Moreton North Inc

About Moreton North Inc

Welcome
Soroptimist International Moreton North Inc. (SIMNI) is a vibrant and dynamic club for women of all ages who have an interest in sharing their skills and expertise to improve the lives and opportunities of others in our local and global communities.
SIMNI is currently the only Soroptimist International Club situated in the outer northern suburbs of Brisbane and covers the entire area of the City of Moreton Bay Council. We also have Linked Members who live in different countries around the World including China, Japan, Papua New Guinea and the United Kingdom.                                                                                   

Our SIMNI Business Meetings are held on the 2nd Tuesday night of the month via Zoom, Members and Guests have the opportunity to discuss current affairs and future project/event activities. These meetings are popular for women who are busy juggling work, family and other priorities.

If you are looking for an opportunity to make a difference to the lives of women and girls, enjoy having fun with other like-minded women and have a passion for raising the status of women and working for human rights and global peace then please contact us via email at simoretonnorth@siswp.org or visit our SIMNI Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/SIMoretonNorthInc

Club Information

All Business Meetings are held via ZOOM. Our SIMNI Special Events are held at The Best Western North Lakes Hotel who are our venue of choice and one of our Major Sponsors for our Annual IWD Be Inspired Awards recognising the contributions of Local Women and for our Community Candlelighting Vigil to raise public awareness of family and domestic violence held in May each year.

Our SIMNI Members are diverse and inclusive and offer a wealth of experience to support our projects locally and internationally to educate, empower and enable women and girls to achieve their life goals.

We are not a charity and while we support other local community groups our major focus includes eliminate all forms of violence, providing scholarships, promoting and celebrating the contributions and achievements of women. Each year we host a number of public forums to raise awareness, advocate for change and take action whenever we can to make a difference.

Our Vision

SIMNI is a dynamic volunteer organisation for like-minded women with a social conscience who are committed to improving the lives of women and girls. Our membership is culturally diverse and reflects the internationality of our organisation.

Our Values

SIMNI members are committed to working in a spirit of friendship and partnership to support human rights and global peace by advocating for greater participation of women in all forms of democratic decision-making processes locally and around the world.

Our Mission

SIMNI develops strategic alliances to make a collective impact. We work in partnership to support the attainment of the SI Objectives, SI Where We Stand Position Statements (SIPS), the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and the ratification, implementation and monitoring of UN Resolutions, Conventions and Treaties. www.soroptimistinternational.org

SIMNI Members can

• have a meaningful positive impact on the lives of women and girls

• support the community at local and global levels through projects

• advocate to influence legislation and policies at all levels of society

• access UN agencies via Soroptimist UN representatives

• develop leadership skills and support mentoring programmes

• network with women from different professional and business backgrounds

• attend meetings of any club around the world

• enjoy social activities and establish lasting friendships with women at locally and overseas

• represent Soroptimist International and participate at meetings, conferences and conventions

• participate in international friendship exchanges.

Projects

Education: SIMNI provides two annual $1000 Scholarships./ Bursaries. The first annual $1000 Sponsorship is a partnership project with the Australian College of Midwives and the Rhodanthe Lipsett Charitable Trust Fund to support Indigenous Graduate Midwives to complete their studies. In 2021 we provided our 9th Scholarship.

Our second is a Bursary for a Secondary or Tertiary Female Student studying in the Creative Arts Industry. This is a Partnership Project with the National Council of Women Queensland (NCWQ). We also part sponsor a second Bursary with Soroptimist International Region of South Queensland (SISQ) and NCWQ for a female Indigenous Student studying in the areas of Medicine, Education or Health. 

SIMNI has partnered with the Kairos Community College at Deception Bay to access grant funding to support a Be Bold Be Brave Be You Photographic Exhibition during Youth Week in 2017 and a Cyber Bullying Awareness Project in 2019. We have supported international education projects in Nepal for girls and women. 

Earlier club projects included an Art Exhibition of Child's Paintings from Russian Orphanages. The funds raised supported teachers working with these young children to develop their skills so they could earn a living from their art when they had to leave the orphanage. The club won a Federation and International Best Practice Award for this project. Another successful project was providing training in basic use of computers for older people to develop their skills.

Elimination of Violence: SIMNI has partnered with a number of Community organisations including CADA, Encircle Ltd, Caboolture Artisans Guild, DARE, Deception Bay Doctors and other local businesses to raise awareness of Domestic and Family Violence. We have provided financial contributions and gifts in kind, distributed information and held community forums. Our members attend the Annual Candle Lighting Vigils during Domestic Violence Awareness Month in May and have produced a DVD Conversations with Dads featuring local men in our community and what respectful relationships mean to them and how they are raising their children to be more kind and caring. SIMNI members have also facilitated Roundtables on topics including Modern Day Slavery in 2020.

Economic Empowerment: SIMNI has been able to access grant funding from MBRC and State Government to facilitate forums on Women's Economic and Financial Security. We have partnered with Women's Network Australia and other local businesses to advocate for small business owners. SIMNI has also sponsored young women to attend financial training as part of their career development.

Food Security: reduction of poverty has been a major focus of SIMNI in providing financial assistance, fresh food and basic items for distribution through local neighbourhood centres including Encircle Ltd, and Hand In Hand Project. We work with Kairos Community College in providing monthly Tribal Lunches (hot meals) for the Students, Teachers and Youth Workers and provide Breakfast and Snack Packs for After Dark Saints who assist people who are or are at risk of homelessness.

Health Care: Health and Well Being is a primary focus for our members where we have accessed grant funding to facilitate community forums, wellness days for frontline workers and advocate for improvements in local services in particular maternal and child health care. We have been very successful in obtaining grant funding from the Moreton Bay Region Council (MRBC) and State Government to support Mental Health Week, Welcoming The Babies and supporting Share The Dignity with toiletries and personal care items. Our global focus has supported the training of midwives and birth attendants in Papua New Guinea and Pacific Island Countries.

Environmental Sustainability, Water and Sanitation: SIMNI has a number of members with special expertise in this area who have been involved in Local, National Global Conferences and UN Meetings. SIMNI has supported international projects that have improved access to water and sanitation in countries including Papua New Guinea, Indonesia Malaysia. In early years club members supported the clearing of a water way at the John Oxley Reserve.

Conflict Resolution / Peace Promotion: SIMNI members have represented Australia at UN Meetings, Conventions Nationally and Internationally. One partnership project with Armed with the Arts including sending thousands of hand made origami peace cranes to children in orphanages, war torn countries and remote locations around the world. We have also advocate for the banning of cluster munitions and landmines.

Disaster relief, mitigation and resilience: Several SIMNI members have worked on disaster recovery initiatives after cyclones/floods in Queensland. We have supported communities ravaged by bush fires with financial support and in kind support. In 2020 we initiated a post card project to support the Cobargo Bush Fire Relief Centre by sending greetings and messages during Mental Health Week.