At our Club meeting on Monday 26th January, we were pleased to welcome Jenny Benson from Somerset and Avon Rape and Sexual Abuse Support (SARSAS). SARSAS is a local charity dedicated to supporting anyone affected by rape or any kind of sexual assault or abuse at any time in their lives. They listen, believe and support survivors. SARSAS provides a wide range of services and consult with people to best meet survivors’ needs. The charity started in 2008 as Bristol Rape Crisis, before expanding in 2013 to cover the whole of Avon and Somerset. They then started to provide much needed counselling services and changed their name to SARSAS. The charity is part of Rape Crisis England and Wales which has 38 member organisations covering the whole of the UK. There is a huge emotional toll as a result of the trauma of rape and

Four Soroptimists visit PhysioNet at their new south west depot in Cambridge near Slimbridge (Gloucestershire). On the cold, windy and grey morning of Saturday 24th January, a group of four Soroptimist Bristol members (Funlola, Bridget, Marion and Ivete) volunteered with PhysioNet at their new south west depot in Cambridge near Slimbridge (Gloucestershire).  Bridget, SI Bristol’s Programme Action officer, organised our attendance with Sarah from PhysioNet.Together with other volunteers, we helped fill a shipping container with refurbished mobility equipment destined for Fiji,  the 27th load to the islands since 2009. Vodaphone Fiji once again covered the shipping costs to Fiji Mobility Alliance (formerly the Spinal Injuries Association). The equipment (1168 items) had to be loaded in two phases: from PhysioNet’s base to the vans and then from the vans to the shipping container. The container was too large to be driven on the narrow lanes leading

Our Club had a stall in aid of Mary’s Meals at the Westbury-On-Trym Christmas Fayre this morning. The fayre had a very Christmassy atmosphere and a very good number of people wandering through the various stalls. Pauline, Ruth, Carol, Susan S and Susan W did a wonderful job manning the stall and we were delighted to raise £174.84 which will benefit from being doubled to £349.68 if sent to Mary’s Meals before Christmas. Well done everyone!

A Very Moving Candlelit Vigil: 27th November 2025 Nine Soroptimist Bristol members joined Next Link’s Candlelit Vigil walk from Queen’s Road to College Green yesterday evening to mark the UN’s International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.   SI Bristol members met at the Victoria Rooms which was illuminated in orange for a photoshoot and were pleased to be joined by some QEH students. We marched from there to Next Link to join a large number of participants. At Next Link Domestic Abuse Services’ office in Queen’s Avenue we were offered a cup of hot chocolate and collected a candle to take on the walk. Despite the drizzle which accompanied us, we estimate that approximately 200 people took part on the Candlelit Walk from Queen’s Road holding placards and a lit candle.  It was good to see many male allies at the vigil.

  Funlola, Lucy, Ruth, Lizzie and Ivete delivered 50 Orange Bags of HOPE filled with toiletries to offer support to women looked after by Next Link Domestic Abuse Services in Bristol. We know many women only have a small window of opportunity to flee their abusers, often taking nothing with them as they leave to seek refuge. We hope the Orange Bags of HOPE will serve as a demonstration of Soroptimist support and bring a ray of brightness for a better future.  

    Six members of Soroptimist International of Bristol (SB, LC, BJ, DM, MR, SS) supported SI Weston-super-Mare and District at their annual Railing Against Abuse march on the 25th November 2025.    This is the date of the UN ‘International Day for Elimination of Violence Against Women’ and begins 16 Days of Activism. The statistics regarding violence and abuse are still alarmingly high. Members from several Soroptimist Clubs from throughout the SW&CI Region met outside the Weston-super-Mare Railway Station. About 60 attendees walked from the station through the town to Grove Park, handing out Relationship Bookmarks (that explained the difference between good and bad relationships) on our way. We were highly visible in our bright orange coats and accessories and bold banners. Following talks by Ruth from SI Weston super Mare, the Deputy Mayor and a representative from NextLink, we tied 101 orange ribbons

At our Club Meeting on 23rd June 2025 we were pleased to welcome Imogen Franklin, Head of Smart Works Bristol. Imogen talked to us about the Smart Works charity, a national charity that supports long-term unemployed women get back to work with coaching and clothing for interviews. Clients are mostly referred by job centres and other Bristol women’s charities but can be referred directly via a website application. Smart Works Bristol will officially launch in late summer/early Autumn having recently taken possession of premises at The Easton Business Centre where they are currently setting up the space for coaching and styling. Please see their website for more in depth information by clicking on the link below: https://bristol.smartworks.org.uk/

SI Bristol completed  part of the Soroptimist National Railway Safety Survey Project. The project was originally launched in 1996 and is being re-launched to celebrate Soroptimist International of Great Britain and Ireland’s 90th year. In 1996, Soroptimist International of Great Britain and Ireland (SIGBI), a registered charity, published a report making recommendations to the UK Government on how to improve safety in stations, claiming the Government’s approach to passenger safety in railway stations was ineffective. To advance the work being done further, the charity is kickstarting the project again – asking the same questions at the UK’s railway stations, to see how much has changed and to obtain a more detailed picture of women’s travelling safety across the country. The charity is also questioning whether the Government’s approach to passenger safety has moved on in the last 29 years. Soroptimist Bristol members were pleased to

  Our Programme Action Officer Bridget co-ordinated a response to Next Link’s appeal, in partnership with St Mungo’s Respite Rooms, for supplies of toiletries to help Domestic and Sexual Violence women survivors living in the Respite Rooms. These are women who have multiple needs and are fleeing high risk harm and homelessness. Over the last two weeks our Club members donated a good number of emergency items which were delivered on Friday 16th May to Next Link by Bridget and Ivete. Thank you to all our members for their generosity.