Plymouth Soroptimists are part of a worldwide organisation of women volunteers, founded in 1921 to advance human rights and transform the lives of women and girls. With two representatives on the UN Council, Soroptimist International has a meaningful voice on the world stage, and our clubs in over a hundred countries work to educate, empower and enable opportunities for women and girls.
The Plymouth club was founded in 1930 by Dr Mabel Ramsay, and Nancy Astor MP was an honorary member. Almost a century on, we are women from all walks of life and across a wide age range, united by our determination to make a difference. Being a Soroptimist is a great way to meet different people and make new friends!
Our focus is on ACTIVISM – lobbying Parliament and raising awareness of vital issues, and ACTION – serving our community, helping other women and partnering with other Plymouth organisations. For example: we give care boxes to care leavers; we run an annual pamper day where vulnerable women can get a haircut and some personal care; we have given away over £10,000 of period knickers; and every year we give bursaries to help young women in Plymouth complete their studies.
To achieve all that, we have fundraising events throughout the year, with every penny donated or raised from public events going directly to the projects we support. All of our club members are unpaid volunteers and we personally fund our running costs. If you would like to donate to our project funds, please click here to pay by card. If you shop online, please consider raising FREE donations for the club (funded by the retailers) by signing up to easyfundraising.
Can you spare one or two evenings a month?
Our regular meetings are at a hotel in Plymouth. On the first Wednesday evening of the month, we have a club meeting to manage our projects, fundraising and events. Then on most third Wednesdays we have a sociable supper meeting, usually with an interesting and inspirational guest speaker. Check out what we have coming up! To find out more, email info@plymsorop.org.uk, or ring our club secretary on 01752 774401 for an informal chat.
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