At our September Speaker & Supper meeting we were given a fascinating insight into the career of Rachel Hughes, Director of Nursing at Bristol Royal Hospital for Children (BRHC).   Originally from Bristol, her professional journey started when she trained in London, having successfully completed her degree at the University of Manchester. She moved back to Bristol and has worked in children’s hospitals for 30 years. She has progressed up through the ranks from basic nursing, ward sister and matron to director of nursing with a multi disciplinary team. With a background in oncology she was well placed to work in BRHC, home to the only dedicated trauma centre in the South West region and has been there since it opened on 22 April 2001. The hospital, being the largest local paediatric centre in the geographical region, cost £30 million to build, £12

We were delighted to welcome Rhona Gillmore, a fellow Soroptimist from Taunton, talking to us about ‘Beauty through health’ at our Speaker and Supper Meeting on 13th July. She shared with us her experience as a health and beauty therapist having been in the industry for almost 50 years, and almost 50 years as a Soroptimist. Her life in this industry started as far back in her early teen years after experiencing her father’s challenges trying to overcome arthritis; she then started reading about beauty therapy.  Rhona went on to train in, what was then considered a very new profession, and took the brave step to start her own business. She explained the key to having a healthy body is knowing and understanding your inner body – your gut. We all have the same skin but it is up to us how we treat it.

At our supper meeting we were treated to a very stimulating talk given by Charlotte Smith from Cynam. What or who is Cynam?  It is a cyber security and technology company based in Cheltenham.  Its customers consist of businesses, government bodies and investors. Charlotte has a passion to promote and educate women to follow a career in cyber security of which, currently, only 17% women participate.  She is determined to transform the course of action of women’s attitudes by increasing and improving the number of women in the industry. One of her ways to achieve this goal is to establish partnerships with industry by making them and girls/women participate in activities and events whilst building the girls’ confidence and making them all aware of the opportunities in cyber security. Cynam’s strategy is to attract and retain women in cybertech through mentoring and building up trust

    At our Speaker Meeting on 11th May we were delighted to welcome the renowned international pianist, Allan Schiller to talk about the women in his life.   Allan Schiller’s musical journey is intricately woven with the influential women who shaped his path. Each of these remarkable figures contributed to his development and success, reflecting the profound impact of mentorship and support.  Allan was born in Leeds into a musical family – his father was a professional violinist, clarinettist and saxophonist. His Mother: A Pillar of Influence Allan often cites his mother as the most significant influence in his life. While his father played a role, it was his mother’s unwavering support and encouragement that instilled in him a love for music and a belief in his potential from the age of 6 when he started to learn the piano. Her dedication helped lay

We were entertained by Keith Sheather at our Speaker and Supper Meeting on 13th April. Keith talked about the History of Stoke Bishop, a very green suburb in North West Bristol, where quite a few of our members live.   Stoke Bishop has the feel of an Anglo Saxon village and it is recorded in the Domesday Book. The real beginnings of Stoke Bishop came from Henry Vlll to Ralph Sadler. Ralph was given Stoke Bishop, but probably never came to the Stoke Bishop area. His sons lived in Westbury on Trym (the site of the old College), an area bordering Stoke Bishop. Stoke Bishop is very close to the Downs and also borders Seamills and Sneyd Park. Bristol was the site where Romans, Anglo Saxons and Normans made a home and there are many remains to be discovered in several parts of the city.

  A night of 1000 stars! On Monday 9th March, Soroptimists Bristol welcomed Jo Richardson FRAS to their supper evening.   Jo is an ex-police officer who, 15 years ago, founded Space Detectives to address the challenges schools face in teaching children properly about space. Through the European Space Agency, from 2015–2017 Jo worked on several high-profile projects with astronaut Tim Peake, including the Tim Peake Primary Project, the Polar Explorer Project and Mission X. Jo continues to work with Tim to this day. As if Jo wasn’t busy enough with her teaching and organising events to promote our dark skies, she is also a ranger for Exmoor National Park, Europe’s first International Dark Sky Reserve. Sadly, due to light pollution being largely uncontrolled, it is getting harder and harder to see the stars. Light pollution affects human health and the nocturnal behaviour of animals

  Terry Ransome came to our Supper Meeting on Monday 9th February to talk about “Filton in Space”.     Terry had worked in the aerospace industry for over 30 years before his retirement and gave us an interesting talk about the development of space exploration, particularly where it was connected to Bristol (if we’re allowed to call Filton Bristol!). He started telling us how impacted he was by the moon landings as a young person and how that had sparked his interest in space. Terry described in detail the various satellites that were made or part made by BAC (the British Aircraft Corporation). The first of these was the Skylark, but later ones had Shakespearean names, such as Prospero and Ariel as well as names chosen by a member of the public who’d won the chance to do this in a competition. The satellites

  On Monday 12 January, Soroptimists Bristol reunited after the Christmas break for the first of their monthly Speaker and Supper meetings. We were delighted to welcome Jasper Thompson, Founder and CEO of Help Bristol’s Homeless Charity, alongside Project Manager Kerrie Woolf. Jasper, who moved from Jamaica to Bristol aged eight, shared his remarkable journey. After a challenging childhood that saw him enter care at nine and living independently by sixteen, he later excelled in the army before running several successful Bristol businesses and working internationally as a close protection officer. Inspired after returning from Jamaica on a cold winter’s day, Jasper decided to take action to support people experiencing homelessness. What began as distributing essentials soon grew into the creation of innovative “micro-flats” made from converted shipping containers. Since designing the first unit in 2016, Help Bristol’s Homeless now provides 33 supported single-occupancy homes

    Our last Speaker meeting featured a talk by Sue Stops about Hotwells Pantomimes and Panto Dames.     The Hotwells panto is a long-standing community tradition in Bristol, typically staged by the Hotwells & Cliftonwood Community Association. Formerly held at the Hope Centre, the tradition continues with the group performing at the local Hope Chapel since at least 1981, even after the Hope Centre closed in 2001. The panto productions by Hotwells are known for their community spirit, a blend of humour suitable for both children and adults, dramatic sets, lavish costumes, and live music. The pantomimes are created, written, designed, produced, and performed entirely by local community members, including volunteers from the Hotwells & Cliftonwood Community Association. Sue Stops also spoke about her brother, Chris Harris, and his involvement with Hotwells Pantomimes. Chris Harris was a prominent Bristol actor and pantomime dame

    On Monday 13th October we were delighted to welcome Helen Powell to our Speaker meeting.     Helen is a lawyer and a prominent founder member of We Love Stoke Lodge, a local community group composed of former and current residents for whom the last green space in Stoke Bishop is very important. Their work aims to protect the area for future generations. Helen took us on a fascinating journey through the rich history of Stoke Lodge and its surrounding green space.  Stoke Lodge is a Grade II listed house located in the heart of Stoke Bishop and is surrounded by 23 acres of beautiful parkland. The grounds are  known for its collection of magnificent, protected, and historic trees, with many champion and notable trees on the national register, as well as a wide variety of wildlife, including bats, foxes, badgers, and deer. The arboretum is