08/02/2025
Message from Founder / Chairperson.
Dear Members,
With heavy hearts, we regret to announce that BOLO closed on January 6, 2025, as accepted and confirmed by the Charity Commission.
We are deeply grateful for the support of our loyal members and the community
that has supported us for the last 30 years (from 1995 to 2025).
We, the Executive Committee, share the difficult decision behind this closure.
Even during COVID, up to 2023, we had great support from our members and managed to fulfil our community engagement in all areas, including education, health, social, and cultural activities. With kind donations and member subscriptions, we raised funds for overseas students and skilled workers in different fields. Unfortunately, in the last few years, we have been struggling to maintain our objectives of empowering women here and in Bangladesh. The main reason for this has been a lack of volunteers.
We used to have 13-14 members on th executive committee, but this number dwindled to only four.
Due to difficulties running the organisation with such few members, I, the chairperson, resigned on November 15, 2024. As a result, the organisation could not continue to exist according to Charity Commission regulations. We successfully followed the steps to close the organisation, including submitting annual tax returns, Charity Commission annual returns, and the application for closure.
We are happy and proud to have accomplished our mission of empowering
women over these 30 years. We have helped four students to become doctors, one to become an engineer, about 10 to complete nursing degrees, and about six more to pursue nursing studies. Around 20 others are currently studying in schools and colleges.
We have provided four people with sewing machines, allowing them to earn money independently. One has successfully learned beautician skills. We also developed a sewing project that trains four women every three months, enabling them to earn money for their families. I would personally like to continue this project.
We have also extended a helping hand during disasters such as the Tsunami appeal and several floods in Bangladesh, where we distributed water pumps and sanitation supplies. We also took part in helping acid burn victims with a British team.
As a team, we learned many things, such as maintaining rules and regulations, teamwork, and respecting each other.
I would like to request that you continue your support to empower women in whichever way you choose and continue our journey.
Best wishes,
Dr. Zarina Sircar
Chairperson (Founder of the Organization)
February 7, 2025