Over 100 Soroptimists from clubs in the South Lancashire Region attended the 79th Federation Conference in Gateshead. This year’s theme was ‘From Vision to Action Soroptimists Educating to Lead – Educate, Empower, Enable’.
In total 1,200 Soroptimists from 29 countries packed The Sage to take in challenging presentations and thoughtful discussions, and enjoy excellent entertainment. Members from throughout the region, including President Liz McConnell, took part in the conference’s Red Square Event, to raise awareness about endometriosis. Set against the backdrop of the Millennium Bridge the sea of red – including red roses for everyone – was impressive.
Programme Action – the focus for all Soroptimists – featured strongly. SI Widnes were asked to showcase their ongoing project with SI Bangalore, India, partnering the Brindavan Education Trust. (This project won the regional Programme Action Award in 2012.) President Paula Fox, Yvonne Gibbon, Wendy Ross-Barker and Linda Redhead took to the stage and, taking Jaume Plensa’s local statue ‘Dream’ as a key, explained how the project is helping girls with special educational needs to believe and achieve.
SI Leigh and District were shortlisted for a Federation Programme Award for their ‘Just the Job’ project. This provides workshops to give unemployed women the confidence and the tools to find and apply for jobs. The workshops cover Job Search and Application, Interview Techniques and Presenting Yourself at your Best. The club missed out on the main prize, but this publicity for Leigh’s project will have impressed the delegates.
Margaret Molyneux, Regional Programme Action Officer, said, “I am delighted that two clubs in our region featured at this year’s SIGBI conference. SI Widnes and SI Bangalore deserve recognition for their well planned, long-term, partnership project that is already showing excellent results. SI Leigh and District’s members are, of course, disappointed that a Programme Award proved just out of reach – but very pleased to have been selected for the shortlist from so many projects throughout the Federation.”