The Yeovil, Sherborne & Districts club of Soroptimist International has chosen the Zest Café in Sherborne to be one of the charities they will support during 2015.
The Zest Café, which helps people recovering from mental health problems, announced in September that it needs to raise £25,000 in order to retain the lease on its premises in Abbey Road. Local Soroptimists have already donated £200 and plan to give more by the café’s fundraising deadline of December this year.
Soroptimist is Latin for “best of sisters” and members are dedicated to helping women and girls, worldwide, to lead better and fuller lives. “In order to achieve gender equality we sometimes need to help men and boys as well – which is the case with the Zest Café,” explained the local club’s President, Jen Gardner.
Soroptimists hold fundraising events to help those they pledge to support and the £200 already given to the Zest Café was from money raised at a Charity Night at
Yeovil’s Swan Theatre. Further funds will come from events held over the coming months – including Soroptimist’s annual General Quiz Night at Huish Park, Yeovil, on Monday 23rd February, which is open to all.
The Zest Café is part of Sherborne Well Being Club and is staffed by people with a history of mental health problems. The charity lost its previous funding of £36,000 a year from Dorset County Council when the council decided to retender its contracts for mental health provision.
Caz Barrett, who manages the café, said she and her team were extremely grateful for the help being offered by local Soroptimists, and hoped their involvement would encourage support from other groups.
Soroptimist International was established as an international organisation in 1921. It is now a leading global women’s voluntary body, dedicated to supporting a wide range of charities and organisations. The local club, which was set up in 1951, holds several meetings each month, covering both business and social events.
Further details about activities of the Yeovil, Sherborne and Districts club of Soroptimist International can be found on the website www.sigbi.org/yeovil-sherborne-and-districts