Soroptimist International of Barbados was founded on Tuesday, November 27, 1962 with 19 members and 5 club officers. Meetings were held at Hotel Royal in Hastings, now the Regency Cove. The first President of the club was Ivy Randall, former headmistress of Queen’s College.

Venerated social worker Thelma Vaughn was one of the founding club members of SI Barbados, serving as 2nd Vice-President on the first executive in 1962-63. The Thelma Vaughn Memorial Home in St George is named in her honour.

The eighth president of the club was social worker Hildegarde Weekes, BSS, JP. She was the first woman to head Barbados’ Probation Department which holds an annual lecture in her honour. The pioneering Weekes conceptualised the club’s flagship project, the Soroptimist Village.

SI Barbados has also been at the vanguard of lobbying for legislative change in relation to women and girls in Barbados, rallied Barbados into awareness on the important issue of human trafficking and has sponsored grassroot awards for women who are quietly transforming their societies for the better.