Painshill Park Trust has generously supported SI Weybridge & District’s plan to host a “Walk in the Park” in celebration of International Women’s Day on Sunday 8 March. Everyone is welcome – club members, friends and family, members of other clubs, community partners, and anyone in the local community who would enjoy a gentle walk together and the early signs of spring.
Tickets: Entry is subsidised for anyone pre-registered ahead walking with our group; to register and pay ahead do email soroptimistsweybridge@gmail.com by 6th March. Otherwise simply buy a ticket online or on the day. Free entry applies to Painshill Park members, children under 5, and companions supporting disabled visitors. (Please note: National Trust, English Heritage and similar membership cards do not provide entry to Painshill, which is an independent charity.)
Meeting point: Main Entrance, Between Streets, Cobham KT11 1AG. Park and walk over the pedestrian bridge leading to the entrance and meet to the left, close to the entrance to the walled garden.
Arrival time: 10:45–11:00am
Walk: 11-12.30pm but feel free to take your time or visit later in the day to show support
To mark International Women’s Day, please wear a touch of purple, pick up a leaflet, and help us celebrate women’s achievements while recognising the challenges that remain.
International Women’s Day 2026 (#IWD26), themed “Rights. Justice. Action. For ALL Women and Girls”, calls us to stand together with determination. Even when progress feels slow or barriers seem entrenched, we move forward—collectively—towards equality, justice, and empowerment. This year’s theme highlights the urgent need to dismantle discriminatory laws, strengthen legal protections, and challenge harmful norms that undermine the rights of women and girls everywhere.
About Our Club
Soroptimists are local women volunteers who have a passion for enabling women and girls’ education, health, equity and success around the world and in the local community through advocacy, education and service orientated projects. In Weybridge region some 24 women are involved, we span, Cobham, Molesey, Walton on Thames, Weybridge and Byfleet but have members who have left the area and still continue as remote members. We are expanding and inviting women of all ages who have the drive to help or seek a new friendship circle to consider joining. You can meet us at local events, at a Coffee Club meeting, an #OTW meet up at a members home or come along as a guest at one of our monthly speaker/supper meetings. Just get in touch to obtain details. There is no obligation to join, learn about our work and meet up first! Here are some snaps of us at work. Read on for details of our local activities.
Volunteers in the community
Pressures of work, family life, careers and caring mean some enthusiastic women are not able to become soroptimists, but their skills as volunteers can be very valuable to our work. We are always keen to meet women with skills in PR, Communication, Teaching, STEM subjects & Education, Project Leadership, Admin and Event planning to join our volunteer panel and get involved from time to time with our projects before considering joining when time allows. Do email soroptimistsweybridge@gmail.com with a summary of your interests if you’d like to volunteer to help out or join our panel.
Meet up?
Soroptimists meet on the third Thursday each month at The Fairmile, Cobham for supper. The meeting might start with a speaker from a charity, national support group, politics, or community association that enables women and girls to succeed. We eat together then hold our business meeting to discuss projects, finances, social events, fundraising and community action. in Surrey there are SI clubs in Elmbridge, Woking, Epsom and Surrey Hills. The Southern region has 9 clubs in total spanning Surrey and Hampshire. These clubs meet up 3-4 times a year to discuss advocacy, projects and share ideas. Nationwide Clubs hold social and fundraising events throughout the year in addition to lobbying MPs, The Lords, politicians, and other political parties in important subjects which impact women and girls, equality, poverty alleviation, sustainability, climate and education. Members attend the United Nations CSW annually and data from projects worldwide is summated to provide evidence of project delivery, outcome and impact. As part of Soroptimist International GB& Ireland, our members attend annual conference and global conventions. We have regular access to training and new learning as members of a global framework of volunteering women, clubs have been in operations for over 100 years in some countries.
Why Join?
You’ll only find out by chatting to us about our club, the friendships that develop and the fun we have when we impact and enable women and girls successes.Prospective members tend to attend a few meetings before deciding if they’d like to join. Join us at our informal coffee clubs or meet socially first if you wish.
How can I benefit?
Members pay a modest monthly capitation fee which enables the main UK/Ireland board to function effectively as part of the global SI organisation and it too funds and supports initiatives, training, webinars, conferences and meetings which are open to members. SIGBI has a trading entity and is a registered charity. Local clubs are not. The parent organisation governs club functioning, liability insurance, procedures and ensures compliance aspects. There is an annual SIGBI international conference attended by around 1000 international soroptimists each year, the location rotates around the region, this year it’s in Cardiff in October ’26. Every 2 years global soroptimists join together to enable learning at a global convention in 2027 it is in Prague.
SIGBI has a very comfortable residential club which is open to the public in London Bayswater, No. 63; Soroptimist clubs are shareholders and have a concessionary B&B rate. More at https://number63.co.uk/
We hold some virtual meetings. It’s not essential to come to all meetings either, nor to join for a meal. The emphasis is on friendship, productivity, progress and fun without fuss.
Finally there is an e- Club SI Libertas for women who don’t live near a local club or prefer online involvement.
Opportunities to meet up and find out more
- Monthly local ‘Orange Coffee Club’ daytime meets in cafes focus on friendship, highlighting and discussing projects to raise the importance of hope and the drive to eliminate violence against women and girls.
- Monthly Supper Evening Meetings where members listen to speakers, debate issues, identify projects and financial aspects of club functioning and gifting.
- Events on International Women’s Day, over #16Days, in the community e.g. Oatlands Fayre, Weybridge, Cobham ONEderland, Weybridge Festival.
- Fundraising events as a club and/or region and with community partners
- Social Events year around
- Conferences, training meetings and Southern England regional club meetings
- A ‘phone or ZOOM call with a member close to you
Contact: soroptimistsweybridge@gmail.com
Showcasing our activities last year..
