On May 13th 2011 the third Skirting Science event to be organised by SI Weston-super-Mare took place at Hans Price Academy (previously Wyvern School) in Weston. 250 girls from 15 schools across the region descended on the school – on offer a chance to programme a dancing robot, collect a DNA sample and make it into a necklace, design a new perfume – in all 18 different workshops designed to enthuse girls about science. The day was opened by Dr Preeti Kaur, a young female chemist from Bristol University who studies organisms that live in extreme conditions, like the volcanic areas of New Zealand.  She said, “This event is so great. It shows girls just what a huge variety of things they can do in science, and how exciting it can be.” Organiser Ruth Thomas, Programme Action Officer for the club, said “There is nothing

Members of Weston super Mare Club were thrilled and proud when we won a Good Practice Award at the Annual Conference of SIGBI (Soroptimist International of Great Britain and Ireland) held in Manchester in October 2010.  The award was given for Skirting Science, our day of interactive workshops aiming to inspire girls’ interest in science, held in April 2010.  President Melanie and Programme Action organiser, Ruth, were there to collect the certificate and seven other club members were in the audience to cheer them along.  President Melanie said, “I am so proud – this is the first time that our club has won one of these awards”.  Ruth had given a presentation on Skirting Science at the Cardiff conference in 2009 and she deserves congratulations as the leading light on this project.