Preparations begin for Purple Parade 2015

Greetings to all the wonderful women of Southend...

Further to being overwhelmed by my grief this year, and as a consequence only being able to organise a Coffee Morning to Celebrate International Women's Day in Southend in 2014... team building and event development is going to start early... In fact it's starting next month as International Women's Day is far too important not to celebrate!!!

As you all know I use this event to raise money for two Charities through the sale of Parader's Commemorative Sashes... The cost of the sashes hasn't changed - They are £10.00 each and will be dispatched to the Paraders 14-days before the 2015 event...

In 2015, I aspire to gather a minimum of 1000, women from the Community to Parade with me in Commemoration of the women (our mothers, grand-mothers and great-grandmothers) who did so much to ensure that we and our daughters have the many freedoms we enjoy today! If we manage to get more than 1000 official paraders for the event, that would be fantastic...

So who are the charities you're supporting I hear you ask???
After costs:

• 60% of funds raised will go to the SoS - Women's Refuge:
  The refuge provides a range of help and support to local women and children escaping Domestic Violence, including emergency shelter.
• 40% Momo Biogas
  Momo Biogas is a project which I am involved with in Africa and seeks to improve the lives of women and girls in rural and remote Africa, starting in Kenya. More information about this project will be published in its own dedicated blog in the very near future.

As well as the Parade, I will also be hosting a Post Parade event, which will include a Market Places for local women's groups, community based charities and the many arty/crafty women from our local area to sell their good and or promote their services. We will also have some public speakers; to address you on issues which affect us all!

If you are interested in participating as a Parader, or if you would like to book a stall for the Post Parade Event, now is the time to start emailing me with your expressions of interest.

Contact me: anna@annaheimonline.com

2014 - Purple Parade Southend - The Plan

Yes, it's that time of the year again where all attention is focused on finalising the plan for the International Women's Day - Purple Parade Event in Southend... With a theme of "Inspiring Change" we

Following on from the success of the past, the Purple Parade & post-Parade Event, we will once again follow the format of previous years...

We would like to remind you that every year the Purple Parade raises funds for one local and one international charity, so please give generously to our collectors on the day.

• The local Charity we are supporting is The Dove Charity which provides support to women and children who are coping with Domestic Violence
• The International Charity we are supporting is: Momo Biogas - Kenya, which seeks to improve the lives of women and girls in rural and remote Kenya

The Rules:
All Parader's must wear at least 1-item of PURPLE clothing.
When Parading - please do so in an orderly fashion. No Running is allowed in the main body of the parade.

Parade Commemorative Sashes:
We are offering Purple Parade Commemorative Sashes at a cost of £7.00 each.
If you'd like to order a commemorative sash to wear on the day we must receive your order with payment no later than Friday 21st February 2014. Email: anna@annaheimonline.com to place your order!

The Meeting Place:
All Parader's are asked to meet at The Statue outside Southend Victoria Station.
Please be at the Meeting Place by 11am as we intend to commence the Parade by 11.15am at the latest

The Route:
We will parade in an orderly fashion down the full length of Southend High Street, turning left at Pier Hill to proceed along the Eastern Esplanade to The Britannia for the post-Parade Event.

The Post Parade Event:
We have a limited number of stalls available to hire on a first-come-first-served offer. Stalls cost £20 payable on the day. Please contact Anna Heim before 21st February to book your stall!

As well as stalls, there will be music, presentations from some of Southend's most inspired and inspirational women, arts, crafts, fashion items, face-painting for children as well as food and drinks.

The event will conclude at 4.30pm

We hope you will join us for the 2014, International Women's Day Purple Parade - Southend.
If you'd like to know more, please do not hesitate to contact Anna Heim

2013 Purple Parade Summary

The Day started with me sharing the following video message for International Women's Day from the UN's Women's Executive Director ~ Michelle Bachelet

The slowly started to get ready for the day... 

A group of 8 - 10 of US gathered at the statue  "The Kiss"adjacent to Victoria Station... with all the parader's assembled, we set of for our discrete and modest parade down the High Street and along the The Esplanade Hotel, Eastern Esplanade at a little before 11.15am... By 12.10pm we had arrived at The Esplanade Hotel for the Parade after-party which included a stunning performance by the Yardarm Folk Orchestra, a recital of poetry and verse by Cherry Scott, and excellent conversation about the history of the day and why in our view International Women's Day is so important and should be celebrated... Ideas were shared as to making next years parade bigger and better with participants and contributors making a commitments  to participate in the 2014 event.

At 2.30pm we settled down for hearty pub-lunch at the Estuary Hotel and we all went home some 90 minutes later, satisfied that although there were only 25 of us celebrating we were there and had a great time... and something had happened to celebrate International Women's day in Southend. 

So here's to next year!...

Below follows a few photos of the after party.

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=oa.554011994630777&type=1

The Purple Parade is an Anna Heim Community Collaboration and is produced by Anna M. Heim as part of her ongoing independent community development activities. Anna had been on the Turning Tides IWD Planning Committee from 2009 to 2011 at which time the Turning Tides Committee disbanded as each of the member pursued other community based projects within the Borough of Southend-on-Sea and Turning Tides metamorphosed into a new type of organisation, and sadly with no scope for this event... 

The Purple Parade as produced by Anna has the blessing of the former committee, which Anna and her former colleagues Chris Sternshine and Jane Sealy hope will reform in some fashion in the not too distant future. 

In 2012, without a licence or insurance and minimal publicity - Anna and a few of her friends and colleague paraded down the centre of the Southend High Street to Pier Hill... dressed in purple and with a banner announcing the parade to Saturday morning shoppers - the parade group were welcomed to whoops and cheers as the two groups came together to celebrating International Women's day in Royal Square 

We (The Purple Paraders') then headed off to Utopia Coffee Lounge for refreshments before dispersing...

From the feedback - the 3 Way Split Project is working on producing a bigger and better event in partnership with the women of Southend for 2013...

The 2013 IWD Purple Parade Southend will be held on

Saturday 9th March 2013

The Meeting Place: Southend Victoria Station ~ The Plaza

Meeting Time: 10am

Parade Start Time: 10.15am

Women and girls of all ages and the men who love the women in their lives and support them are invited to wear at least one item of Purple clothing and parade with us in celebration of the achievements of the women and girls of Southend-on-Sea...

You will be able to join the parade at any point along the direct route down the High Street, to the Pier. We are also planning an After Parade Event

If you are interested in talking part in this annual event and would like to participate please do not hesitate to contact  anna@annaheimonline.com for more information - please "FOLLOW" and share this blog.