SI Bristol’s plans to mark 100 years since it formed as the first Venture Club have been thwarted by the coronavirus pandemic. However, this has not dampened the Club’s enthusiasm and we are maintaining a semblance of normality by using Emails and Zoom video conferencing. Our Zoom AGM proved to be successful and was great fun.
Programme Action is active and Club members have already sent the following to the local hospitals and there are more on their way: Draw string bags 
for scrubs, knitted ‘comfort’ hearts and teddy bears and tubes to help hold intravenous needles in premature babies in place.
Throughout the centenary year, President Marion has challenged herself to walk an average of at least 100 miles a month. This fundraising activity is in support of the Club’s charities: The National Centre for Integrative Medicine and Lifeskills-Learning for Living. A crowd funding page has been set up and we hope get support from our SIGBI sisters – let’s go viral!
https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/marion-reid?utm_id=2&utm_term=ePvQax2WP
SI Bristol will celebrate its centenary in other ways:
- On 10th May, Club members will raise a glass and say the same toast to our Club’s inception. “We toast the Soroptimist Club of Bristol on this, the one hundredth anniversary of its foundation as a Venture Club on 10th May 1920. May it flourish and continue its work for human rights and the status of women”.
- A press release was issued to local and national media and a long article will appear in the Bristol Post on 12th
- Lizzie, our Communication Officer and Webmaster, will in addition to adding news and other activities, will periodically be adding pertinent historical vignettes to our website.
- Our history book written by Marion (entitled ‘100 Years of Sisterhood: Bristol Fashion’) is going ahead and is currently in the hands of the publisher.
- A blue plaque to honour the Founder President has been ordered and will be unveiled; who knows when!
- Our Friendship Weekend will be in April 2021.
To ensure we are ready “to go” as soon as we are released from lock down, we continue to work on rescheduling events and speakers for our Centenary.