At the Soroptimist International, Cannock & District AGM in April President Carole Holdcroft handed over the chain of office to new President Val Jones.Val began her year by saying that she had a really hard act to follow and commended Carole on the excellent way she had led and enthused club members during the year. She said that as a relatively new Soroptimist [she has been a member of the club for almost 5 years] she stands in awe of the club’s more experienced members and will be looking to them to work with her and advise her during the coming year. She then presented out-going President Carole with her Past President’s badge and with a beautiful arrangement of yellow flowers.
Val recently retired from a full time career in the NHS having qualified as a nurse, midwife and health visitor and is now doing part time consultancy. Her appointments included being a Director of Nursing in a large Birmingham Primary Care Trust and then latterly as the Chief Nurse for Cannock and Stafford Clinical Commissioning Groups.
Val’s theme for the year is ‘Women in Power and Women as Victims’ and many of the speakers for the year have been chosen to reflect that theme. She has chosen two charities to benefit from fund-raising and awareness-raising during her year, although they will not be the only groups or charities to benefit. One is Pathway, the local project which supports women victims of domestic violence and which has been a continuing focus for the club for many, many years. Val is also including a new charity called “Action on Puerperal Psychosis” which focuses on women who, because of childbirth, become psychotic and temporarily insane; killing their child and often themselves. Val explained that she has had experience of this in her professional life and whilst it is not common it is far from being a rare event.
New President Val also has a motto for the year: “Never stop Learning”: you’re never too old about to learn about yourself and what you’re capable of, about the world around you and where you fit in it. The first meeting of President Val’s year will be a business meeting on May 9th.
Photos attached: out-going President Carole Holdcroft receiving flowers from new President Val Jones