Soroptimists’ national response
Yeovil Soroptimists Club designed the “Loves Me / Loves Me Not” relationship bookmarks to highlight the characteristics of good and bad relationships.
Soroptimist clubs across the country have adopted the bookmarks as a practical way to raise awareness and help people recognise the signs of unhealthy relationships.
Nov 2019 Swindon march with Angus McPherson & Nicky Alberry
Tara Arkle & Dame Joan Collins, Bristol 2017
Local club actions
Swindon Soroptimists adopted the bookmarks in 2010 and developed the project through partnerships with schools, local authorities and organisations supporting vulnerable people.
- Educating young people: Distributed bookmarks to all senior schools in Swindon in 2010, extending the initiative across Wiltshire in 2011 and repeating it in 2013 and 2015.
- Working with local authorities: Met Wiltshire Council in 2018, leading to the bookmark images and club contact details being added to its Healthy Schools website. The information was updated in 2022.
- Supporting vulnerable women: Supplied bookmarks to the Nelson Trust Women’s Centre, Swindon Women’s Aid, the Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) and other local organisations.
- Reaching wider communities: Shared bookmarks through churches, doctors’ surgeries, community halls, schools, colleges and Army welfare centres.
- Raising awareness of violence against women: Participated in awareness marches in Bristol and Weston-super-Mare in 2017 and organised Swindon’s “Railing Against Abuse” march on 25 November 2019.
- Making relationships education accessible: Worked with Swindon Borough Council’s Safer Streets projects, with bookmarks used in school relationship-training sessions and supplied for safety bags distributed to vulnerable women.
- Expanding the project: Continued to work with local partners, including Wiltshire Police and VAS Swindon, to fund and distribute further bookmarks.
Impact
The project connects schools, councils, police, support services and community organisations around relationship awareness and the prevention of abuse.
The bookmarks provide a simple, accessible reminder of healthy and unhealthy relationship behaviours, with routes to further information and support.
Since we started in 2010 our club has distributed more than 21,000 bookmarks to vulnerable women and girls.
Thousands of people reached
-
0
bookmarks used by Swindon Borough Council
for relationship training in senior schools & open sessions at Swindon College
-
0
bookmarks funded by Wiltshire Police
used in schools’ relationship training, by Army Welfare in Tidworth and by many others
-
0
bookmarks used by VAS swindon
in more deprived areas of Swindon
-
0
bookmarks used by Swindon Borough Council
in Safety Bags for vulnerable women and to supply local women’s organisations