Soroptimist International Bournemouth, part of a global volunteer movement with the aims to educate, enable and empower women and girls, created this challenge in 2013 to inspire girls and encourage them to overcome barriers to careers in STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics). We invite secondary school students to develop initiatives that will improve the lives of women and girls in poorer parts of the world; they work together in small teams to develop the concept, write up a brief and, if shortlisted, create a prototype. The teams then pitch these to experts in the field and are judged. This year we had teams from Parkstone Grammar, St Peter’s and Lytchett Minster Schools and the projects they produced included dealing with plastic in the oceans, helping to prevent ‘period poverty’, water purification and dealing with Chagas disease- quite an impressive variety. The prizes were

The eighth annual Women’s Community Impact Awards took place on International Women’s Day 2025 at a glittering evening at the Hilton Hotel in Bournemouth. Seven Soroptimists were there to support our colleague, Bobbie White, whose achievements over many years were recognised with a Women of Impact Lifetime Achievement Award. Bobbie moved to Dorset and joined SIB in 2007 and has been active locally, nationally and internationally since then. She was the architect of the club’s STEAM Challenge, is an active member of the VAWG group, leads our international activity and the list goes on. We were delighted and very proud that Bobbie was recognised in this way, a very well-deserved accolade!          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.

Jessica Toale, MP for Bournemouth West and honorary member of SIB, invited local residents to discuss experiences of women’s safety in Bournemouth town centre and to learn how design, culture and policing can help improve things. Two members of the club attended the event with approximately 50 others at the Patch in Bobby’s. There was a panel of 5 experts who each shared thoughts; this was followed by a walkabout in the town centre where participants had the chance to talk about where they felt most and least safe and why. A Q&A session allowed for questions and issues to be raised, and the event closed with the commitment by Jessica’s team to follow up with all those who registered. A very useful exercise and we will watch the next steps with interest.               If you are interested in this and would

On February 17th we had three to memorable things to mark at the SIB meeting. Firstly, we were delighted to welcome our newest recruit, Dr Roberta King (or Bobbie 2 as she is known, the spot of Bobbie 1 already being taken in the club!). Secondly, we congratulated long standing member Hilda Brownlow on her 30th anniversary in Soroptimism, an impressive achievement. Thirdly was a bittersweet occasion to mark as our President, Kiera Mauro, announced that it was her last meeting as the purchase of their new home has completed. She and her family are moving north to Aberdeenshire to take over a small holding/ livery business. A whole new beginning and quite a change from life in the New Forest. Kiera was wished all the very best and thanked by the club for her leadership, enthusiasm and good humour. She will be missed but

On January 1, 2025 Jean Harvey notched up 55 years as a Soroptimist, having been inducted in the now defunct Grimsby and Cleethorpes Club from where she transferred to SI Bournemouth in February 1973.  Little did she think then that she would still be a member of SIB 52 years later, how time flies!  However, Jean has now decided the time has come to move north for personal reasons and the club is very sad to see her go. So, at our meeting last evening, we were able to present Jean with her 55-year certificate, a card of good wishes and thanks and the commitment to donate £55 in her name to Mary’s Meals, a charity serving life-changing meals to children living in some of the world’s poorest countries across Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean. Founded in 2002, they served over 2.4 million meals

The past year has been another productive one for SI Bournemouth and it seems timely to recap on a few of our most successful ventures as the year end draws near. We supported International Women’s Day by holding a VAWG Summit at BU bringing together more than 60 people interested in changing the culture of misogyny and violence, attending an event for Women leaders in BCP and supporting the Women Community Impact Awards in Dorset. Our 11th STEAM challenge took place with more inspiring products being produced by secondary school girls, we presented at the ‘Creating Health & Harmony in the Community Conference’ and a member of the club won her bout at a Black-Tie Boxing Tournament raising funds for cancer research. We had some notable speakers at our meetings- Claire Seymour MARAC Chair, Alimatu Dimonekene Human Rights Activist and Sarah Moneypenny-Dixon Sustainability Expert; all

For the second year SIB held a stimulating and thought-provoking art exhibition as part of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Based Violence from November 30th til December 7th. Twenty-eight students from the Arts University Bournemouth produced amazing work and the public were invited to vote for the three pieces that had the most impact on them. Many of the more than 500 visitors asked how they could find out the winners and we were pleased to be able to say that they would be published in the Echo and shared on our social media channels. Therefore, we are delighted to announce those with the most votes (although it was wholeheartedly agreed that every entrant was indeed a winner!). In third place was Alethea Parsons with ‘One touch’ In second place was Mansi Gupta with ‘She found her wings’ And in first place was

The Planet Group decided in 2023 to make monthly loans to Lendwithcare, an organisation that brings together entrepreneurs in low-income countries with the people that have the power to help them. Each month a member of the Planet Group selects someone to sponsor with a £15.00 loan. We focus our loans on women working on projects that are helpful to the environment, helping to fulfil our programme action group aims. We have now made 12 loans totalling £180 helping 35 entrepreneurs, 152 family members and creating 28 jobs. We have received back £44.73 which we are reinvesting. We believe that we will be able to break even in the next year and continue to make loans without having to invest further funds. A great way to help women and the planet! If you are interested in this and would like to come along to a

As part of our communications plan before the art exhibition for the 16 days of activism against gender-based violence, we contacted the Bournemouth Echo. Pleasingly they published an informative article about last year’s display with the details of the 2024 exhibit. Here’s the link: https://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/24655842.art-exhibition-held-bobbys-bournemouth/ Have a read- it says it all! Keep an eye on our website, Facebook and Instagram pages for more details as the date approaches but please put it in your diary now- November 30th til December 7th 11.00-4.00 on the second floor of Bobby’s in Bournemouth Square! 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.

As part of our aims to be involved in the local community and to engage in projects that empower women and girls, we are delighted to say that two notable women in BCP have accepted our invitation to become honorary members for the year. Councillor Lesley Dedman, Chair of BCP Council, has many years of leading roles in the town having served on the council and as Mayor for five terms. Now elected to the Chairmanship of BCP Council, Lesley considers this role of huge importance, being the public face of a mainly anonymous body, and giving a wonderful opportunity to promote the hard work carried out by the council for the people of the area. Lesley will be awarding the prizes to the successful students at our art exhibition for the ’16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence’ for the second time in December