Members and guests enjoying our Christmas party at the end of a successful year of fundraising for our projects, volunteering in the local community, lobbying on the issues we are passionate about and welcoming brand new members. Here’s to an even better 2018 ! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to everyone!
To ensure the success of encouraging girls in Y8 and Y9 to take up a career in STEM subjects we run a challenge each year but this requires funds so this year we have applied to the AVIVA Community Fund for help. Click here to VOTE FOR OUR PROJECT NOW
SI Bournemouth have joined the MAG team to address the impact of landmines on women and girls. Landmines are indiscriminate in who they target but the impact that they have on people’s lives is very different for women, girls, boys and men. Women and girls are disproportionately disadvantaged by the indirect impact of landmines. Clearing landmines is an important step in empowering women in post conflict environments. The MAG team aim to eradicate all land mines by 2025 and have cleared 4.5 million to date.
The ‘Lobbying’ programme action group at SI Bournemouth were praised for their work on lobbying MEP’s about the inappropriate use of neonicotinoids (bee killing pesticides) at the annual SIGBI Conference in Cardiff. The project was celebrated as some of the best practice work by soroptimists in the Advocacy category. SI Bournemouth congratulate the catergory winners SI Lurgan for their survey work on human trafficking which has now been used nationwide and will be used to form future government policy.
President Shirley was delighted to present Trish Diamond with a certificate celebrating 50 years of Soroptimist International membership. Congratulations Trish and thank you for all those years of service making a difference to the lives of women and girls locally, nationally and globally!
Soroptimist International of Bournemouth’s charity Cementing Futures has received a boost in funds recently thanks to two events and our many supporters – Firstly – Tandem Bike Ride – The Hornblow Jogle John O’Groats to Land’s End on a tandem….From 23rd September 2017 for two weeks Stephney and Jono Hornblow – mother and son – cycled the 894 miles to raise funds for Cementing Futures.Stephney (65) had a health scare in 2016 and subsequently began training and lost in excess of five stones in weight. Her son Jono has been totally encouraging and was the other half of the tandem. They believed Cementing Futures a really worthwhile cause, along with the British Heart Foundation. Husband Tim did the cooking in a camper van en route and Bobbie White and Liz Dominey – SI Bournemouth – were the “roadies.”Various friends and soroptimists provided accommodation along the
WOW! So pleased that our club has achieved a double page spread in the Bournemouth Daily Echo with lots of information about our work, also past member Elizabeth Scott who features in the new British passport as a recognition of her pioneering work in architecture. See the whole article at “Meet Bournemouth Soroptimists, the ‘sisters’ transforming the lives of women and girls”
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.
