As part of the lead in to International Women’s Day, on Saturday 4 March, women from across Hampshire, Wiltshire, Dorset and Surrey gathered at the University of Winchester to learn from a line-up of speakers about how the lives of women and girls are being transformed locally, nationally and internationally. The event was opened by University Vice-Chancellor Professor Joy Carter, who told delegates how the University’s precursor institution was established to train teachers to teach the poor and that Winchester was the location of the first school for poor girls, in the building that is now The Bell public house in Cross Road. Although Winchester was one of the last Universities to admit women, Professor Carter made the point that the University had now compensated and the student body was now 70% female.   Caroline Dinenage MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Women,

Our twin club in Germany, SI Hagen, has very generously and kindly been ‘Knitting for Nepal.’ What a wonderful surprise for our Programme Action Officer to have been sent a box of blankets, baby vests and bootees for onward transmission to our Nepalese twin club, SI Kathmandu. The Soroptimist International network of women across all continents is indeed strong and committed and working together we can achieve much. Thank you SI Hagen members – your wonderful knitting will go a long way towards helping new mothers keep their babies warm in Nepal.

It was a huge pleasure and honour for President Liz Rodgers to meet up with Plymouth Soroptimists as the two clubs prepare to formalise their friendship link in 2017. The members of both clubs are looking forward to forging close ties, particularly by providing support for each other’s projects as well as enjoying some social time to share ideas.

Poole Soroptimists in partnership with Poole Bay Rotary raised over £300 thanks to the generous residents of Creekmoor who donated so readily when the Christmas Train visited prior to Christmas. The proceeds from the evening are for Dorset’s latest refuge which provides support to the victims of domestic abuse.  

Since April 2016 Poole Soroptimists have distributed 435 baby hats, 47 blankets, 71 hat & pullover sets, 13 pullovers and 19 pairs of bootees. The majority of knitted items have Nepal as an end destination though some have gone to the Calais Jungle and others are destined for Sierra Leone. Photo’d here are Gill and Peggy, SI Thames Valley, Gill, plus Sue and Liz, SI Poole.The five met up in Swanage when Poole’s Programme Action Officer Sue Fortescue presented a selection of baby clothes and blankets to Thames Valley Soroptimists for onward despatch to the Kori Project in Sierra Leone where they will be given to mothers for their newborns.

SI Poole and Purple Teardrop Campaign had a table at the Safer Poole Partnership’s Domestic Violence Awareness Day event in the town centre today. Visitors very generously gave presents for the Women’s Refuge and outreach service users and children. The proceeds of the prize draw was split between the Women’s Refuge, Dorset Rape Crisis and the Purple Teardrop Campaign, the latter benefitting from over £500. The event brought together many organisations and demonstrated the community’s passion to tackle domestic violence and raise awareness of it.

The 2016 SI Great Britain and Ireland, which has a science focus, conference is in Malta. Poole Soroptimists are represented by member Jackie de Trafford pictured here with members from our twin club Soroptimist International Plymouth.

October brought a very special Friendship Weekend and Poole Soroptimists’ Charter Dinner event. It was a huge pleasure and privilege to welcome President Uta von Both and 7 members from our twin club SI Hagen, and as you can see from the images, we made the most of the glorious weather to show our visitors some of our local highlights, especially Salisbury, Stonehenge, Bath and Compton Acres. On 10th October, our 64th charter anniversary, we welcomed Councillor Xena Dion Mayor of Poole and Mr Bryan Dion, Soroptimists from Plymouth and Bournemouth, Poole Lions and friends and family to our charter dinner at Poole Yacht Club. President Uta gave a most thought-provoking speech on the role of Soroptimism in today’s world and our speaker Anne Millman, RNLI volunteer, inspired us with her bravery and opened our eyes to the work of this amazing charity, based of

During their Friendship Weekend visit, our sisters from friendship link club SI Hagen took part in our Knitting for Nepal project work. And as a result of the combined efforts of Hagen and Poole members, our Programme Action Officer has sent 28 baby hats, 5 sets of baby hats & pullovers, 4 blankets and 2 pairs of babies bootees to our friendship link club SI Kathmandu. A truly international Soroptimist International achievement!