Each year, Soroptimist Clubs and Regions are invited to nominate a project for the Best Practice Award. В The projects need to demonstrate their excellence in planning, administering and evaluating a project to transform lives for women and girls around the Federation, В This is a prestigious award, showcasing projects which have achieved results.

This is the 2019 Best Practice Award winners.

SI Griffith - Elder Abuse Forum

Elder abuse is a growing problem across Australia as our population ages. It has remained largely hidden and most often occurs within families. While most reported cases are of a financial nature, the abuse can also be psychological, emotional, physical and sexual.

This project's aim was to build community awareness surrounding the issue of Elder Abuse and provide tools on identifying and reporting any cases and educating people on how to take action. This was achieved by SI Griffith holding a Public Community Forum with guest speaker President of the Commission for Ageing, Professor Rosalind Croucher AM.

SI Griffith worked closely with Griffith Aged Support Service, Griffith City Council and Griffith Exservicemen's Club to plan and execute the Community Forum. Media released were circulated to local media along with Facebook Advertising and flyers advertising the event.В The audience for the Forum was 120 participants.

SI Torrens -В Changing Attitudes

This project was formed from SI Torrens partnering with Women's Legal Services South Australia and recognising that programmes which can offer assistance to victims of domestic violence, need to be promoted and offered to women working to support these victims.
An event was organised which brought together diverse service providers who could outline their services, provide a means of exchanging information and helping educate front-line workers with information to assist their clients with.

There were 12 service groups who spoke at the event and over 40 more attended and were involved during time allocated for discussion. Over 110 people attended the event.

SI Griffith -В Exploitation of Overseas Workers

This project began through SI Griffith Soroptimist links with SI Mandurah (WA) and SI Moreton North (QLD) with these areas having high numbers of backpackers and other overseas workers and a need to help with advocacy specifically in relation to women backpackers and their safety.
During this advocacy work it was identified through data provided by the Australian Federal Police that there were large numbers of overseas workers to the Griffith area that were being exploited.

SI Griffith aim was to not only host a Community Forum to build awareness of this issue but also undertake further work on this issue, either locally or through advocacy at state and national levels.

SI Griffith created flyers and Facebook posts; media releases were written and sent to local radio stations and newspapers. 70 people attended the forum and further work with the local Salvation Army personnel enabled SI Griffith to organise assistance to overseas workers in the local area who needed help by providing basic food items and assistance in distributing “help” cards to overseas workers.

Si Bangsar -В Health Camp

This project began with a partnership between SI Bangsar, the Regency Hospital and Dr Maria Fernandez of SI Johor Bahru and the recognition of local underprivileged communities that would benefit from access to medical services and education.
Three communities were identified as a focus. These communities included low income families living in low cost housing areas, where incomes are small and women within the communities are lacking in education and skills.

A health camp was organised to provide education on healthy lifestyles, family planning, nutrition and making better future decisions with the help from medical staff from the Regency Hospital and final year Medical Students from Newcastle University.
100 residents from one of the identified communities participated in the programme and were offered blood and body mass index tests, a medical examination, nutrition advice, health and hygiene advice and family planning advice and discussions.

The project also opened the doors for future projects including follow up health checks and a literacy programme as the local women expressed interest in learning English and were keen to bring their children along.

SI Mackay - Bags for Change

This project aim was to bring together predominately women and girls to educate about the replacing of single-use plastic with environmentally sustainable bags within the local community.

Community service empowers people through expanding social networks. This no-cost project provided an inclusive environment for women and girls to meet and contribute together. Giving these women a sense of belonging to a supportive community along with a sense of achievement.
At least 100 women were involved in the production of these bags from recycled materials and the bags given to St Vinnies who regularly hand out food hampers to disadvantages low income families to use and re-

Each year, Soroptimist Clubs and Regions are invited to nominate a project for the Best Practice Award. В The projects need to demonstrate their excellence in planning, administering and evaluating a project to transform lives for women and girls around the Federation, В This is a prestigious award, showcasing projects which have achieved results.

This is the 2021 Best Practice Award winners.

SI GRIFFITH SHINE ' EMPOWERING WOMEN TO THRIVE THROUGH DIFFICULT TIMES
ID 2020110543550

This project used lessons learned in a previous project to inform a new focus and direction ' one which looked more closely at diversity, financial awareness, health, technology and hands-on workshops. Extremely well-planned and monitored the event provided over 80 women with a range of informed speakers and workshops as well as access to counselors. It specifically addressed community issues such as mental health and an increase in domestic violence during COVID-19.

SI BEENLEIGH - YOU ARE AMAZING WELLNESS DAYВ  В  В  В  В  В  В  В  В  В 

IDВ 20210306031516
Concerned, during the height of COVID-19, about the mental health and well being of family, friends and community the club decided to run a day which emphasised several aspects of mental health, mind, body and soul as well as anxiety and depression. The well-organised project involved extensive consultation and support results included discussion and monitored progress consistently.

SI Damansara Accelerating Women's Empowerment with Mentari Sewing Studio@ Desa Mentari
ID 20201218094153

This well-researched and organised project used networks well to undertake sewing lessons and products for a group of the poorest women who lost employment during COVID Movement Controls in the country. Careful research and data use enabled both selection of those for sewing classes as well as evaluation of the project, a Social Enterprise that uplifted and empowered single mothers and women from the poorest segment in society. It has the potential for further growth.

SI Beenleigh 16 days of Activism ' a woman has a right to be safe
ID 20201209061100

This four-pronged project arose out of community discussion that identified Domestic Violence(DV) as a major community issue. To broaden its engagement of the community the club decided firstly on an advocacy event ' a street vigil. The second component was a large advertisement that addressed DV to run on a large screen in the town square for 16 Days. The dedication of a purple memorial seat in public and the supply of books that addressed the issue to schools completed the project. This effectively planned project utilised the club's growing network and support from previous campaigns to create a bold, well-planned and executed campaign.

SI Lautoka 500 Trees Pledge
ID 20200831083714

This project which linked with a government policy to plant 4 million trees in 4 years enabled the club to obtain free trees for reafforestation to offset climate change, food security and revenue generation. The club liaised with 8 schools as well as planting in reserved areas. This ensured that trees were protected and maintained as growth was monitored. 500 seedlings of trees native to Fiji were collected and planted and social media posts ensured publicity and encouraged contributions.

SI Lautoka I am Generation Equality; Realising Women's Rights
ID 2020112905-710

This event, a primary and high school oratory competition, which has been taking place for 7 years, gave 30 future leaders an opportunity to investigate and debate this topic which the Fijian government considers of high importance The club researched data on this issue in Fiji and used their partnership and sponsor network to obtain permission, organise, publicise and secure judges for the competition which is a highly anticipated event in school calendars.

SI Beenleigh Drought and Bushfire Assistance Project
ID 20201209063427

Prolonged drought followed at times by bushfires had an impact on farmers whose children could not afford to obtain supplies for school. The club investigated this with the local MP for the Southern Downs, a hard hit region and 6 local schools were identified as most vulnerable. Existing Target 10 bags with 10 crucial supplies already existed but would be needed locally. A donation page was activated for one month and was supported by a social media campaign. Schools were contacted to check what was required and when supplies were organised, members drove long distances to ensure timely delivery. A multi- pronged approach, consultation and organisation ensured that needs were met for the start of the school year.

Each year, Soroptimist Clubs and Regions are invited to nominate a project for the Best Practice Award. В The projects need to demonstrate their excellence in planning, administering and evaluating a project to transform lives for women and girls around the Federation, В This is a prestigious award, showcasing projects which have achieved results.

This is the 2022 Best Practice Award winners.

WINNER - SI Sydney 100 Backpacks for 100 Children
Report ID: 20211226124510

$100X100 backpacks for Asylum Seekers Center (ASC) project aligns with SDG 4 Education. We wanted a special centennial celebration for SI's birthday: a very special centenary project: “$100 school bags for 100 children”. ASC identified 100 children and requested a backpack for each. SI Sydney agreed and extended the target to include contents, so our project target was: 100 'loaded' backpacks which we costed at an average of $100 each.
The Project Timeline was managed with establishing short - term milestones/goals which were achieved through a teamwork. All members endorsed and promoted this project,seeking donations from their networks. ASC, MHN Design Union, Wilson cafГ© and Lithicaustralia were the project partners. Donations were managed by an external, trustworthy agency: Go Fund Me, ensuring transparency, secure money handling and independent monitoring and recording of all donors. The project was promoted through ASC website and social media Facebook and Instagram support groups.

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HIGHLY COMMENDED - SI Damanasara - Building Bridges Beyond Borders (BBBB) Online: Fun With English Project
Report ID 20191230044324

BBBB is an educational collaboration between Just Volunteers! (UK) and SI Damansara where international students from various universities overseas are placed in homes/learning centres under SID's support to provide teaching and mentoring support to local underprivileged children and refugees.
Malaysia went into a complete lockdown on in March 2020 as the Covid-19 Pandemic raged through the country. All schools, shops and businesses were forced to close and no international travel was allowed. BBBB volunteers from overseas were unable to travel to the country. SID had to adapt to the situation and convert the programme to an “online” programme so that children in our partner homes were not deprived of an education. The programme was launched starting with Rumah Aman a residential home for 65 children from impoverished backgrounds. Following this successful pilot run for 3 months it was then implemented in MRCLC, a school for Myanmar refugees in Kuala Lumpur. In 2021, 5 students from the University of Bath, UK, participated as teachers while another 14 volunteers from local universities were also recruited to teach online in 2021.

WINNER: SI Griffith - Educating Our Community About Coercive Control
Report ID20211207103115

Coercive Control is the “hidden in plain sight” form of domestic violence. In early 2022 SI Griffith advocated for legislation to criminalise coercive control in our state. After discussions with workers in the domestic violence space and our local Member of Parliament we decided our next step would be a public education campaign to help people understand exactly what coercive control is. We decided that at social media campaign would reach the largest number of people and that we would produce 16 videos to be uploaded each day during the UN 16 Days of Activis Against Gender Based Violence.
A small committee was formed. Each member prepared suggested scripts and graphics for the 16 videos which were then workshopped by the group. All SI of New South Wales clubs were contacted to see if they would like to be involved and we had input from SI Brisbane Water. One member took on the task of preparing the final scripts and videos. The completed videos were sent to SI of NSW and all New South Wales clubs, our Australian Friendship Link clubs, our local Member of Parliament and SI Australia before the start of the 16 Days of Activism. They were also used by SISWP. One video was uploaded each day from 25 November to 10 December. We were very pleased with our Facebook page statistics in terms of organic reach, visits to our Facebook pages and engagements. As with our previous videos “Always on Alert”, these videos will be used again.

HIGHLY COMMENDED: SI Penang Webinar on Gender-based and cyber violence
Report ID: 20211226051213

In accordance to UN's 16 Days of Activism against Gender Based Violence from Nov 25 to Dec 10 2021, SI Penang organized a zoom talk to advocate change by inviting highly experienced speakers to address this issue. Guest speaker Zarizana Abdul Aziz is a pre-eminent speaker/human rights lawyer from Washington. She has trained 600 judges in Pakistan 200 in Afghanistan on the above topic. In 2022, she will train judges in Timor Leste and Fiji. Judy Cheng-Hopkins - ex-UN Asst Secretary-General for UN Peacebuilding, ex Asst High Commissioner of World Food Bank, "10 Most Powerful Women at the UN" (Forbes). Mediator Joanne Yeoh (SIROM/SISWP) Approx 100 attendees/viewers attended this zoom talk QA from Australia, NZ, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, India, Fiji, Mongolia, USA Indonesia. Local women's groups Women's Crisis Centre and WomenBizSense also attended. As we had amongst the viewers 46 SI Club Federation Presidents, Past Presidents National Reps, 25 SI Members, besides others, we are confident the shared recording of this talk has and will continue to reach many more women and girls. Members of GWL (Global Women Leaders' Voices) were also aware of this talk.

SI Griffith - 100 Bikes of Kindness

As part of the SI Centenary's 100 Acts of Kindness project, 110 bikes were donated by SI Griffith members and the Griffith community to send to our friendship link club SI Samoa. We worked closely with SI Samoa to develop project goals and work out logistics. A practical plan was developed that would support women and children with the bikes being used for transport, access to services and generation of an income stream. The local Griffith community got right behind us. One young man in Griffith donated his time to repair all the bikes to near new condition. Local businesses donated spare parts, storage venues, the container and transport to Melbourne. A Go Fund Me campaign was set up to raise extra money for shipping costs which had risen significantly during the pandemic. SI Griffith members also donated soft goods suggested by SI Samoa (clothes, towels, sheets, pillows and kitchenware) for packing and donation to the Samoan community. Monetary and in kind support exceeded $AUD 85,000.

SI Bangsar - Bank Runcit Project (Food Bank Project)
Report ID:20211210084500

The COVID-19 pandemic has seriously impacted the Malaysian economy, mainly caused by the full and various stages of lockdown (Movement Control Order) which were imposed since 18th March 2020. The primary objective of this Project is to feed the hungry. Many families' income was affected because of the lockdown in Malaysia. For example: the income of a taxi driver was hugely reduced because of the Movement Control Order imposed by the Malaysian Government to curb the spread of virus. Our aim was to provide basic essentials like rice, noodles, bread, cooking oil, flour, beans, sugar, biscuits, eggs, canned goods, milk powder etc, to offer short term relief to those affected by the pandemic. We raised AUD10,500 in cash and AUD9,500 in kind which enabled us to sustain the food bank for 6 months to tide these families over until they get alternative sources of income.

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SI Bayside - Demystifying Menopause Forum
Report ID:20210831052629

Hosted an educational forum on Menopause. The forum featured a range of leading Doctors, Naturopaths, Nutritionists and exercise professionals to present and answer questions. To set the scene a harpist played as guests arrived and during afternoon tea to provide a relaxing atmosphere, the format of the event was planned to ensure attendees felt comfortable, and there was the opportunity to network, attendees were seated on round tables to encourage interaction, during the forum an online Question and Answer program was utilized so attendees could ask questions as they thought of them and could remain anonymous. Questions were then dealt with by the speaker at the end of their session.
Information packs were provided to each attendee with brochures, information and samples. Post the event the main powerpoint presentations were emailed to attendees.

WINNER: SI Brisbane Water - Reducing Our Carbon Footprint
ID 20211215085412

Members were challenged to commit to reducing their carbon footprint in their daily habits. Members shared ways to reduce, repair, reuse and recycle. Speakers were sourced on various topics such as composting, eco friendly cleaning, club members introduced meatless Mondays to their families and the CO2 emission reduction was monitored with over 212 kg reduction for the Month. Recycling of items increased. Awareness and knowledge increased. Members shared their knowledge and experiences with each other. A bonus outcome has been the influence on family and friends as a result of the action taken by our members during the project. We will continue to impart any more ideas and innovations as they come to our notice with club members. Our club passed a motion that "SI Brisbane Water members commit to using eco-friendly utensils and decorations where possible when holding a function"

HIGHLY COMMENDED:В  SI Queensland South - Project Lead SI Bayside - Recycling- Advocacy, Awareness, Action
ID 20211231094459

Reducing our Carbon Footprint Project was devised as a response to Climate Change. It was designed to educate all of our members, their families and friends in a project that would encourage all members to reduce their carbon footprint both in the home and at their workplace by engaging in incremental change in their lifestyle and daily habits. Research was done and goals set for 12-month project. The project concentrated on FOOD, TRANSPORT, ENERGY and RECYCLING, identifying realistically attainable goals. We provided a list of 59 suggestions and 30 were actioned by one or more of our members. Members recorded their changes and we measured/evaluated our success. e.g. In one month the members saved 212kg of CO2 emissions by introducing at least one vegetarian meal per week. In addition, we planted 300 trees in our local area. We engaged the members by using videos, guest speakers, and member presentations on their research and action.