First developed by Yeovil
Yeovil Soroptimist Club originally designed the ‘Loves Me / Loves Me Not’ relationship bookmarks giving indicators on good and bad relationship traits. Many Clubs nationally use them with Swindon Club adopting them in 2010.
How Swindon got started in 2010
In 2010 we sent bookmarks to all senior schools in Swindon to help as an aid on relationship education. In 2011 this was extended to Wiltshire and repeated in 2013 and 2015. In Sept 2018, we met Wiltshire Council who added the bookmark images and our contact info to the Healthy Schools website, updating it after lockdown in 2022.
Members have handed out to churches, doctors’ surgeries, local community halls, etc, as well as many people that we have come across in our daily lives. Since 2015 we have supported the Nelson Trust Women’s Centre in Victoria Road, who keep a regular supply for the vulnerable women who use their services to pick up and read.
Our work with Women’s Aid
In 2019 we worked with Women’s Aid, supplying 900 to them, for use on Healthy Relationship training in schools, alongside Swindon Borough Council. We have made contacts with Army Welfare Units & HIVE centres who are keen to use, with 600 bookmarks supplied so far. The Swindon SARC centre have also started to use them.
At public events
The Bookmarks were handed out to the public on regular marches through Weston-super-Mare and Bristol, to highlight the UN day for Elimination of Violence Against Women on Nov 25th. In 2017, Tara Arkle attended along with her mother, actress Dame Joan Collins in Bristol. In 2019 our Club held the November 25th “Railing Against Abuse” event, marching through Swindon town centre and were joined by Deputy Lieutenant Nicky Alberry, Wilts PCC Angus Macpherson and 40 fellow South West Soroptimists and other local representatives.
In 2022 our club was invited to join the Swindon Borough Council Safer Streets projects to help with ideas to make women and girls feel safer on Swindon’s streets. We proposed our Bookmarks and SBC purchased 4,000 for use during Relationship training sessions in senior schools in Swindon. In addition we donated 100 to Voluntary Action Swindon who held general open sessions at Swindon College and gave 100 free info bags to students.
Joining the Safer Streets Project
In 2023 Swindon Borough Council paid for a further 3,000 for use in Safety Bags to be handed out to vulnerable women and supply local women’s organisations such as Swindon Sister Alliance, Medaille Trust, Street Pastors SDASS, Nelson Trust and SARC. We supplied to Pewsey Vale School, Commonweal & Wiltshire College, Lacock.
We have since had requests from Wiltshire College’s Safeguarding team, WPA Insurance in Taunton for use in DA training and given them free to Swindon’s Stonewater centre for young homeless and Swindon Carers.