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Inspirational Women from the Local Community Speak to the Club

Inspirational Women from the Local Community Speak to the Club

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We have recently had two women join our meetings to share their projects in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole and they were inspirational! Sister Tama Mercadi shared her experience of setting up and leading BCP Shout Out (a largely online network that helps link together local people in need with resources), contributing to convoys to Syria and Yemen, working with refugees, victims of abuse, and the homeless. She was an amazing speaker; her energy, enthusiasm, and ability to connect people positively was humbling. For the last two years, she has organised events in the centre of Bournemouth for homeless people to come together on Christmas Day with the community for food, gifts, clothing, haircuts and pamper sessions- all through volunteers. Tracy Blick from the ‘Christchurch Food Bank Plus’ gave a stimulating talk about how the expansion of the food bank is making an enormous contribution to

Single Use Plastic Project with Primary Schools in BCP

Single Use Plastic Project with Primary Schools in BCP

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To mark the SIGBI Day of Action 2022, SIB launched a project with Hill View Primary School to engage pupils with the importance of reducing single use plastic (SUP) in the environment. This project links to previous programmes we have developed- encouraging members in BCP (Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole), regionally and nationally to ‘reduce, reuse, recycle’. The aim was to raise awareness and motivate young people to take positive action with their families and friends to reduce SUP now and for the future. The children were introduced to issues relating to SUP in assemblies, were asked to come up with creative ideas about how they can contribute in any small way, and then to capture their ideas on a poster. SIB offered prizes to each year group for the most innovative, interesting and/ or impressive presentation. Five posters were selected, and the winners received book

SI Bournemouth at Volunteer Fair

SI Bournemouth at Volunteer Fair

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SIB Attends Volunteer Fair Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council hosted a Volunteer Fair at Bournemouth Central Library on September 9, 2022 to provide information on volunteering opportunities to interested parties. SIB had a stand at the fair to share information about the club, some achievements, our organisation, and membership details. It was an ideal opportunity to increase awareness and reach out to potential members. Two members of the club took a pop up stand and display boards with information about a number of our endeavours- the STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, mathematics) project where we work with teenage girls to increase confidence in non-traditional career opportunities, some of our international projects (for example, Cementing Futures, our charity that funds girls to go to school in Bangladesh), reduce, reuse and recycle focussing on single use plastic, ‘Orange’ days to raise awareness of violence against women and

Planting Trees for SI Centenary and the Queen’s Canopy

Planting Trees for SI Centenary and the Queen’s Canopy

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Trees are essential life partners for all of us as they provide oxygen, food, shelter, medicine, and beauty in the environment. Two events have taken place recently in BCP to mark the planting of trees, sponsored by Soroptimist International of Bournemouth (SIB) to recognise both the centenary of Soroptimist International in 2021 and the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee in 2022. On June 17th HM Lord-Lieutenant of Dorset, Mr Angus Campbell, the Chairman of BCP Council, Cllr Nigel Hedges, Deputy Mayor of Bournemouth, David Kelsey and SIB members came together at St Peter’s Primary School with the Head Teacher, staff, and pupils to celebrate the planting of fifteen trees as part of their ‘greening up’ project.   On June 21st a similar event took place with HM Lord-Lieutenant, Chairman of BCP Council, Mayor and Mayoress of Poole, Cllr Tony Trent and Mrs Anne Trent, SIB, and SI

Ukraine Quiz raises £1350

Ukraine Quiz raises £1350

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We had a fun night raising funds for Ukrainian Refugees on Saturday 11th June. Over 70 people gathered in St Luke’s Church Hall for a “Dorset based” quiz, fish & chips and a raffle to raise funds to send to SI Chisinau (Moldova) and SI Lviv (Ukraine). With a lot of hilarity we learnt some obscure facts about Dorset – there were some tough questions in there! Along with donations from a book sale, flag making, from our Seniors Group and donations from friends who were unable to join us on the night we raised an amazing £1350, far exceeding our hoped target.

A FAMOUS PAST MEMBER CELEBRATED BY DORSET HISTORY CENTRE……..

A FAMOUS PAST MEMBER CELEBRATED BY DORSET HISTORY CENTRE……..

March is Women’s History Month, so is the perfect occasion to celebrate a local trailblazer who broke into the male dominated world of architecture………and was also a Soroptimist!  Read all about Elisabeth Scott here  Elisabeth Whitworth Scott (R.I.B.A. 1898-1972) – Dorset History Centre blog (dorsetcouncil.gov.uk)

TO ALL OUR FRIENDSHIP LINKS – CHRISTMAS 2021 NEWSLETTER

TO ALL OUR FRIENDSHIP LINKS – CHRISTMAS 2021 NEWSLETTER

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This has been an interesting year for SI Bournemouth.  We have all been thrilled to host three events face to face.  Two of these were for the celebration of Soroptimists one hundred years. The first at West Hants Club, where we hold our monthly meetings, we planted three Soroptimist roses and enjoyed lighting the candles of celebration as you will see in the photos above. The second event was at the Miramar Hotel where we planted an Olive Tree for Peace. The third Event was our Summer Party held in the grounds of a local school, we enjoy having the Lord Lieutenant Angus Campbell as our Guest, and an interesting Speaker, Eileen Rawlings, who is a founder of the Annual Shakespeare play performed on Brownsea Island in Poole Harbour. We are pleased that we have been able to continue our Programme Action during the pandemic,

CELEBRATING A MEMBER’S RECOGNITION FOR SERVICES TO EDUCATION – AN MBE IN THE 2022 NEW YEAR’S HONOURS LIST

CELEBRATING A MEMBER’S RECOGNITION FOR SERVICES TO EDUCATION – AN MBE IN THE 2022 NEW YEAR’S HONOURS LIST

SI Bournemouth are celebrating with one of its members, Mrs Patricia Marchiori, who has been awarded an MBE for her services to education in the New Year Honours List. Pat has been a member since 2016 and was Chair of the Ambitions Academy Trust, which had been established to manage schools in Bournemouth which were failing or in need and of which there were 13 in the Trust at the time of Pat’s retirement a few years ago.  Prior to her role at the trust she was Academic Principal at the Southbourne School of English for many years so there is no doubting her experience in the educational profession! Well deserved Pat and many congratulations.

SOME IDEAS ON HOW TO HELP OUR BEAUTIFUL PLANET……………….

SOME IDEAS ON HOW TO HELP OUR BEAUTIFUL PLANET……………….

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Aide Memoire- Recycling Opportunities The Planet Group at SIB has been actively engaged in a variety of projects to help improve the environment. Club members have been encouraged to reduce, reuse and recycle in a number of ways. The group has produced an aide memoire for club members about the many options available- the what, where and how to recycle in the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole area as well as nationally. Examples of more unusual things that can be recycled include razor blades, spectacles, mascara wands and under garments. For more detail look at Aide Memoire Nov 2021 Ecobricking Ecobricks are plastic bottle packed solid with clean and dry, used, non-recyclable plastic including many types of packaging like cellophane wrapping, cling film, blister packs, etc. Ecobricks are made to a set density to create reusable building blocks that can be made into a variety of

IT’S THAT TIME OF YEAR AGAIN…………….TO START THE STEAM CHALLENGE 2021-2022

IT’S THAT TIME OF YEAR AGAIN…………….TO START THE STEAM CHALLENGE 2021-2022

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The purpose of the STEAM Challenge (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics) is to encourage girls to overcome gender-based barriers by selecting STEAM-based subject choices and subsequently careers. This year is particularly special the launch is coinciding with Soroptimist International’s 100th Virtual Birthday Event!  Lots to celebrate! We challenge Year 8 and 9 girls to design, research and build a product which would create a sustainable solution to help people in the poorest parts of the world. This group will also extend our work by working with junior schools to raise awareness of science among younger girls. (Formerly our STEM Challenge, founded in 2013) Please click here to read about the 2019-2020 Challenge. Heats and Finals are held at Bournemouth University where you will be shown around the campus by their student Ambassadors.