Friday Workshops

Lynne’s company, Funny Women, coaches and motivates women and men in their professional and private lives with techniques used in the world of comedy. She originally trained as a journalist and spent the early years of her career writing for consumer and trade publications about fashion and beauty topics. She then moved into public relations and marketing along with spells presenting programmes on cable television. Lynne developed her own PR consultancy and her clients included major retailers, fashion and cosmetic brands plus the Prince’s Trust. “Funny Women grew out of the need to satisfy clients creatively,” she explains. “Having had many great ideas, I decided that Funny Women was one that I had to keep for myself. I’m now the proud owner of one of the UK’s leading comedy brands.” The first Funny Women event took place nearly ten years ago and Lynne has since produced six Funny Women Awards, six major charity events, five successful runs of Funny Women at the Edinburgh Fringe, and toured Britain. Funny Women has also raised more than £90,000 for charity under the banner ‘laughing about life to help and heal women.’ Lynne is married with two teenage children and lives in West London. She is a member of the Certified Institute of Public Relations and was the president of Women in PR 2001-2003. Lynne has posted an item about the conference on her website see: www.funnywomen.com/magazine.php?a=261 (http://funnywomen NULL.com/magazine NULL.php?a=261) or www.funnywomen.com (http://www NULL.funnywomen NULL.com/)

Nicola Grinstead – “Together we Can” Panel Discussion – Workshop 2

Nicola is a Trustee of Girlguiding UK where she has spoken extensively about self image among teenage girls. In a survey commissioned by The Girl Guides to mark their centenary, it was discovered that 46 per cent of girls aged between 11 and 16 would consider plastic surgery or laser treatment to improve their looks. Even more young women from 16 to 21 agreed and, among girls who were struggling at school, only 19 per cent said they would never consider cosmetic surgery. This prompted Nicola to highlight the importance of the link between education and self-worth. “Girls are telling us that they’re finding it quite tough to accept their appearance and it is starting at a much earlier age than previously thought.” Nicola has spent much of her working career in health and care services and is currently associate director of clinical services at Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital. Combining these two roles, Nicola has addressed a UN conference in New York about how Girl Guides and Girl Scouts around the World were engaged in tackling HIV and AIDS.

Averil Macdonald – “Together we Can” Panel Discussion – Workshop 2

Professor Macdonald is a scientist distinguished for popularising physics and for encouraging girls into careers in science. In 2007 she was awarded the accolade of Woman of Outstanding Achievement in Science in recognition of her work in science communication and more recently was invited to become a Fellow of the Royal Society. Averil started her career teaching physics in secondary schools. She has co-authored more than 20 text books and produced a wide range of teaching resources. In 2002-3, she toured the UK giving the Institute of Physics Schools and Colleges Lecture and has since given this lecture to more than 75,000 people. She has also made numerous television and radio appearances and has pioneered her Science Outreach projects including “Science with Coffee and Hobnobs” aimed at communicating science to Mums. In 1999, Averil became the youngest ever recipient of the international Bragg Medal and Prize from the Institute of Physics for her contribution to popularising physics and one of only four women to be honoured in its 40 year history. Professor Macdonald has been invited to join the Expert Group for Women in Science reporting to the Government’s Business, Innovation and Skills department. She believes it is essential that women have the full opportunity to demonstrate their skills and looks forward to the time when many more women reach the highest levels in all areas of science. She currently holds the Chair in Science Communication at Reading University and is the mother of two teenage daughters.

Margaret Oldroyd – “Developing the Clubs of the Future” – Workshop 3

Margaret is SIGBI’s Director of Organisational Development (formerly Extension) and she has been a Soroptimist for 25 years. Currently a member of SI Nottingham, she has been the President of her club and region and more recently the Federation Councillor for Midlands East. Margaret has also been Secretary of UKPAC. She says, “I believe that women are attracted to our vision, mission and objectives but that we need to review the ways in which we work if we are to retain and gain members.” She is a magistrate, and her hobbies include travel, cricket and the theatre.

The workshop will give the opportunity to hear from one club which is re-launching itself successfully and hear the story of the first ten years of another club. Denise Staplehurst and Margaret hope this workshop “Developing Clubs of the Future” will enable those attending to discuss the issues which are illustrated by these case studies and to share good practice which can be taken back to members’ areas and clubs.

Denise says: “I am now the Federation Director of Membership. Many of you may remember me as the APD for the Environment when I was the cover girl on Soroptimist News, having canoed across Scotland from Fort William to Inverness, 60 miles including paddling Loch Ness and raised £10,000 for Water Aid, when I was Regional President of SE England setting the region the challenge to ‘Do Something Amazing’. I have been a Soroptimist for 16 years and I am a member of the Eastbourne and District Club. I held many offices at club level including president and I then went onto region as the Programme Action officer serving on UKPAC. From here I became Regional President and the Regional Membership Officer. Then having served as the APD for 5 years I became the Federation Councillor and last October I was elected as your Director of Membership. I am still passionate about Programme but feel without members we cannot achieve. So we need to work together, so do something amazing and make membership make a difference to the lives of women and girls so we can move our organisation into the 21st century with members that take us forward and inspire others”.

Naomi Kent – “Get your voice heard” – Workshop 4

Naomi has been working for the Houses of Parliament since August 2009, setting up and running the new Parliamentary Outreach service in the South West of England. The Parliamentary Outreach Service encourages greater engagement between the public and the Houses of Parliament, and her role involves building partnerships and relationships across the region, delivering free, tailored training workshops about Parliament. “We give people the knowledge and confidence to get involved with the work of Parliament,” she explains. Before that she worked for Creative & Cultural Skills, engaging with employers in the cultural sector to ensure that qualifications meet industry needs, and also managing a new Creative Apprenticeships programme which aims to open up the creative industries to a diverse range of people. Naomi worked for the Mayor of London as a Public Liaison Officer, supplying information to the public about the work of the Mayor. Prior to that she spent a year in Zambia, teaching HIV/AIDs awareness and life skills such as confidence and empowerment.

Jane Slatter – “Promoting the Soroptimist brand” – Workshop 5

Jane Slatter, MBA, SIGBI Director of Communications, is a Communications specialist and general business management consultant with in excess of 25 years’ management experience in complex business environments. Jane worked for Reuters the news agency for 14 years. She has a special interest in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and combines pragmatism with analytical, organisational and communications skills to lead to the best solutions delivered in the most effective way.  

Reilly Dempsey – “Social Networking” – Workshop 7

As Programme Director for Soroptimist International based in Cambridge, Reilly is a human rights lawyer and leads on advocacy and programme-related work. She specialises in economic, social and cultural rights for women under international law and has worked with adolescent girls and women in South Africa, the United States, Central and Eastern Europe, Latin America and in the UK. Reilly worked on the first ever international human rights litigation on maternal mortality and has co-authored a number of publications on women’s health and reproductive rights. She was at the World Health Organisation in Geneva on a Human Rights Research Fellowship and worked at the Centre for the Study of AIDS in South Africa where part of her job involved raising awareness and changing behaviour through community theatre productions. Before joining SI, she worked with government and community-based organisations in the UK to improve access to services for homeless women, immigrant women and teenagers. She was also an advisor to the Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Strategy Group, a coalition of UK-based organisations working to increase political and financial support.

Presents… LADY IN RED
It is Christmas Eve and ‘Rose,’ a woman in a red dress, awakes to find that she has no memory of who or where she is. As she gradually weaves the threads of memory together, a dark and violent picture begins to emerge…. Compelled to leave for fear of her life Rose begins to pack…but it’s dark outside and the house is full of strange noises. Will she escape, before her attacker returns? …Or is he still in the house?

LADY IN RED – combines superb dialogue, a compelling plot, inspired performance and evocative colours to create an unforgettable experience -a journey through one woman’s attempts to leave an abusive relationship.

Shortlisted for the Amnesty International Freedom of Expression Award, LADY IN RED provides an excellent means of focussing on the complex issues surrounding domestic abuse. Power and control, physical, emotional and psychological abuse, fear of the unknown and “Why doesn’t she leave?” are just some of the issues raised in this contemporary look at domestic violence.

The play lasts for 45minutes and is accompanied by an after-show discussion with the writers, actors and director.