Charity No 1139668
The Diamond Education Grant was set up as a charity by SIGBI in 1972. It contributes to the public benefit through its activity of making grants to women who are in need of financial assistance for educational purposes. The grants enable the women to enter or return to employment, or move to a growing industry, by acquiring new skills. The educational grants contribute to raising the standard of education among women, who may not otherwise be able to improve their circumstances, those of their family, or the community in which they live.
The benefits of educating women and girls, in time, have become recognised as the most effective way of raising nations out of poverty, and reducing international conflicts. Remember the often quoted, African proverb? ‘If you education a man you educate an individual, but if you educate a woman, you educate a family (nation)’. The United Nations Girls’ Education Initiative states that, ‘When girls get the education they need, there is a ripple effect that benefits everyone.’
The Diamond Education Board allocate grants to women who reside in the countries of the Federation. During the year to 31 March 2024, we made grants totalling £38,642 to 37 women. The average grant for the year was £1,044. We aimed to find the right women; those that faced the greatest barriers or to whom the grant would have the biggest impact.
Awards are made to help towards the cost of course fees or books/equipment, not for living expenses.
The grants that have been awarded include courses as diverse as helicopter engineering, teacher training, play therapy, midwifery, a conversion course for an overseas qualified pharmacist and a diploma in sign language interpreting.
How to apply
Applications for grants towards training or courses in the academic year September 2025 to July 2026 will open towards the end of 2024. Short courses are considered as long as they fall within these dates. Allocations are generally around £1,000, although more can be given if trustees assess a candidate as being in significant need. Please complete the online application form but do read the notes below first to check if you are eligible. Please note that we do not accept applications for grants towards Masters, PhD’s or similar.
Eligibility
To be eligible for a grant you do not have to be a Soroptimist (most of our applicants are not) but you must be female and permanently resident within one of the countries of our Federation. Eligible countries are listed below.
Resonating the Soroptimist Vision; We believe that every woman deserves the opportunity to reach her full potential, regardless of her circumstances. Many women face barriers that prevent them from pursuing higher education or securing meaningful employment. Whether it’s financial hardship, lack of resources, or overwhelming life challenges, these obstacles can seem insurmountable. These are the candidates that we favour in awarding our grants.
Criteria for eligibility
| Essential | We favour women who are… |
| Female | 30 or over within the relevant academic year (no upper age limit) |
| Resident within the SIGBI territory | Updating or acquiring skills after a career or learning break to improve employment opportunities. |
| Must be willing to submit a progress report at the end of the academic year. | Aiming to complete a vocational course / training |
| Have no financial support from their immediate families | |
| Disadvantaged in some way e.g. physical / medical needs, Special Educational Needs, Disability, Trauma, Financial challenges | |
| Wishing to progress in a STEM career or male orientated field | |
| Interested in working with a mentor during the academic year | |
| Interested in joining a local Soroptimist club for a defined period |
The closing date for applications will be 15 April 2025, and all applicants will be notified via email at end of June 2025 whether or not they have received a grant. Successful applicants will be asked to provide some further proof of enrolment and two references before their grant is issued. We also require a short report at the end of your course / training so that we can measure the impact of our grant allocation.
To be eligible you must be permanently resident in one of the countries of our Federation, which are:
Eligible Countries:
Asia
Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka
Europe
Guernsey, Isle of Man, Jersey, Malta Republic of Ireland and United Kingdom
Caribbean
Anguilla, Barbados, Grenada, Jamaica, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos
How to donate
Nearly forty awards were given out last year. With increased funding, many more women could be helped to make that vital career step up, or back into the workplace. To make a donation, complete the donation form and return it to joanne@sigbi.org: SIGBI Donation Form. The form includes details of how to make payment by cheque or by BACS.
Soroptimists Supporting the Diamond Education Grant
In an effort to raise the profile of this grant and our designated day (8th September), with all members, the DEG Trustees have prepared some resources which we would like all clubs to share with their members. We have prepared a presentation with an accompanying script that could be shown at club or regional level this Autumn. We have also prepared a ‘diamond’ themed quiz which we thought that you might like to use at club level to raise awareness in a more light-hearted way.
All of these resources can be found in the SIGBI Hub Library.
And don’t stop there! Next time you review your Will, please consider including a legacy for the Fund, enabling your work as a Soroptimist to live on after you. The wording should be as follows: “I GIVE the sum of £……….to SIGBI Ltd (address as above) for the benefit of the Diamond Education Grant Registered charity No 1139668.”
Recycling in aid of the Diamond Education Grant
Many clubs have successfully used the jewellery recycling service to fund raise for past SIGBI projects and their own projects, and we now ask you to consider continuing this great method of raising funds in aid of the Diamond Education Grant. SI Milford Haven is currently doing this in conjunction with “Recycling for Good Causes”.
Please encourage your members to support this project so that we can continue to transform the lives of women and meet our goal to educate, empower and enable. Clubs can raise funds by simply collecting recyclable items such as jewellery (made of any material), watches, rings, old bank notes and coins or gadgets such as Sat Navs, Games Consoles and Games, Tablets, Video Cameras, Mobile Phones, iPods and Laptops of any age.
The smaller items can be posted in a padded envelope to FREEPOST Licence RSXA-GJBY-ARRZ, Soroptimist International DEG, Unit 14 Amber Business Village, Tamworth, B77 4RP. For gadgets please request a sack by contacting Erene Grieve via hq@sigbi.org or 0161 480 7686 (option 2), fill it and then request collection from customerservices@recyclingforgoodcauses.org.
Don’t Delay Start Recycling Today
We are proud to say that when a women, who has received a grant, succeeds in her career path it is down to the collaborative efforts of all SIGBI members!
Come to our Diamond Education Facebook page to hear about some of our success stories. https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61555480438447