President Jo’s Report:
The conference in October 2019 was once again a wonderful, inspirational experience for all those who attended.
THURSDAY EVENNG – OPENING CEREMONY
Usual opening ceremony with flags being carried in by girls from STEM project, Bournemouth schools. Followed by Rock Choir.
FRIDAY
Baroness Susan Greenfield – Insights from Neuroscience
What is the basis of each unique mind? How do brain connections develop.
Talked of using your brain. The Hippocampus is larger in London taxi drivers! Also in musicians, mathematicians, basketball players, jugglers, golfers, linguists. Repeated taking of exams makes changes to your brain. Experimented with rats and put some in an enriched environment. These produced more exclusive branches in their brain than the control group. BRAIN CELLS NEED TO WORK HARD TO INCREASE.
The biological basis of the brain is driven by unique experiences.
Johnny Depp – tattoos – fragile mental attitude.
Replace synchronicity with sequencing control. Use physical and mental practice. Cooking eating gardening must have sequencing. (do it in order).
Dorice Greenfield is her mother and has written a book of wartime memoirs.
Yes, there are brain differences between men and women.
The impact of just having ‘screen impact’ not interacting face to face. The world being driven by external stimulation is causing unprecedented mind changes. Is conscientiousness variable – displaying changing levels.
LOSING IT! ALZHEIMERS – DISEASE OF OLDER PEOPLE?
Her company is called Neuro-Bio
They are trying to demonstrate that ALZ is not a natural consequence of ageing.
Don’t have tattoos – have new ideas.
Rita Levi-Montalcini
An Italian Nobel laureate, honoured for her work in neurobiology. She was awarded the 1986 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine jointly with colleague Stanley Cohen for the discovery and characterisation of nerve growth factor. Nerve growth factor (NGF) promotes the growth and maintenance of the nervous system in a developing system. Susangreenfield.com
George Anderson – Inspire to Thrive
How to lead yourself, and those around you to better wellbeing.
Does everyone else come first? Air masks in the plane.
Display positive emotion. 3 grateful things
Engagement (job, activity, sport etc)
Immersion in activity
Relationships.
Actions should be purpose led and have significance.
Accomplishments – strive to achieve goals.
Physical wellbeing, Diet (important to reduce sugar intake), Activity, Sleep and Hydration.
Aim for progress, not perfection
KATY – FROM BOURNEMOUTH
Katy has struggled with anxiety and social phobias which started when she was very young and was made worse when she moved to secondary school. She is being supported by NHS mental health services and is learning coping mechanisms. Last year she went to rural Zambia and met a 14-year-old girl. She discovered that the lack of toilets at the homes of families can create anxiety and dignity issues for the girls. They are fearful of being discovered as they crouch in the bush to go to the toilet. They are also fearful of being attacked or bitten by snakes or social exclusion. They tend to ‘hold on to it’ all day and only go in the dark.
After lunch break, we had the General meeting.
Adoption of minutes of the 84th G M were read and adopted
Chairman’s report. Thanks to staff,
strategic plan to support 1,000,000
women and children by 2021 was underway with currently
50,000 being supported
Board structure to change
Suggestions of launching school clubs
Marketing plan written
Adoption of Annual report circulated in 2018-2019 adopted
Adoption of Accounts Reported that membership is down, investments too
These investments are to be reinvested.
Gift aid has realised £13,000 with £3721,229 in reserve. It is anticipated that we should break even by the end of this year.
Adoption of rules of conduct of the general meeting adopted
Resolutions. After much debate, talks and voting, the following resolutions were approved.
- re wording of res 1 approved
- articles in res 2 debated at length and the following
- received approval by the President with her right to cast a deciding vote that President will serve for one year only
- resolution 3 approved of the smaller Board of Directors
- res 4 reflects the new proposed structure for regions and National association in line with the flexible management system There will be the opportunity for a club to run without a President.
- Res 5 A revised SIGBI club constitution is adopted with immediate effect
- Res 6 membership fees will be subjected to an annual inflationary increase capped at no more than 4%
We then had the evening free to socialise.
SATURDAY
PENNY MALLORY
Direct descendent of George Mallory who lost his life on Everest in 1924.
Her mother suffered with severe mental health problems and eventually at the age of 14 Penny found it intolerable at home. She first sofa surfed with friends then ended up in London hostels for the homeless for nearly 2 years. She worked her way to becoming a sound engineer and a graphic artist. Against the odds, for being the wrong sex and too old she became the first woman in the world to compete in a World Rally Car.
She also worked as a precision stunt driver for two Renault Clio commercials. And she co-anchored Channel 4‘s motoring programme Driven and she also co-presented Channel 4’s World Rally Championship programme until it was taken over by ITV in 2004.
Twenty-five years ago she trained in social work and worked in a category B prison delivering a restorative justice course. The impact of this has been to reduce the re-offending rate from 76% down to 34%.
She always loved boxing and boxed against Monica Galetti (chef). She has completed 4 marathons ad a triathlon. She has climbed the north face of Mount Elbrus, Europe’s highest mountain and also summited Mount Kilimanjaro.
She has been married more than once and has two daughters.
Programme Action
DR LEYLA HUSSEIN – THE CRUEL CUT: BREAKING THE CYCLE
She is a psychotherapist specialising in supporting survivors of sexual abuse. Speaks on FGM and Gender rights.
Founder of the Dahlia project, specialist service for FGM survivors. Showed film of young men being shown actually what is involved in FGM. Used a large-scale plasticine model of female genitalia and used garden shears to show where the genitalia is removed and then sewn up. Very graphic.
CLOSING CEREMONY
Followed by ABBA’S ANGELS and they were fabulous!