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Latest news
September 2009
Purple Teardrop Campaign representatives gave a talk at the AGM of the Women's Section, SW Regional Fire Brigade Union. Delegates were inspired by the case studies of trafficked victims and found the presentation on signs of human trafficking enlightening.
The first anniversary of the launch of the Purple Teardrop Campaign was marked by the broadcast of our newsletter http://soroptimist-gbi.co.uk/poole/files/2009/09/ptc_newsletter_autumn_09.pdf and by cutting a beautiful cake made by a Southampton-based Soroptimist
August 2009
Russian pop star, Valeriya, pledged her support for the Purple Teardrop Campagin. Goodwill envoy for the Russian Federation on behalf of the International Organisation for Migration to combat human trafficking, Valeriya has given the Purple Teardop Campaign her permission to use 'Back to Love' - see http://www.youtube.com/user/valeriyaofficial
Purple Teardrop pins were ordered by and sent to Soroptimists in Washington State
Summer 2009
Purple Teardrop Campaign representatives gave presentations to Poole Rotarians, Women Reaching Women and a local National Women's Register group, an awareness-raising event was held at Bournemouth University and orders for Purple Teardrop Campaign materials were received from as far afield as Belgium and Scotland
April 2009
The Purple Teardrop Campaign had representation at the Dorset WI Federation Conference held in Poole on 23 April which included a session on human trafficking. Purple Teardrop Campaign information was available to the 700 delegates plus our distinctive purple teardrop pin-badges on sale. We wish Dorset WI members every success in their campaigning against human trafficking.
The campaign continues to gather pace within Soroptimist International as clubs around the UK start to hold workshops about human trafficking, distribute Purple Teardrop Campaign information and sell our pin-badges within their communities.
March 2009
Representatives from the Purple Teardrop Campaign were asked to talk to front-line women’s services managers in the South about human trafficking and the indicators to be aware of when dealing with potential trafficking victims.
The International Women’s Day event in Poole brought our thought-provoking Purple Teardrop Campaign stand. Visitors saw ‘Marta’ heading to the UK full of optimism about her new life here only to find that she’d been duped by traffickers into a desperate life of enforced prostitution. Representatives were on hand to talk to the many interested people who came to the stand.
Feb 2009
The annual Poole Lions Club Swimarathon attracted teams from local businesses, clubs and schools who each swam in relay for just under an hour to raise thousands of pounds for locally based charities and good causes, including the Purple Teardrop
December 2008
Louis de Bernieres, celebrated author, has agreed to be patron of the Purple Teardrop Campaign. He made his views on human trafficking and his support for trafficking victims known during a recent television debate on the issue. We thank Louis de Bernieres for his support for the Purple Teardrop Campaign.
March 2010
The Anti-Slavery Day Bill had its third reading on 29 March – Purple Teardrop Campaign supporters are watching closely to see if Royal Assent is achieved before Parliament is dissolved for elections. Soroptimists attended the 54th annual sessions of the Commission on the Status of Women at the UN in New York and Soroptimist representatives gave presentations on SI anti-slavery work, including the Purple Teardrop Campaign. And following February’s Swimarathon, the Purple Teardrop Campaign was honoured to receive a donation for £3,200 – a heartfelt thanks to all the swimmers who supported the event and helped raise such a tremendous amount of sponsorship.
February 2010
This year’s Poole Lions Swimarathon attracted swimming teams from Poole and beyond who swam in support of locally based charities, included the Purple Teardrop Campaign. Poole Soroptimists helped both before and during the weekend long event. The Campaign made a donation of £1,000 to the Medaille Trust’s human trafficking victim support work.
January 2010
The Charities Commission confirmed the Purple Teardrop Campaign’s registration – no 1133505. Soroptimist News, distributed to over 10,000 members, published an article on the Purple Teardrop Campaign together with an order form for our pinbadges, posters and cd. The Soroptimist network is ideally positioned to raise awareness of human trafficking and help fund-raise for victim support.
December 2009
Guy Jacobson’s film ‘Holly’ makes for sober and thought-provoking viewing as Purple Teardrop Campaign supporters discovered when they attended the UK premiere of the film in London.
November 2009
Our team of presenters was particularly busy in November. It was a privilege to both present and run workshops at the British-Taiwan Conference in London and to talk about the Purple Teardrop Campaign to Chichester Soroptimists and to the Dorset branch of the National Landlords Association. Professionals in many fields may come across human trafficking victims in the course of their work and, with private investigators in mind, a 2 page article on human trafficking and the work of the Purple Teardrop Campaign was published in the November edition of the Association of British Investigators magazine.
October 2009
October brought Soroptimist International of Great Britain and Ireland’s annual conference, this time in Cardiff. Glynn Rankin, UKHTC’s Head of Legal Services, updated delegates on current human trafficking issues and was presented with a £2,000 donation from the Purple Teardrop Campaign. A huge thank you to our supporters – this donation is helping victims rescued from human trafficking for whom no other support funding is available.
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