Kernow Soroptimists and their club roles
2024 – 2025
We are an unusual soroptimist club, in that we do not have a President or an Executive Committee. As a small group, we very much work as a team and share roles between us.
In line with SIGBI (Soroptimist International Great Britain & Ireland) protocol we name the following positions:
Team Leader: Jennie Walker
Secretary: Zillah Zaufal
Treasurer: Alison Palmer
However, we share the work within these roles across our team. We rotate our Meeting Chair to give all members (if they want it) an opportunity to have this experience and develop their meeting management skills. Everyone helps out with minutes and administrative tasks. Alison and Jill are generally the two that sort bank accounts and financial affairs. We find that this collaborative way of working suits us very well.
Our Members and Why they choose to be Soroptimists
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I have always enjoyed helping others and I joined Soroptimists to help with making a real difference. Being a Soroptimist is such a rewarding experience for me, especially knowing I’m making a positive impact on the lives of women and girls. Joining such a new and vibrant hybrid club is also a great opportunity to raise more awareness of Soroptimism and the work we do too, being able to collaborate and share ideas for change, in a new digital world is great. We make the cause more visible, and we can encourage more women to get involved in lots of hybrid ways. The connections I’ve made within Soroptimism with other like-minded women, who share the same passion, has evolved into making some great friends too.
I’m a Soroptimist because I enjoy working with kindred spirits on our shared goal of improving the lives of women and girls, locally, nationally and internationally. As an organisation, Soroptimist International’s principles appeal to me. I’m keen to become more involved in advocating for human rights and gender equality, advancing connected Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and awareness-raising through appeals. The work of my fellow Soroptimists – in educating, empowering and providing enabling opportunities for women and girls – is inspiring and I am delighted to have the opportunity to continue to contribute to Soroptimist endeavours as a member of SI Kernow.
I’ve worked in senior HR Leadership roles for over 25 years. The last 13 of those (lucky for me!) have been with the Eden Project in Cornwall. I’m part of the Exec Leadership Team as Chief People and Culture Officer. Part of my remit is access and Inclusion for both the Eden Team and our 650k visitors each year. As part of this, I’m passionate about progressing the voice of women and girls into strong careers. The ethos and vision of Soroptimists aligns beautifully and I enjoy using my career skills with those of my wider Kernow Soroptimist team to further those advances both in the UK and beyond.
Watch her Roar and Rise with the support of her sisters. With retirement in sight, I’m looking forward to having more time to spend on great causes as part of our organisation.
Having worked in education for many years, I have long been interested and involved in supporting and promoting opportunities and aspirations for women and girls within the local community. Becoming a Soroptimist has enabled me to meet like-minded women and to broaden this interest both nationally and internationally. Gender equality and the promotion of human rights have never been more important, so raising public awareness of women’s issues is crucial.
I love the idea that collectively we can achieve more which fits nicely with the Soroptimist mission. Personally, I get a lot from meeting and working alongside other members who bring a huge set of skills and experiences. I would encourage anyone who is interested in advocacy, raising awareness or campaigning for women’s issues to get involved.
As a Soroptimist, you are part of a global network of women who are passionate about making a difference. By uniting with like-minded members, we can contribute our collective efforts to uplift women and girls. From promoting access to education and professional success, to advocating for women’s rights and economic empowerment, Soroptimists work together to make dreams come true. Being a part of this work both amplifies the impact you can have and connects you with driven people who share your values and vision. I love the social side too and have made friends with so many amazing women, locally, nationally and internationally!
The friendship and comradeship that is formed by the common bond of wanting to do something for others attracted me to join the Soroptimists. There is a ‘feel good’ factor when working to help women and girls less fortunate than ourselves. I joined in 2015 and in fact, my mother was a founding member of the Kenilworth Club. Whilst in the Plymouth Club, I held the post of President for four months. I am now happy to be a founding member of S.I. Kernow with it’s unique prototype, hybrid format of Zoom / in-person meetings. As a science educator all my professional life, I appreciate the value of piloting a new approach. What we are attempting will hopefully, strengthen SIGBI at national and maybe even international level, as this hybrid version of membership offers flexibility and should appeal to women who are juggling professional and home responsibilities: potentially leading to a growth in membership.
I have always believed that even small actions from myself or others can improve the lives of anyone and in particular – women and girls and being a Soroptimist has given me this opportunity! I became a Soroptimist in 2018 I’d like to think I have embraced Soroptimism and been involved with as much as I have physically been able to, whilst still finding the time to spend with my family. Over the last 6 years I have thoroughly enjoyed developing projects (Programme Action), both locally and abroad – which is what being a Soroptimist is truly about – and I try as much as possible to share this enthusiasm both within our club membership and as well as outside, with the general public. Being a founder member of a new Soroptimist club in Cornwall (Kernow Soroptimists) has given me an opportunity to work with enthusiastic, passionate, young-at-heart and like-minded women to develop strong, interesting and exciting projects which have a real impact on the lives of women and girls wherever they are in the world.
I am a soroptimist as I like being involved with a group of people who try to help in many different ways, those who do not have the ability, opportunities and or the education to live happy and rewarding lives. We have contacts across the World, it helps us to understand the lives of many others, many times we are of help to one another, publicity as well as essential small products.
I am proud to be one of these people!
My main reason for being a Soroptimist is the fact that we help women and girls. It’s amazing what can be achieved when working with like minded women. It’s good that we support women internationally as well as locally. Girls need to be encouraged to achieve their potential and dreams and we can help even if it’s in a small way.
I became a Soroptimist in 1977 to come together with like minded women to improve the lives of women and girls. A number of women working together can achieve so much more. I am conscious how fortunate I am to have a good education, a rewarding job, great health care, a roof over my head and a voice. So many women in this world do not. I am delighted that I am now a member of a new style hybrid club, making more friends and planning more programme action projects to continue to support women and girls here in Cornwall and overseas.
I am a Soroptimist because in the latter years of my career in education I had responsibility for raising the aspirations of girls and I was excited to find that there was a group of like
minded women called the Soroptimists. It was great to realise that I could continue working on goals aimed at empowering and improving the lives of women and girls as well as striving
for gender equality. SI Kernow, as a group, have been very welcoming and inspirational.