Blairgowrie & Rattray Hub Magazine Summer 2023

Blairgowrie Soroptimist
Blairgowrie resident and Associate Soroptimist
Jean Campbell is required to report all
her volunteering activities to Soroptimist
International Great Britain & Ireland and, on
doing so, she was amazed to realise how much
support she gets from family, especially her
husband, Donald, friends, neighbours and
local residents, enabling her to volunteer! In
addition, Blythswood Care, Blairgowrie and
Thrifty One/Two in Alyth support her activities
by donating appropriate unsold items to her.
As a result, Jean provides clean and sorted
household items including curtains, bedding,
towels, cutlery, crockery, pots’n’pans and
kitchen storage, etc. to Starter Packs, Perth,
a small volunteer-led charity which receives
referrals on behalf of those in need, from the
housing department, social work, criminal
justice and Women’s Aid, to name but a few.
Jean also collects and provides lightly-used and
new bras /new pants to Smalls for All, West
Calder. Smalls for All in turn disseminates them
to organisations in Africa and in the UK thus
providing women and girls with dignity and
comfort
As Jean also collects unused toiletries from
a variety of sources, she is able to hand over
toiletries to Perthshire Women’s Aid, Perth
Rape & Sexual Abuse Centre and Perth’s
One-Stop Women’s Learning Service annually
usually around Christmas time, all greatly
appreciated by the recipients, all of whom
have had bad life experiences.
pre-loved toys, books, prams, buggies, cots, etc.
for young mums and families in need.
And until recently Jean has transported empty
blister packs to Superdrug, Perth for recycling
but, as there has been a blip she, along with
Kay Seal, are seeking a solution to enable future
recycling of said blister packs.
These are just a few examples of the activities
Jean is delighted to ‘facilitate’ as a volunteer
and an Associate Soroptimist – she has already
mentioned the annual Orange Blairgowrie
campaign in a previous edition of the Hub
magazine. In conclusion, Jean is delighted to say
a big THANK YOU to everyone who enables her
to recycle, re-use and redistribute many items
which may have ended up in landfill and all of
which are put to good use.
See www.sigbi.org for more information about
Soroptimist International.
The photographs shows Jean with a car load
of donated items for Starter Packs and two
volunteers receiving items from Jean.
In addition, two Alyth knitters provide
Jean with knitted items for babies and
children aged up to 5 years of age. Jean then
transports them to a small Perth charity
called Buttons and Bows, the founder
member of which is also delighted to receive
PAGE
55