The St Albans and District Soroptimist Club is part of an international women’s voluntary organisation that works to improve the lives of women and girls. Its volunteers run a second-hand bookstall at Harpenden Sustainable Market to raise money for local projects such as the St Albans and Hertsmere Women’s Refuge.
Founded in 1957, the St Albans and District Soroptimist Club’s volunteers focus their efforts on three main pillars: Planet (sustainability and the environment), Peace (end violence against women and girls) and People (health and education).
Each Planet project follows the guiding principles of Awareness, Advocacy and Action. Volunteers first gain awareness of environmental issues, then become advocates and finally take action. This approach led to the second-hand bookstall.
Last year the team raised £200 for the St Albans and Hertsmere Women’s Refuge while finding new homes for hundreds of unwanted paperback novels and children’s books. The bookstall had a volunteer leader and other members pitched in to collect books, sort them and help sell them at the market. Leftover books were donated to the Lions charity bookshop in the Marlowes, Hemel Hempstead or – if unsaleable – pulped to raise money for the Lion’s charities.
The club’s members enjoy selling books at the Harpenden Sustainability Market. They raise a significant amount of money, get to talk to lots of people about their work and find it an easy venue to set up and clear. They also find the customers and other stallholders generous and great to talk to.
You may see club members wearing orange in support of its major campaign to end violence against women and girls, Orange the World.
Their top eco tip? “Buy second-hand books if you can. Our bookstall works really well as a recycling project. If you have books to get rid of and we aren’t running a stall, we recommend taking them to the Lions charity bookshop in the Marlowes Hemel Hempstead.”
Soroptimist International has clubs for women all over the world. If you’d like to help this fun, lively group make a difference to the lives of women and girls around the world, then consider becoming a member. The women’s group meets on the 2nd and 4th Mondays of most months either at Cottonmill Community and Cycling Centre in St Albans, on Zoom or out and about. See upcoming events here. You can also connect via the website, on Facebook, X and Instagram.
Join us at the next Sustainability Market on 21st July to visit the Soroptimist bookstall plus other local eco and food stalls that promote a more sustainable lifestyle. Visit our website for the full schedule of dates.
Written by volunteer Fuschia Hutton.