their own food and regular street movies, gardening days and courses ensuring people in the street are well connected and in a perfect situation to host the Fiesta. Soroptimist International of Fremantle hosted a stall to promote Soroptimism and raise funds for The Uthando Project and Project SIerra. Doll making kits were sold for the Uthando Project and many of the Soroptimist International of Fremantle members had knitted tea cosies and coat hanger covers which were sold to raise funds for Project SIerra. The I-Spy Quilts for Foster Children project was also promoted and many of the completed quilts were on display. A number of people were interested in the project and took away an information brochure with a promise to make a quilt. It was a great day and well supported by the local community.
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On Saturday 21 August 2010 Soroptimist International of South Perth held its second sausage sizzle fundraiser at Bunnings Cannington. Over the day, which started at 7 am, Soroptimists and Soroptimisters sold more than $1,400 worth of sausages, bread rolls and drinks. After costs, the amount raised was more than $1,000.
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On September 18 2010 Margaret Lobo, Robyn Cain and Berenice Ritchie accompanied Region Extension Coordinator Bobbi Buckle to Margaret River and Busselton. They held open information meetings in both towns, including an inspiring presentation by Margaret, with the view of starting up a club in each one. They were delighted at the very positive response from a few local women in each town. It seems that now is an optimum time to encourage membership of a new club as there is no organization specific to women in either area. Soroptimist International of WA are looking forward to mentoring two groups of committed women in our south-west, and are happy to receive details of contacts any of you may have there. Watch this space for developments!
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Recently Michelle Hogam shared her stories of Bhutan's Project RENEW for disadvantaged women and girls with Soroptimist International sisters. In 2006 Michelle spent eight months working in Bhutan developing a marketing campaign promoting positive health messages. During this time, Michelle worked closely with the Queen of Bhutan, Her Majesty Queen Ashi Sangay Choden Wangchuck, the Goodwill Ambassador of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), on her project RENEW. RENEW stands for Respect, Educate, Nurture and Empower Women. RENEW is a non-governmental organisation dedicated to 'empowering disadvantaged women and girls in Bhutan and integrating them back into their own communities as independent, socially and economically productive members of society'. The main beneficiaries of RENEW are out-of-school adolescent girls, disadvantaged women who are victims of domestic violence, women and adolescent girls who are victims of rape and sexual abuse, commercial sex workers, women and adolescent girls who are HIV positive or victims of drug abuse. Michelle is interested in working with groups to explore ways to support RENEW. Before leaving Bhutan, Michelle was asked by the Queen to be an ambassador for Bhutan. In this role Michelle has organised an exchange with Bhutanese police officers to visit Perth and learn how our police work with domestic violence victims. Michelle has established a travel company called My Secret Bhutan and regularly takes tours to Bhutan. Michelle recently launched her new partnership with the Australian Himalayan Foundation specifically for educational scholarships for women and children. This program enables sponsors to support individual recipients who normally would not have access to books, uniforms, and accommodation close to schools.
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Soroptimist International of Helena supported the annual Trek the Trail held on Sunday 19th September which consisted of an 8.9 km walk or bike ride from Parkerville to Swan View. Organised by the Mundaring Shire the Soroptimist ladies did an awesome job handing out 2010 Passports to participants which outlined the highlights of the Trek and provided information to the public. At 9.00am Helen Dullard the Shire President cut the ribbon for the cyclists and at 9.30 am the walkers were on their way. Approximately 3,500 people passed through the start line to commence the Trek. It was truly a joy to see families with babies transported in trailer prams and children on their bikes which was an inspiration to the healthy lifestyle we all desire. Fay and Viv did the head count and Rosalie, Val, Glenys and Jill assisted at the Information Tent.
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At their meeting in early September Soroptimists from Maylands Peninsula were very pleased to be able to formally welcome a new member, Lata Gain. Lata, a counsellor, had heard about Soroptimists through her work with Women's Refuges and was impressed by their support. She had attended several of the club's meetings and had even volunteered to be on a project sub-committee so she was already showing willingness and commitment. Sue Mulholland, the new President, carried out her first induction when welcoming Lata and presenting her with her membership certificate and badges. Lata, welcome. We are pleased to have you officially in the club.
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Soroptimist International of Cambridge has been supporting women in developing countries by lending money through KIVA, a micro-lending organisation. They support a women’s group from Sierra Leone called Just Imagine Group to expand their clothing sales businesses. KIVA is internet-based and loans money through a range of locally based micro-financing institutions or field partners to individuals or groups of people for the specific purpose of alleviating poverty. The field partners distribute the loans, collect repayments, return the repaid amounts to KIVA and post information about entrepeneurs on the KIVA website. The repaid monies are returned into the lender's account for lending again. In the last 12 months Soroptimist International of Cambridge along with other lending partners has assisted 162 women in Togo, Peru, Philippines, Azerbaijan, Tajikistan, Mali, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Nicaragua, Bolivia, Chile, Paraguay, Sierra Leone, Uganda, Kyrgyzstan, Senegal and Cambodia. They made 20 loans of US$50 each to individual women and groups of women valued at US$1100 for a range of businesses including food and clothing production and sales, farming and farm supplies, homewares, general retail and fuel, firewood and charcoal sales. This is a wonderful way for women to lend money to women, for women to repay their loans so that it can be loaned again to other women. For more information on how KIVA works go to www.kiva.org
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Soroptimist International of Cambridge helps to support the Wakimbizi Project in Kenya by sponsoring a young Anwat Sudanese woman refugee, Ariet Agwa. Ariet has been chosen by her people as a potential community leader. To prepare her for this, Ariet is studying community development in Nairobi, hundreds of kilometres away from her home. Ariet has been finding living in Nairobi really difficult, has suffered from isolation from her community, has had malaria and is finding studying really challenging. Barbara Ladyman, our sponsor contact for Wakimbizi Project visited Naiorbi and shared her story of meeting Ariet with Soroptimist International of Cambridge members and Margaret Lobo AM, Past President of Soroptimist International. Margaret being familiar with the Soroptimist International projects in Africa shared her experiences including the wonderful work at the Hamlin Fistula Clinic in Addis Adaba.
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Margaret Ward is Soroptimist International of Cambridge's newest member. She has been a teacher, travel agent, retailer and primary carer several times over. Marg has a long history of helping others and looks forward to the collaborative working of Soroptimists where larger projects can be attempted and significant results achieved. She is also attracted by our programme of interesting guest speakers and is enjoying the fellowship of club members. We are fortunate to have her join Soroptimist International of Cambridge.
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The House that Soroptimist International of Cambridge Built...for a Child-Headed Family in Rwanda
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On the first Monday in September six members of Soroptimist International of Joondalup drove out to Middle Swan to coach the young students at Culunga Aboriginal Community School in reading. Jan Mantell, Jan Musk, Maggie Martin, Bobbi Buckle, Sylvia Takiari and Jennie van Driel took over the Junior Room and between them gave the young students some valuable one-on-one reading tuition. Some of the students at Culunga are struggling to learn to read: their first language may be an Aboriginal dialect, or they may have transferred from a remote Aboriginal community and find themselves in a bewildering new environment. Some of the children were fluent readers, and just wanted to read all morning. One little girl said she had her own little corner at home with her books, and whenever she could she retreated there to read. Their teacher said it was a wonderful opportunity for the children to have the undivided attention of an adult who could listen to them read and share the wonder and delight of a children’s storybook. Members of Soroptimist International of Joondalup have committed to share their reading skills with the children of Culunga for one morning a month, and have a roster of nine members. We share the task with the Country Women’s Association ladies and other volunteers.
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Each year on October 3 Soroptimists gather to share the spirit of friendship. This year a picnic at Kings Park was organised by Soroptimist International of Canning District on what was a beautiful Spring day. A great time was had by all who attended.
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August 2010 Visit to Bali Birthing Centre – Yayasan Bumi Sehat - by Soroptimist International of South Perth President Kathryn Reynoldson. In August Kathryn visited the Bali Birthing Centre and delivered several large bags of baby clothing, bunny rugs, sheets and towels to new mothers at the centre. South Perth Soroptimists and their friends donated these items. She also used money donated by members to buy large quantities of sanitary items for the Birthing Centre. During her stay in Bali Kathryn was introduced to a retired female doctor who runs a mobile health clinic, Klinik Keliling Wanita. The clinic, which consists of a small bus and trailer, visits villages to conduct health checks and educate women about their health. The mobile clinic was established and maintained with funds donated by a Melbourne Rotary Club. However, the funds are gradually running out because the Melbourne Rotary Club plans to move on to supporting other projects. Kathryn feels that the Women’s Mobile Health Clinic is a worthy project for support by Soroptimist International of Western Australia clubs.
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Mary Hayes from Soroptimist International of Riverside often visits Bali, taking with her donated blankets, baby clothing and medical supplies for the Bumi Sehat Birthing Clinic. The clinic is supported by many Soroptimist International clubs in Western Australia. On Mary's most recent trip she took a large picture of the Soroptimist International logo so a local carver could make a plaque for the clinic, in recognition of the support Soroptimists have given over the years. This is the finished product!
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A Night in Africa was Soroptimist of International of Western Australia's major fundraiser for Project SIerra.
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Soroptimist International of Helena helped out at the annual Zig Zag Festival held in Kalamunda at the end of October. This was the 26th year that the festival had been held which is a community base celebration. Soroptimist International of Helena held an information stall during the day and sold eco bags as well as promoted the projects that they are involved in. At 6pm members participated in the street parade which included school children dressed as circus clowns and performers tumbling down the street, people on stilts, the Girl Guides, musicians, bands and the Soroptimist International float. The main street of Kalamunda was lined by cheering families and children and our members shook tins and collected donations for the Royal Flying Doctor Service. Several members also helped with marshalling to make sure the participants were where they were supposed to be at the right times! There was a fantastic, fun atmosphere as our members walked down the main street of Kalamunda and finished up in Stirk Park where the evening celebrations concluded with a band playing for the rest of the evening.
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The Place of Reflection in Kings Park will be a peaceful, reflective place to help those people affected by loss and tragedy. Soroptimist International of South Perth is one of five organisations that formed a consortium to seek funding to design and build the Place of Reflection. Work started on the site this month, with the expected completion date of March 2011.
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Visitors to the Wellness Day experienced massage, reflexology, homeopathy, bellydancing, meditation, osteopathy and myriad other therapies.
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SIOTT has hosted two very successful and entertaining events in the last couple of months; a Fashion Parade and a High Tea. The Fashions To Die For event was held at the Oakwood Funeral Parlor and attracted a maximum crowd of over 100. Don Chipper at Oakwood is a very generous sponsor along with his team who were very giving of their time on a Sunday in helping to keep things running smoothly. Our prize sponsors, The Parmelia Hilton, Liz Davenport, Simone Pèréle and Marlene Page were very generous with their gifts and vouchers. Our MC was Harvey Deegan from 6PR and the models were from Rita Munro. The High Tea actually overflowed a little; as storm clouds gathered to give us the hosts a fright and a Plan B opportunity (move everything inside!). The weather was finally kind though and all went well. Feedback has been extremely positive. Check out the food! So next onto 2011 when we will hold an Art Auction in April. The auction is a joint venture with SI Maylands Peninsula so keep April in mind as a ‘not to be missed’ opportunity to enjoy good art, purchase your long awaited original and, of course, to support projects. Once again, the good auspices of The Old Bakery on Eighth Gift Gallery will be the venue. SIOTT is very grateful for the opportunity that the Gallery offers. www.oldbakery.com
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Donation of Quilts to Sandalwood Hospice Julia Harvey is a nurse at the Glengarry Hospital Palliative Care Unit known as Sandalwood Hospice and she is also a member of Soroptimist International of Joondalup. She thought the wards needed “brightening up” so she spoke with fellow Soroptimists Jennie van Driel and Maggie Thatcher who are both members of The Australian Sewing Guild. Maggie Thatcher asked her sewing group, “Joondalup Stitchers”, a member of the Australian Sewing Guild if they would help out and they said yes. Many of these talented ladies have embroidery sewing machine and are experienced in embellishment and decorative sewing. The Sandalwood Hospice donated $200 towards the cost of Material, and Maggie and Julia chose the material and the Sewing Guild choose the design and decided on a strip quilt to cover the foot of the bed. Each quilt has the machine embroidered design of an Australian wildflower and an Australian animal placed on the quilt and in the centre a digitalised design of the Sandalwood Hospice logo of a sandalwood tree. The members of The Sewing Guild under the leadership of the co-ordinator of Joondalup Stitchers, Gill Lane, made and embroidered the quilts during the year until finally all 11 of them were completed, one for each bed in the Hospice and one spare. Jennie van Driel of SI Joondalup co-ordinated the project between the hospice and the Sewing Guild and on Wednesday 8 December the three organizations got together to officially hand over and receive the quilts at Sandalwood with members of SI Joondalup, Joondalup Stitchers and staff members from the Hospice all present. The quilts were presented by Maggie Thatcher a member of Joondalup Stitchers, the State Liaison Officer for The Australian Sewing Guild and a member of SI Joondalup to Sally Harris the Clinical Co-ordinator of Sandalwood Hospice. Also at the presentation were Julia Harvey, a staff member of Sandalwood and a member of SI Joondalup, Jennie van Driel representing SI Joondalup, Tracey Robinson a Clinical nurse at Sandalwood and Gill Lane co-ordinator of Joondalup Stitchers. After the presentation sandalwood Hospice invited the guests to a delicious afternoon tea. The quilts were very much admired by members of the staff at Glengarry Hospital, and The Sewing Guild was thanked for their beautiful work which will cheer up the patients and brighten up the wards.
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Popular gardening-guru and conservationist, Josh Byrne, launched the Water Corporation's H2Ome smart initiative in Karratha on Friday evening, and outlined the urgent need for individual involvement, and how effective each person can be when they implement simple strategies to reduce their water usage. Karratha Soroptimists Arran McOscar, Lindy Chan, and Glen Slee were among the first to commit to the programme. "It's part of our Soroptimist ethos," said Glen Slee. "We are about integrating sustainability into personal choices and government policies and programmes, and see this campaign as a huge plus. It really does come down to each persons awareness, followed by positive action." Do you know how much water a slow-drip tap will waste in a day? We're talking about a drip - noticeable, but seemingly insignificant. The answer - a whopping 25 litres - two and a half buckets! It doesn't require much effort to imagine the savings that could be made if shower time was reduced by a few minutes, or if the garden reticulation time was cut back by two minutes. Although H2Ome smart is primarily focussed on changing behaviour and habits, the budget includes funds to install tap aerators, water saving shower roses, and dual flush toilets; and to repair leaking taps and toilets. While current building codes address water efficiency in new houses, it is the older homes that need attention - and they're in line to get some tender loving care, but they need you to grab the opportunity. Get the ball rolling. Register for H2Ome smart - online www.watercorporation.com.au/h2omesmart or phone 6218 4264.
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Last Wednesday the Department for Child Protection hosted a delightful morning tea in the Malloy Courtyard at Notre Dame University, to help SI Fremantle promote the ‘I Spy Quilts for Foster Children’ project. The lovely old courtyard was awash in colour, with quilts draped over the benches and hanging between the trees. Guests were able to admire each quilt and hopefully many were inspired to go away, pull out the fabrics and the sewing machine and start quilting. Among the 60+ guests were representatives of the Department for Child Protection including the Director General, Terry Murphy, quilters and friends of SI Fremantle as well as Faye Alford and other representatives of Foster Care Association, WA. We were pleased that other Soroptimist clubs were represented and members of the Region executive were also able to be there . Robyn MacSweeney, MLC, Minister for Communities and Minister for Child Protection addressed the guests and spoke of the value of the quilts to the 3300 + children in care. The foster mum of the first little toddler to receive a quilt spoke of how well the quilt had been received and what a joy it had been to see his response to the ‘little piggies’ he found hiding in the fabric. Guests were entertained by the Starlight Hotel Choir who performed songs from their recently produced CD. Almost 200 quilts have been received to date, each one a unique work of art, sure to bring much pleasure to its future owner. We are in awe of the generosity and creativity of the quilters around the state and can’t thank them enough for the support they are showing for this project. The rate at which we are receiving quilts is impressive but we need to keep the momentum going as we are still quite a way from 3000. Unfortunately there are always more children being taken into care, so we anticipate this being an ongoing project. SI Fremantle would like to acknowledge the support of the Department for Child Protection, the contribution of Notre Dame University who provided the venue and assistance in creating the display, the amazing Starlight Hotel Choir and the beautiful quilters who are making this project work.
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The donation provided by SI Canning District is used to give the children raised by Grandparents a Christmas Party. 2010 event was held 5 December at Belmont City College. This ongoing project of SI Canning District is financed by the Club through the sale of Entertainment Books, in addition to profits from a Clothing Swap Party and the annual Fashion Parade. Heather Williams is also a mentor to one of the grandmothers in the Grandcare family.
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Three members from Soroptimist International of Helena attended the Kalamunda Youth Swing Band (KYSB) Christmas function and wind up for 2010. The function was held at the KYBS headquarters in Lesmurdie and we were warmly welcomed by Jon Fernandes the Musical Director. We had a lovely barbecue dinner with most of us moving indoors to eat as it tried very hard to rain! To cap of the evening, certificates were handed out to members of the No 1, 2 and 3 bands as recognition for their contributions and efforts throughout 2010. We presented our Scholarship to Emily Clarke and then presented an Honours Board to the members listing the recipients of our scholarship for the past 3 years. We are looking forward to attending some of the free Jazz in the Park concerts that are held on Thursday nights 6.30pm – 8.30pm at Stirk Park, Kalamunda from February to April in 2011.
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Soroptimist International of Joondalup enjoyed a delicious Christmas Dinner at the Karakatta Club in Sherwood Court in the city on Wednesday 8 December. Jan Musk, as a member of the club, greeted guests as they came into the genteel confines of this, the oldest women’s club in Australia founded in 1894. Guests enjoyed a glass of champagne and capes in the lounge and a chance to socialise with fellow members before entering the dining room for dinner. President Bobbi Buckle welcomed members to the celebration and said it was a chance to relax socially with each other as we reflected on another excellent year of service to the community. Sylvia Takiari had organised a women’s choir, Dolce Niente, to come and sing for us during the evening and it was truly delightful to hear this unaccompanied choir singing carols and old favourite songs. A lovely evening came to an end at about half past ten, and members and their partners made their way home by car and taxi.
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Soroptimist International of Helena held their last meeting of 2010 at the new venue they will be using for their business meetings next year – Midland Junction Lotteries House Board Room, 39 Helena Street, Midland. They were very fortunate to have visiting Soroptimist Myrea Jenkins join them from Soroptimist International of Downpatrick, North Ireland. Myrea told the club about the Best Practice Award her club had received for their efforts on a Climate Change leaflet. The leaflet is designed to raise awareness of, and provide ideas on how to reduce, the individual and family’s carbon footprint. After the meeting members crossed the road to try out the new venue for social meetings at The Eastern. They enjoyed HEAPS of food and swapped Secret Santa gifts in the true spirit of Christmas. The club is now on break until the 18th January 2011 when they have their first guest speaker of the year from The Esther Foundation.
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Every second year, as part of the Fremantle Arts Festival, Agnes Street, Beaconsfield, is home to an ‘Airing of the Quilts’, to showcase the work of all the quilters who live in the street. Ropes are strung along the street and colourful quilts are displayed, along with the works of other artists who live in this very talented little community. Some of the pieces are for sale, others simply on show. This year, SI Fremantle approached the organisers to ask if we could join in the day with a display of ‘I Spy’ quilts being donated to the foster children of WA. The residents of No 11 were kind enough to string up a rope for us and we aired some beautiful quilts which attracted the attention of the passers-by. It was a very pleasant afternoon and we were able to hand out lots of our brochures to people who were interested in making a quilt for the project.
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SI Fremantle ran the sausage sizzle at Bunning Melville on 2nd and 3rd January which was a huge success, despite the hot weather. Bunning’s customers supported the fund raising efforts and we were able to raise $1,800 towards our educational scholarships and Girl Guides project. Thanks go to all members (and partners/husbands) who assisted and Dorsogna who supplied the sausages.
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Our first meeting for 2011 was well attended with several visitors and potential members at our new meeting venue - The Eastern - in Midland. We heard first hand the difference that The Esther Foundation is making to the lives of young women. One of the course participants told us of her own situation. The transformation that had occurred in this confident 16 year old lady standing talking to a group of women, was nothing short of amazing. In just 2 short years she had gone from self harming, being put in psychiatric wards and being on constant suicide watch to being a leader at the foundation who is now applying for a job in the police force. Members also brought along donations for the Region call out to send up to those affected by the floods in Carnarvon.
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Inspiration – Michelle Hogan, Director of My Secret Bhutan, spoke at Soroptimist International of Cambridge’s meeting about a new educational scholarship program for women and girls in Bhutan. She also shared her experience of working there and talked about the dedication of Buddhist nuns and their life. Action – Pamela Fruin and Patricia Cowley invited Soroptimist International sister s and friends to sew, knit or crochet red beanies for the Nuns of Bhutan. The Red Beanie Thunder Dragon Project started to breathe fire. Soroptimist International sisters at South Perth, Joondalup, Karratha and Districts, Rockingham, Fremantle and Cambridge and their friends together made 424 red beanies; 276 polar fleece beanies and 148 knitted and crocheted or commercially made beanies. What a fantastic effort! Delivery – Two bags of securely wrapped red beanies travelled with us to their final destination in Bhutan. The largest bag with 300 red beanies found its new home in Bumthang and the smaller bag of 124 beanies was delivered in Thimpu. Pema Thak Cho-ling Tang Bebzur Nunnery in Bumthang Bezbur Nunnery is in the remote area of Bumthang in central Bhutan. Our guide Kuenga arranged the visit, introduced us to the head Monk Khampo Sonam Tetjay, senior monk and nun and Sherab, a beautiful, gracious nun who translated for us. 50 nuns assembled in the prayer hall and under the guidance of their seniors, began to chant a prayer ceremony. Prayers of thanks and prayers to wish us safe travel. Sherab said that ‘we would not be forgotten until their bodies turn to ashes’. A protocol that was observed in giving the beanies, the most important first. As the nuns left there were giggles of excitement. 150 nuns live at Pema Thak Cho-ling Tang Bebzur Nunnery in austere accommodation. Funding for building, maintenance and its operation is mainly from donations. The winters in Bhutan are severe with temperatures as low as minus 20. 300 beanies were delivered here and will bring a little comfort during the winter. Zilukha Nunnery in Thimpu Pema Pal, the senior nun, a beautiful, gentle, caring woman welcomed us. She has 50 nuns in her care including lots of little nuns. The nuns assembled and held a prayer ceremony for us. Beanies were given to the nuns here.
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One of SI Cambridge's most recent projects was a donation of $500 to RENEW for educational scholarships for woman and girls in Bhutan.
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Mair Pinnell was delighted to meet members of SI Joondalup and their partners at a BBQ in January. Jennie van Driel and husband Keith organised the evening and hosted a total of 17 Soroptimists and their husbands who were all pleased to meet Mair and exchange information and friendship. She has been coming out to Western Australia from Leeds in England for many years to spend Christamas with her brother and his family and to re-connect with SI Joondalup. Mair has a long association with Joondalup; when we were chartered as a club in 1978 a member of Leeds came out to accompany the President of GBI and a Friendship Link was formed between the two clubs with Mair as the correspondent. Mair went on to become the Federation Friendship Link for GBI and she has continued being a stalwart correspondent and friend to SI Joondalup. During the evening President Elect Kate Haydock welcomed Mair and gave her a gift of a silk purse made by the women of the Tabitha Foundation of Cambodia. The women who weave the silk and make the purses are widowed mothers, landmine victims street women and Aids Suferers, and this project gives them dignity and an income. In return Mair presented two of her dear friends and foundation members of SI Joondalup, Verna Ramm and Noreen Biffen each with a single red rose. She said how pleased she was to meet with the members of SI Joondalup again and she congratulated them on their Programme of Service.
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On a very hot Sunday afternoon on 30 January, around 250 people attended the Region film fundraiser, The King's Speech. Thank you for all those people who supported us.
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Pre-Christmas Barbecue Anne Butorac kindly invited the club to use her home for our end of year social gathering, held on the 16th December. About 14 club members and some partners enjoyed an informal night with good food, wine and good company. Christmas crackers, hats, fairy lights, champagne and a lovely garden setting all contributed to a good night. A special part of the evening was when a very talented Trish Robinson shared some of her poetry with us. Thank you Trish. We also wished Sue Mulholland a Happy Birthday. Treats for Orana Women’s Refuge Several SI Maylands Peninsula members met the next evening, 17th December to pack up small presents, chocolates, sweets and cards for women and children who were likely to be resident at Orana Refuge over the Christmas season. The children’s bags also contained balls, bubble kits, stickers and other items and food vouchers were provided for the women. The club has made this an annual project and raised money during the year through bookstalls and Bill Prendergast’s half-marathon run. Donations of goods were also made by several women. Margaret Harris volunteered for the task of shopping for the items and Trish Robinson, Kath Lymon, Margaret and Roz Turner gathered at Lynne Yellands’ house by the river with champagne while we worked. We enjoyed putting the Christmas gifts together knowing they would bring some delight to the recipients. Roz, a new-comer to our group, generously donated lots of items for the mothers and children. Thanks Roz, we look forward to officially welcoming you to our Club.
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Region President Berenice Ritchie, Past International President Margaret Lobo & SWP Federation Programme Director Robyn Cain at the Volunteers WA Christmas function at Government House Perth, 2010
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