We are delighted to announce that Soroptimist International (SI) of Bolton is now supporting our Foodbox Project. Soroptimist International is a worldwide organisation of women who work to advance the status of women at local, national and international level. They do this through local and national projects and by raising awareness of issues that affect women and girls throughout the world. The Bolton club was first chartered in 1938 and even in lockdown have been able to celebrate 82 years of service to women and girls in Bolton and around the world. SI Bolton has chosen Women In Neighbourhoods as their charity to support and fundraise for 2021 and their members have already raised £200 for the Foodbox project. We are extremely grateful to Soroptimist Bolton for their support.
Last year, our Foodbox project received funding from Department for Digital Media, Culture & Sports via The National Lottery and has been used to connect families online, as well as distributing food packs and helping to address the issues of food poverty and isolation, particularly addressing needs of women in BAME communities in Bolton. In the face of the Covid-19 pandemic, which has impacted all of our lives in the past 16 months, this project has proved invaluable in helping those most in need during this unprecedentedly difficult period. The regular online cooking sessions via Zoom – with different themes each week to cater for everyone’s taste – has created a virtual community kitchen where members of the community can meet each other – whether family, friends or strangers – to socialise, to share ideas and of course to share family recipes. These sessions have helped people overcome isolation and loneliness and to develop greater self-confidence and new skills, with some even volunteering to lead the sessions.
WiN (Women in Neighbourhoods) is dedicated to the women of Bolton and helps and supports women in most deprived neighbourhoods throughout Bolton and aims for women empowerment & gender equality. Soroptimist International has a vision that women and girls will achieve their individual and collective potential, realise aspirations and have an equal voice in creating strong, peaceful communities worldwide, and their mission is to transform the lives and status of women and girls through education, empowerment and enabling opportunities.
Together we can help and support the most vulnerable women in Bolton’s communities not only to survive and maintain their mental and physical well-being in these difficult times, but also to remain in touch with their families and friends and be ready to use new skills to prosper and to thrive as we begin the process of moving out of lockdown.