Winchester Soroptimists handed over a total of £8,000 to local homeless charities at their meeting on Monday 21st January.
Winchester Women's Refuge and Outreach Service, The Trinity Centre Winchester, Winchester Churches Night Shelter and Emmaus Hampshire between them received a 'bag of cash' worth £8,000) from the local club of the worldwide women's service organisation and the funds mark the culmination of a year's fundraising activities at the Winchester branch of Soroptimist International.
Winchester & Chandler's Ford MP Steve Brine said: "Winchester is very well served by these three brilliant local charities and we need them more than ever but their continued work in our community is not a given which I why I was pleased to help them raise this impressive sum of money. SI Winchester deserve huge credit for choosing our homeless charities and for their dedication to raising such a lot of money."
Alison Thompson MBE, The Chair of Trustees of Emmaus Hampshire, said: "These funds are perfectly timed for the start of our fundraising campaign to add an extension to our Community building which we hope to have in place by late Spring 2013."
Michele Price, Manager, Winchester Churches Nightshelter, said: "We have decided to use the funding to assist with the training for one of our volunteer counsellors."
Michelle Gardner, Director of Strategy and Fundraising at the Trinity Centre, said: "We really do appreciate all you are doing. The funds will be used to help cover our running costs since despite our efforts to get all our rough sleepers a bed during this severe weather, (we're paying for 7 to stay in one bed & breakfast alone!) we still have about 10 people sleeping out in the snow. A worrying number."
In early December the Club ran a 'Silent Auction' at the Trinity Centre in Winchester, which raised a total of £4,500, and SI Winchester Club President, Gill Steel said: "We would like to thank all those who attended to support our fundraising efforts and we are grateful too for the generosity of donations from Club members and local companies. It was an enjoyable evening for all who attended, as well as helping to consolidate our fundraising efforts of the last year in support of the homeless of the Winchester area."
The next major fundraising event planned for the Club is a Club sponsored walk during International Women's Week from 8-15 March 2013. Teams of Club members will 'Beat the Bounds' of Winchester District, walking a total of 82 miles in all to raise further funds for organisations working in Winchester with the homeless and vulnerably housed.
Pictured (from left to right); Jennifer Lauté for Winchester Women's Refuge, Michelle Gardner, Director of Strategy at Winchester Trinity Centre, Michele Price, Manager, Winchester Churches Nightshelter and Alison Thompson, Chair of Trustees of Emmaus Hampshire receive a 'bag of cash' worth £8,000 from SI Winchester President Gill Steel (far right)
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Soroptimist International of Winchester