SI Bournemouth members and friends raised a total of £260 for the club’s special charity, Cementing Futures, at the 79th Anniversary celebrations recently. The event included a BBQ hosted by member Jane Hume and a special cake featuring the charity’s logo was donated by member Gloria Proops.
We are proud to announce that Immediate Past President, Bobbie White, has made it to the final of the Venus Awards Dorset 2017 in the category of Inspirational Woman in Science & Technology. The category is sponsored by global company Atlas Elektronik UK who conducted an interview with all semi-finalists prior to the announcement of finalists this afternoon. The Venus Awards vision is to “enhance the lives of women around the world through encouragement and self- empowerment”. Bobbie introduced the idea of the STEM Challenge for girls in Y8 & Y9 inspiring members to support the challenge since 2011. Bobbie, although modest (and slightly embarrassed) leads the project and emphasizes that it is essentially a whole team effort by all Bournemouth Soroptimists.
At our July meeting members and guests were entertained by Jenny Tipping whose career in the driving industry started in 2004 when she qualified as a driving instructor to fund her way through a “Masters Degree.” In the 13 years since then she has driven and instructed in all vehicles from cars to articulated lorries. Jenny is passionate about the importance of visible role models for girls and women thinking of joining male dominated industries and she has been featured in the trade press and on the BBC World Service. Also, she has spoken at conferences in the UK and Canada and has given evidence on diversity in the industry to the Transport Select Committee.
SI Bournemouth members have twice collected donations for the Aid Convoy to Syria which delivers by truck overland from UK to Idlib refugee camp in northwest Syria. This particular camp provides shelter for mainly women and children. Many of the women are widows and a lot of the children are orphans. Our first collection of baby and children’s clothes were delivered in time for Eid – al – Fitr at the end of Ramadan. The second collection of items for women and girls over 14 years of age will arrive in time for Eid – al – Adha at the beginning of September. This second collection consisted mainly of sanitary wear, toothbrushes and toothpaste, hairbrushes and accessories and toiletries. Personal hygiene items in the second collection Hair products in the second collection Baby clothes – in first collection
On Monday 24th April we all met for our A.G.M. It was a very happy evening as you can see from the photos. Bobby White handed over the official President’s chain of office to Shirley Thompson, seen above holding our Club Charter. We enjoyed a companionable meal and listened as Shirley set out some of her ideas for the year ahead. Bobby received a beautiful bunch of flowers with congratulations on her year. As a very pleasant extra Shirley’s first duty was to welcome a new member, Angela, to our Club.
Bournemouth and Poole Soroptimists have supported the Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) in Bournemouth for its lifetime. Members initially lobbied Dorset Police and potential partners to get the unit established. Following this achievement they contributed items ensuring that the unit would feel more sociable e.g. a microwave and pictures for the walls were provided as funding didn’t run to luxuries. In particular they transformed the courtyard garden that was full of weeds into a pleasant place for a little respite time in a garden planted with shrubs and flowers. The SARC has become better known recently after being featured in the latest TV drama series of Broadchurch. Staff, associated specialist advisors and rape crisis workers were able to advise the cast in order to demonstrate an authentic portrayal of what happens when a person is raped. Since the SARC was opened Bournemouth and Poole
Winners with teachers and VIP guests Soroptimist International Bournemouth has held their Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) Challenge for the fifth year attracting more interest from the engineering world than previously. The challenge is for girls only to promote participation and raise aspirations in industries that young women often see as masculine and not for them. Teams of girls from nine schools took part in the challenge with the objective of creating a solution to a problem which will help people in the poorest parts of the world. The girls rose to the Challenge and had some brilliant ideas, well executed projects and interesting models. Prizes of £250 to each winning school and £50 to each team member were presented by Cllr Xena Dion, Mayor of Poole, to the Year 8 winners from St Peters School whose project “3B’s” was an ingenious water filter
Club Members raised a cheer at our March meeting for Mr Robert Syms, a Poole MP, when Sylvia Fox reported that following some lobbying, he had voted for a Bill to ensure the UK Government Ratifies the Istanbul Convention. The Bill , Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence had its third reading in the House of Commons on 24th February and had successfully passed to the House of Lords.We heard that Mr Syms was the only local MP who had voted for the Bill. As our membership is widely spread we are able to write to several different MPs and liaise with SI Poole on subjects close to our hearts.We continue to monitor the passage of this important legislation through our Parliament.
On a recent visit to Australia SI Bournemouth President Elect, Shirley Thompson, was able to meet up with other soroptimists. All members can visit clubs anywhere in the world while either travelling or when moving home, once a member, always a member! Shirley attended the 55th Charter Dinner of SI Cannington and District (Perth). Shirley says…”I was honoured to be invited to share this wonderful anniversary with such a warm and welcoming group.” In the photo from left to right are Anne Allen (SI Western Australia Regional President), Tamara Trute McKiernan (SI Cannington President).and Shirley. Shirley also met members of SI Fremantle. She says…”They are a very active and forward thinking club having already established a Young Soroptimists Guild within Notre Dame University, therefore sowing the seeds for recruiting full members in the future.” The photo shows from left to right…Roseanne Thomas (SIF Treasurer), Karess
President Bobbie White welcomed Toilet Twinning charity CEO, Lorraine Kingsley, to the February meeting. Lorraine gave an informative talk about the work of the charity which aims to educate people in poverty throughout the world on the benefits of owning their own toilet. Benefits of the project include educating individual families and their communities in personal hygiene and general health; it also means that women and girls are safer from the risk of assault. 2.4billion people in the world do not have toilets in their homes today. The charity encourages organisations and individuals to sponsor a toilet, the materials costing £60 for a household or £240 for a school toilet block; the latter is particularly beneficial to teenage girls who are enabled to attend school due to ensured safety and during menstruation. It was with great pleasure that President Bobbie was able to
