Who we are
We are an active club with 25 members undertaking a range of programmes of action- STEM challenge, Violence Against Women and Girls projects, activities to enhance the Planet, International initiatives and Lobbying.
A club by women for women, where everyone is heard
The only Soroptimist club to have ever been awarded the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service on the basis of our work in encouraging adolescent girls to take up roles in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths, we are proud of our achievements and continue to have significant impact. Part of a global network aiming to educate, empower and enable women and girls to reach their full potential, there has been a club in Bournemouth since 1938. Please read on to find out more.
Become a member
We are always willing to meet new interested women who might like to join us. Normally our Membership Secretary will meet you for coffee to talk through the details of the club and then you are invited to attend three meetings to determine of you would like to join. We meet on the third Monday of every month at West Hants Tennis Club in Bournemouth at 6.30 pm for a two course meal, often followed by a speaker and then a short business meeting. Our main work takes place outside of the meeting in Programme Action Groups where we engage in relevant and stimulating projects. We also raise funds for worthy causes, for example, by staffing a hydration station each year at the Bournemouth Run (see photo for 2026 event). Please contact us on the club email [email protected] if you would like to find out more.
Club information
Soroptimist International Bournemouth started in 1938 when the world was quite a different place. Early members were ground breakers in their fields, for example, Dr Doris Odlum an early consultant psychiatrist, and Elisabeth Scott the first woman to train as an architect in the UK. We are proud of our history and achievements and hope you find the details here interesting and affirming.
When and where we meet
We meet on the third Monday of the month at 6.30 pm at West Hants Tennis Club, Roslin Road, BH3 7EF. All our meetings start with a meal and a chance for members to socialise and unwind from their day. We then have a speaker or discussion topic and a short business meeting.
Club programme
The topics or speakers for the remainder of our 2026 / 2027 programme is: – 16/11/26 Feedback from SIGBI conference and discussion – 14/12/26 Christmas party – 18/1/27 Rachel Sawers, International Care Network – 15/2/27 Programme planning – 15/3/27 Peace workshop – 26/4/27 Annual general meeting
Club history
Some examples of club successes over the years: – In 1964 members of SIB purchased a house that provided a home for retired women with limited means. It is still used today as temporary accommodation for women in need. – Drink Spiking Campaign in 2005 to help prepare female students in the town to avoid the dangers of being spiked, winning us a Federation award. – Cementing Futures was a charity set up to fund girls in the slums of Dhaka in Bangladesh to be able to go to school. it continued until 2025 and supported more than 200 children through school. – Our 75th Anniversary Project was Celebrating Science leading onto our current STEM challenge now having run successfully for 13 years. It the reason we won the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service (QAVS) in the Birthday Honours list in 2018. – Our 80th Anniversary Project was international Toilet Twinning funding toilets in developing countries. We were delighted to raise funds to twin 80 toilets in places around the globe during our 80th year.
Leaders
Currently the club is managed via the Executive Group with a rotation of members taking the role of Chair at meetings. The bulk of the decision making in the club is undertaken by the Executive who then make recommendations to the whole club for discussion and final sign off. The executive roles are: Treasurer- Anne Mynors-Wallis Secretary- Gail Thomas Programme Action Coordinators- Tessa Bevan-Jones and Gail Moneypenny Regional Representatives- Bobbie White and Catherine Beal Membership Secretary and Welfare Officer- Alison Davis Executive members- Lisa Maw, Kathy Moore, Christelle Attisso
Current projects
1. STEM: We invite secondary school girls to develop initiatives that will improve the lives of women and girls in poorer parts of the world. They work in small teams to develop prototypes that are pitched to experts in the field and are judged in order to win prizes. 2. Art exhibition: During the UN’s ’16 days of activism against gender-based violence’ campaign, since 2023, SIB has worked with the Arts University Bournemouth to offer students the opportunity to exhibit work on this theme. Feedback from visitors confirms that this initiative has impact, provokes thought and hopefully leads to changes in behaviour. 3. Bee Happy: We believe it is important to engage children at a young age to become responsible citizens in caring for the earth, therefore we are working with a local primary school to create a ‘bee friendly’ environment. The children have engaged with gusto and we are mob=ving into our second year of the project.