SI Northern Ireland
Welcome to our team in Northern Ireland.
We currently have ten clubs operating and the recent addition of our newly formed Eclub – Virtual Voices NI.
As a member of Soroptimist International you will have the benefit of increasing your social network, develop an interest in working on various club projects, explore less well known and current Women issues, learn more about your local community needs, make friends , and have fun too.
Our members come from a wide range of occupational and professional backgrounds but all have the same common and shared desire to help improve the lives of girls and women at home and abroad.
If you are reading this and are not yet a Soroptimist, but would like to explore further how to stand up for women less fortunate than yourself, please take a look at our membership page at SIGBI.org or contact our regional Membership officer-
Executive team November 2024- October 2025
Jillian Patchett Boyce: President
Member of SI Lurgan
Jillian is originally from Durham and moved to Northern Ireland in 2002. Having decided to stay here she became a Soroptimist to develop her circle of friends and to contribute to improving the lives of women and girls. Jillian is a past President of SI Belfast and has been President of SI Lurgan a number of times. She is passionate about the public speaking competition and has been the SI Lurgan convenor since joining the Club. She is also the NI trustee of the SIGBI Benevolent Fund.
Jillian’s professional background is in healthcare, initially as a diagnostic radiographer specialising in breast screening, she then went on to develop a cancer centre in England. Her work on improving healthcare services brought her to NI where she led this work for the Department of Health. In 2007 Jillian moved to the voluntary sector and has worked at a strategic level in a number of UK and NI health charities.
Jillian is looking forward to her tenure as NI Regional President and to promoting the amazing work we do as Soroptimists.
Beatrice Ferguson- Regional Secretary
Aleen Jones- Regional Programme Action Chairman (Joint)
Member of SI Dungannon – 25 years service
Retired Consultant Physician with a special interest in Care of the elderly in South Tyrone Hospital before transferring to Craigavon Area Hospital to develop the Acute and community services for Stroke.
Interested in all areas of our project work, at club, regional and international level. (Programme Action) Our project work and advocacy makes a difference to women and girls.
Joan Houston- Regional Treasurer
Member of SI Belfast – 37 years service
Past Regional and club President
Professional background – Chartered Accountant and first woman to be licensed as Insolvency Practitioner in Ireland.
Currently serves on a grammar school board. Bryson Charity group board and chairs its charity delivering energy, sports and training programmes.
Margaret Read – Regional programme Action Committee Secretary
Member of SI Enniskillen
26 years service
Qualified as a food technologist in 1974, worked within the food industry with both multi- national companies and the smaller N. Ireland companies.
Retired as Operations manager with Glen Oak Fisheries in2015
A keen environmentalist , loves walking our countryside and beaches and is a “fair-weather gardener.
Elaine Molyneaux – Joint Regional Youth Award Convenor
Federation Consultative Councillor N.I.
Member of SI Belfast
15 years service
Professional background- Building Society Manager
Enjoys travel and loves the opportunity to attend annual conferences in different venues across the Federation.
Yvonne Molyneaux – Joint Regional Youth Award Convenor
Member of SI Belfast since 2011 (13 yrs)
Career: Work as a Staff Officer in the NI Civil Service (1974 to date)
SI Belfast – Past President, previously membership officer, currently Programme Action Officer and Regional Representative My key Soroptimist interest is Programme Action which I have been involved with for a number of years. I enjoy finding innovative ways to help people in the local community, particularly Women and Girls
Vi Bowler – Regional Communications, Regional Programme Action (Joint) and Regional representative SIGBI Cervical Cancer focus group
Member of SI Bangor , Past Regional and club president – 26 years service
Former Registered nurse and health visitor retired Senior Lecturer , Health &Social Care SERC.
Interests- Golf, Gym, fundraiser for NI Hospice, adult and children’s services, member of U3A., member of Theros ( Osteoporosis Society) Belfast and North down volunteer group.
Karen Elliott – Regional Membership Officer
Member of SI Lisburn and District.
Member of SI Lisburn for 21 years
I run a small caravan park near The Giants Causeway.
I am very keen on all the work Soroptimists do locally, nationally and internationally especially in regard to the environment, health and education.