Our club aims to allow women, wherever they live in Cornwall to come together regularly, in a safe space with like-minded friends to talk, have fun and engage in activities which benefit women and girls.
Kernow Soroptimists are part of a much bigger organisation. Soroptimist International is a worldwide volunteer organisation dedicated to improving the lives of women and girls through education, empowerment and opportunity. Founded in 1921, Soroptimist International brings together thousands of members in 106 countries across the world. The name Soroptimist comes from the Latin soror, meaning sister, and optima, meaning best – often interpreted as “the best for women.” Soroptimists work locally, nationally and internationally to create positive change. Through practical projects, fundraising, advocacy and partnerships, members address issues including gender equality, education, violence against women and girls, economic empowerment, health, sustainability and human rights. Soroptimist International also has a strong voice at the United Nations, where it advocates for policies and action that advance the rights and status of women and girls.
At its heart, Soroptimism is about friendship, service and action. It connects women from different countries, cultures and professions who share a common belief: that by working together, we can help create a world where women and girls have the opportunity to achieve their full potential and live free from discrimination and violence.
As you can see from our photo, we are a group of women of all ages and stages of life. Some of us are in work, some are not, some are retired. Some of us are digitally-minded but some of us are definitely not!! What we have in common is a deep desire to make life better for women and girls, here in Cornwall, across the UK and internationally. We also want friendship and fun!!
This is where we are a little different to many soroptimist clubs in the UK. We offer online access to all of our meetings and activities as well as meeting in-person. This means that whatever you do and wherever you are based you can be involved! Whether you are working full time, have caring responsibilities or just don't like driving in the dark, we can accommodate you.
We are a 'service' organisation. This means that we get involved in projects and activities that benefit our communities. As such we're not a fundraising group but that's not to say that we don't raise funds to support our projects from time to time. Our projects are varied, sometimes in-person and sometimes online. Everything that we do supports the objects of our organisation - that is to benefit women and girls.
Life isn't easy if you end up in hospital in the middle of the night with a sick child. We work hard to support the mums and the ward staff.
We support opportunities for girls in rural and coastal communities to discover their potential in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM).
By speaking openly about abuse, harassment and harmful behaviours, we can challenge attitudes, help women and girls recognise when something is wrong, and make sure they know where to seek support.
We are so proud of club member Somy who recently attended the NGO CSW Geneva consultations on Beijing+35, bring together civil society, UN organisations and NGOs to discuss progress on women's rights and gender equality.
IN the shadow of Truro Cathedral, men and women from backgrounds including teaching and the fire service are discussing how to respond when they encounter violence against women and girls (VAWG) in everyday life.
