President’s message

It is a privilege to be starting this year as president of SI Stratford-upon-Avon and District, and to be working with such an energetic, committed and supportive group of women from a wide variety of backgrounds in business, the professions and the voluntary sector.

We have plans for a year packed with activities. We shall be fund-raising for Sreepur Village in Bangladesh, a charity which offers refuge and training to destitute women, and education for their children, and we shall be supporting Chernobyl 2000, a locally-based charity devoted to helping children growing up in the area blighted by the nuclear disaster 25years ago. We also give ongoing support to The Shakespeare Hospice in a variety of ways as well as helping other local charities.

Our aim always is to raise money through activities which we enjoy, so this year our fund-raising events will include guided walks, a summer garden party with music from members of The Orchestra of the Swan, a quiz and a ‘safari’ Christmas lunch. We shall be meeting for purely social events, too, for lunches and teas, a garden tour, a theatre visit, a trip to the races and much more.

We are delighted to welcome new members. E-mail us at sisoa@live.co.uk if you would like to come along to a meeting and find out more.

Penny Freedman