Dorset, Education | Posted on March 23rd, 2026 | return to news

Dorset Soroptimists meet government minister

Dorset Soroptimists travelled to the Home Office to meet Safeguarding Minister Jess Phillips following the publication of their booklet.

A booklet produced by Dorset Soroptimists led to a meeting with Safeguarding Minister Jess Phillips MP at the Home Office on 17 March.

The Soroptimists explained how their ‘Fresh Thoughts’ booklet, which started in Dorset with funding from the Police and Crime Commissioner, is being rolled out across England, with 10 more versions available and many more in production.

They said: “All in one place, women fleeing domestic abuse can find information and signposting to all the national and, importantly, local services they need: online safety, benefits, housing, family support, and the justice system and the courts they might encounter. It is all about educating, empowering and enabling women who are fleeing abuse and trying to rebuild their lives.”

Jess Phillips praised the work done over the years by Soroptimists to support women. She spoke of their work on rape, the Special Domestic Abuse Courts and the monitoring of these courts, and more recent work on the Domestic Abuse Act. She welcomed the new booklet with enthusiasm as a new tool to support women surviving domestic abuse.

Copies of the booklet are available free to individuals and organisations working with survivors of domestic abuse. For a copy of the booklet, please contact sigbibournemouth@hotmail.co.uk.