The Society of Dorset Men have made a £500 donation to the West Dorset Womens’ Refuge- part of £4,300 given by the Society to purely Dorset good causes over two years.
The presentation was made by the Society’s Vice Chairman Andy Prowse to Molly Rennie, Chairman of the West Dorset Womens’ Refuge, which has been open for 14 years and accommodates nine families.
“I’m over the moon to receive this £500 cheque from The Society of Dorset Men,” comments Molly Rennie, “it’s not only the money, this is raising the awareness of our worthy project around the county. We need to raise £14,000 this year to fund our Child Support Worker, who used to be funded by Social Services- so this cheque will help our work and our families tremendously.”
“We always want to support local people and identified the womens’ refuge as an absolutely necessary facility for local families in crisis,” comments Andy Prowse, Vice Chairman of The Society of Dorset Men. “I am told that one in four women will suffer domestic abuse in their lifetime, which is a shocking statistic and the refuges are there to help, staffed 24 hours a day.”
The Society of Dorset Men was founded on 7 July 1904. The Society has a long and rich history, beginning as the Society of Dorset Men in London and aiming to bring together fellow Dorsets in the capital city. However, since the 1950s, the main activities of the organisation have been centred on Dorset. Today, there are around 1,200 members throughout the UK and all over the world. The President is Oscar winner and ITV Downton Abbey playwright Lord Fellowes of West Stafford DL. He succeeded Sir Anthony Jolliffe GBE DL DSc DMus in 2011, the only Lord Mayor of London to be born in Weymouth, who still lives in Wyke Regis.
The four objects of The Society of Dorset Men are: “to make and to renew personal friendships and associations, to promote good fellowship among Dorset men wherever they may reside, to foster love of the county and pride in its history and traditions and to assist, by every means in its power, natives of Dorset who may stand in need of the influence and help of the Society.”
The Society of Dorset Men gave £3,800 to Dorset good causes during 2011 and 2012. The recipients were: Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra £500; Bournemouth Youth Cancer Trust £200; Dorset County Hospital Mammogram Appeal £500; Dorset Echo Toy Appeal £200 & £100; Dorset Youth Association £350; Julia’s House £500; Will Mackaness Trust £500, Poole Sailability £250; St James’ Church, Poole £100; Tornadoes of South Dorset £350, Weymouth Sea Cadets £250.
This £500 to the West Dorset Womens’ Refuge is the first donation of 2013.
FURTHER INFORMATION FROM: MICHEL HOOPER-IMMINS [THE SOCIETY OF DORSET MEN PR] AT 01305 779705 and 0785 012 6349
