President’s message

It is a real privilege to have been chosen to serve as President of Soroptimist International, Midlands East Region. I‘m looking forward to the forthcoming year very much.

When I was planning for my year as Region President, it seemed logical to try to incorporate two of the events which will shape 2012 both here in the UK and across the world: the Olympic Games and The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations.

When we think of the Olympic Games, the emblem of the five interconnected Olympic rings immediately comes to mind and it struck me that, as our region is made up of clubs located in five counties, perhaps the rings could represent for us the strength we draw from our shared aims and friendship.

The words I’ve chosen to place inside the rings – Challenge, Change, Commit, Communicate and Celebrate – will, I hope become a useful model and tool for planning, evaluation and reflection during the year and beyond, so that our organisation can develop and grow stronger as a result.

I was very pleased that Soroptimist International chose Education and Leadership for the new Long Term Project as my whole life has been about education and when I was considering how we, as a region, could contribute to this, the link between the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and our own Diamond Jubilee Education Trust became obvious. It would be a tremendous achievement this year if we could help even more young women to fulfil their potential through education.

My overall theme for the year is “Be inspired; be inspiring!”  We began the year by inviting International Programme Director, Hilary Ratcliffe to speak at my first meeting and I am sure that all who heard her outline her vision for our organisation and its work will have found much that was inspirational; it was a pleasure to have her with us for the day and I know she found much of what she heard from you inspiring too. I have invited two other speakers to join us; Julia Hodson, Chief Constable for Notts. who will speak at the March Council Meeting, and James Pinder, an optician from Mansfield , who will talk about his work with Visionaid.

In friendship and with warmest good wishes,

Sue Challis