In June 2025 Jessica Toale, MP for Bournemouth West and honorary member of SI Bournemouth, along with Millie Earl, BCP Council Leader, established a Citizens’ Panel inviting residents to apply. Gail Thomas, secretary of SIB, was selected to join the group with the aim of identifying positive changes that could be made to Bournemouth town centre to refresh it. As the three large department stores had closed after the Covid pandemic and several smaller retail units are empty, the town centre no longer feels a busy, buzzy and inviting space all the time. The Panel was designed to ‘embed residents’ voices in the change we need to see’. The group has met 5 times now and created an action plan that will be signed off in January, it has been an interesting, stimulating and hopefully fruitful exercise- we will keep you posted on the outcomes!
If you are interested in this and would like to come along to a Soroptimist International Bournemouth meeting to find out more, please email us at sigbibournemouth@hotmail.co.uk.