Skip links


Soroptimists Celebrate £320,000 worth of Diamond Education Grants this UN Day of Education

Now in its 53rd year of activity, The Diamond Education Grant, a charity set up by Soroptimist International Great Britain & Ireland (SIGBI), has opened its applications ahead of the next academic year.

As SIGBI looks ahead to the UN’s International Day of Education next week, it encourages as many women and girls as possible to submit an application for The Diamond Education Grant.

The Diamond Education Board allocate grants to women who reside across Europe, Asia and the Caribbean.

Last year, grants, totalling £38,642, were made to 37 women – to those that faced the greatest barriers or for whom the grant would have the biggest impact. The average grant for the year was £1,044.

Since 2009, The Diamond Education Grant has issued 318 different grants – 233 in the last decade – to the value of approximately £320,000 in total, allowing women to secure new qualifications, boost their career opportunities and aid their economic independence.

Ruth Healey, President of SIGBI, said: “While The Diamond Education Grant, now its own charity, runs parallel to SIGBI, it’s something our members champion annually. Resonating with the Soroptimist vision, we believe that every woman deserves the opportunity to reach her full potential, regardless of her circumstances.

“It’s one of our charitable objects as an organisation. We believe universal access to safe, inclusive and high-quality education and training for women and girls is a fundamental human right as enshrined in the Declaration of Human Rights. Yet 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 people who need access to support like this, and this is something that the UN’s International Day of Education advocates.”

Saoirse is one recipient of The Diamond Education Grant, awarded in 2024, after experiencing a great deal of trauma in her life. After witnessing her brother’s death, she battled with anorexia, had an unhealthy relationship with alcohol, and attempted suicide.

At aged 26, she entered a period of ‘detox’ finding appropriate support and using blog writing and podcasting to share her story with other women. She soon started writing a book, her debut novel titled ‘A Colourful Life’. Saoirse attributes her success with the book to the ongoing support of the local Soroptimists – the name SIGBI members give themselves – and The Diamond Education Grant.

Saoirse said: “Finding the support of the Soroptimists, a world of women that I looked up to and wanted to be like, led me to The Diamond Education Grant.

“Through the entire process, I found women with remarkable skill sets who wanted to empower me. It was incredible. The funding helped me to work with a writing coach, finish the book, market it, and share my story with the SIGBI network, to help others just like I was.

“This platform is one I am deeply thankful for.”

SIGBI believes that every woman and girl, both nationally and globally, has the right to be able to access education. The charity, which also has consultancy status at the UN, works to break down barriers that affect women with the aim of creating gender parity, empowering women to overcome hurdles and stereotypes, pursue their dreams, and shape their own futures.

Endorsing The Diamond Education Grant is a part of this, along with individual club projects, established by clubs attended by Soroptimists.

“Through our club projects, we support the lifelong learning of women and girls through a variety of training, assistance, fundraising and partnership activities,” Ruth added.

“Club members with specific skill sets offer training to local groups in financial acumen, IT, sewing and crafting among many other activities. Club members attend local schools, prisons and other institutions to help with reading for women and girls of all ages.

“We also facilitate book swaps and story competitions and organise school STEM competitions to encourage girls to find their vocations in this field.”

A number of clubs run competitions either for inspiring women in the community, encouraging confidence in public speaking or encouraging careers in STEM.

The public-speaking competitions are a successful part of SIGBI’s programme work. At SIGBI’s recent conference, SI Kings Lynn – one of the charity’s local clubs – won a Best Practice Award for their public-speaking competition which has been running since 2006 for Year 6 students.

Primary schools in King’s Lynn, and surrounding areas, are invited to participate in the annual competition and, last year, nine teams entered. A team of three speak for five minutes on their chosen subject while a panel of three judges review the content, time keeping and presentation skills.

Students who take part gain increased confidence. A winner said: “Thank you to the Soroptimists for letting us enter this competition, we feel proud to win and proud to represent our school.”

Similar projects take place across Bromsgrove, Ballymoney, Belfast, Perth, Croydon, Barnstaple, and Bournemouth.

Clubs across the UK, in Rugby, Yeovil, Mansfield, Slough, Guernsey, Cannock and further afield, have also collected and distributed thousands of second-hand books for schools, refuges and members of the public. Members of the Surrey Hills, Ilkley, Nottingham and St Alban’s clubs have worked with local secondary schools to conduct mock interviews.  In Canterbury, members helped teach a local refuge how to make pizza, in The Wrekin, the club supported English classes for Ukrainian women and, in Cockermouth, Soroptimists hosted coffee mornings for English conversation amongst refugees.

Clubs have also been involved in mentoring girls either through the Girls Network or through local charities and schools.

In addition, a significant number of clubs raise funds to sponsor girls and young women to pursue their studies. Many of these sponsorships involve students overseas from all over and as far afield as Kathmandu.

Ruth said: “Through all of our work, our members donate their time, volunteering vast amounts of hours – since August 2024 we’ve counted 2,409 hours donated – to support education, which is ever important, especially post-COVID and with the sector facing so many ongoing and difficult challenges.”

SIGBI is a membership organisation which focuses on empowering women and girls to achieve their full potential. Learn more about its commitment to education here: https://sigbi.org/what-we-do/our-work/education/