Skip links

CELEBRATING NATIONAL WOMEN in ENGINEERING DAY 2016

CELEBRATING NATIONAL WOMEN in ENGINEERING DAY 2016

in Tags

Bournemouth Soroptimists were delighted to support the RNLI’s Women’s Network to celebrate National Women in Engineering Day 2016. Having been inspired by Bournemouth Soroptimists STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Maths) Challenge, in which they formed part of the judging panel, the RNLI Women’s Network decided to set a ‘Safety Message challenge’ to girls at local schools. The prestigious event was held at the RNLI headquarters in Poole where the girls were encouraged to design a ‘cool safety message when on the water which will appeal to young people’. The event began with a list of famous women inventors in STEM based industries but who were also from creative backgrounds and the UN Sustainable Development goals were promoted.  To inspire the students further they visited the ‘Ideas Room’ where ideas were discussed to make a safer ‘sea bubble’ which could ferry people to their workplace. In

Welcoming our new President and Associate Member

Welcoming our new President and Associate Member

in Tags

Members were delighted to welcome Sheila Elsey to their May meeting where she gave a talk about her work with the Philippine Community Fund (Purple Community Fund) or PCF.  The PCF offers a pathway out of poverty to children and families forced to live and work on dumpsites and in cemeteries in the Philippines.  The PCF programme aims to protect them from trafficking, child labour and exploitation and offer them an opportunity to change their own futures. In other words protecting by working with the community for the community. Sheila has recently become an Associate Member of Soroptimist International of Great Britain. The photo above shows Sheila with our Immediate Past President, Tina Crosby, newly elected President, Bobbie White and President Elect, Shirley Thompson.

PULLING AND PLANTING TOGETHER TO CREATE A HAVEN OF PEACE.

PULLING AND PLANTING TOGETHER TO CREATE A HAVEN OF PEACE.

in Tags

Ladies from SI Bournemouth and SI Poole made their bi-annual visit to the Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) in Bournemouth to tidy the courtyard garden this week. Both clubs helped set up the unit and have continued to work together to make its courtyard garden a place where people who have suffered sexual assault might gain a little bit of peace when they attend the SARC. The garden was tidied and existing shrubs were pruned, spring flowers were planted beneath the weeping cherry tree and hollyhocks and lupins were planted in other areas of the garden. They will return in a few weeks to plant colourful summer flowers. See them working hard below…………………

IDEAS2ACTION – ACTIONS FOLLOW IDEAS

IDEAS2ACTION – ACTIONS FOLLOW IDEAS

in Tags

Members welcomed Monique Munroe, trustee at Ideas2Action which is a voluntary organisation all about ideas and taking action on those ideas for the benefit of the environment and local people in Dorset. Monique shared the history of the charity which is relatively new, explaining the successful ‘Win on Waste’ projects in the East Dorset conurbation.  She explained that there are various faith groups, charities, schools etc who would make good use of other peoples unwanted ‘waste’ and a list of current needs is posted on the website under ‘We Need That!’

RAVISHING READERS………FUN AND FRIENDSHIP WITH BOURNEMOUTH SOROPTIMISTS WHILST SUPPORTING TWO PROGRAMME ACTION PROJECTS

RAVISHING READERS………FUN AND FRIENDSHIP WITH BOURNEMOUTH SOROPTIMISTS WHILST SUPPORTING TWO PROGRAMME ACTION PROJECTS

in Tags

SI Bournemouth member, Sarah Hendey, raised £230 at a book club event held at her home recently. The funds will be donated to the club’s Dhaka Literacy project which is overseen by our Friendship Link Clubs in Bangladesh. They run several projects to help children from the slums or streets of Dhaka to enter mainstream education. Also, the club Environment Group will benefit from the event as they currently support the BeePlus Project which helps children learn about the importance of the role of the bee and the need to improve our environment by creating a good habitat for them. Members had all read the book “I Let You Go” by Clare Mackintosh who kindly sent a signed copy and some bookmarks, the group decided that the book should be raffled at a future event. Prior to discussing the book members enjoyed a delicious two

A New Member Joins Us For Human Trafficking Update.

A New Member Joins Us For Human Trafficking Update.

in

On Monday 18th January we welcomed a new member, Pat Marchiori to our Club. Pat has a strong background in education and its international links. Tina Crosby, President, on the left, handed over the new members pack to Pat  after the induction. The speaker that evening was Andy Wileman of the Salvation Army who gave us an update on the work his organisation carries out with the victims of Human Trafficking. Members from SI Poole’s Purple Teardrop Charity joined us for the evening.

MARGARET, MOSAIC AND THE EMOTION MASK

MARGARET, MOSAIC AND THE EMOTION MASK

in

  Members recently welcomed Margaret Hannibal MBE, CEO of the MOSAIC charity which is currently supporting in excess of 100 bereaved children and their families in Dorset. Founded in 2007 the charity encourages trust and truth about death for children.  They provide the service with a team of experienced counsellors who work in the family home.  Referrals for the service are mostly from schools and sometimes self- referral by parents.  Twice yearly the children are invited to a ‘boot camp’ style weekend where friendships are made whilst a wide variety of fun activities are enjoyed and most importantly the ‘elephant in the room’ is identified and discussed.  One of the activities is to decorate a mask such as the one that Margaret is holding in the picture above, the face on the outside representing ‘my face to the world’, the one on the back representing

TOP CLASS SPEAKERS AT INSPIRING SIGBI ANNUAL CONFERENCE

TOP CLASS SPEAKERS AT INSPIRING SIGBI ANNUAL CONFERENCE

in Tags

MEMBERS INSPIRED BY TOP CLASS SPEAKERS AT THE ANNUAL SIGBI CONFERENCE IN GLASGOW Seven of our club members recently attended the Soroptimist International of Great Britain & Ireland (SIGBI) Annual Conference in Glasgow.  Conference always inspires delegates to return to their clubs feeling refreshed with lots of new ideas but 2015 was particularly special with top class speakers in Dame Stella Rimington, formerly DG of MI5, Jo Fairley, co-founder of Green & Black’s chocolate, Sarah Montague, presenter on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, and HRH Princess Royal who was presented with a cheque for her charity ‘Save the Children’. Other activities included catching up with our friendship club SI Penrith & SI Dhaka, lunches, dinners and SI Southern England’s after conference party.                           

POSTCARDS TO CHILDREN IN BANGLADESH

POSTCARDS TO CHILDREN IN BANGLADESH

in Tags

POSTCARDS ARE SENT TO CHILDREN IN DHAKA WHO BENEFIT FROM OUR CHARITY, CEMENTING FUTURES. Each year members and supporters of our charity, Cementing Futures, take advantage of our soroptimist sisters attending conference from SI Dhaka by writing postcards to the children which the charity supports. Member, Bobbie White, remarked, “We were delighted to meet Professor Najma Hasin of SI Dhaka who took postcards from Cementing Futures to each of the 105 children currently being educated  in two slum areas of Dhaka.”  Bobbie is seen here with the postcards and club President, Tina is seen presenting the cards to Prof Najma…                                          

WW2 GALA EVENING

WW2 GALA EVENING

in Tags

WW2 GALA EVENING RAISES £2155 FOR CEMENTING FUTURES CHARITY Lots of fun, laughter, music and dancing was enjoyed by members of Soroptimist International of Bournemouth and friends at their recent fund raiser themed around WW2. The popular local female group, Soda Pops, entertained with their well known WW2 songs.  The audience didn’t disappoint with their own amazing costumes and hairstyles from the WW2 period. The event raised a staggering £2155 for the club’s charity, Cementing Futures, which with its sponsors and supporters funds the education of children living in the slum areas of Dhaka, Bangladesh; the children receive a daily nutritious snack and their mothers also receive support at regular health related sessions.                                                           See more photos of this event on our Flickr page