Wow – what an action packed Club evening we had on Zoom on Mon 12 October!
First up was Club Member Liz Tillett with “Fun and Games at the UN” Liz spoke about her experience negotiating at the United Nations (UN) in New York on behalf of the UK government.
Liz led a short quiz to get everyone’s brains in gear – click here to view Liz Tillett UNQuiz
Liz’s career led her to working at the UN – negotiating for the UK on UN disability policies. Liz was lucky enough to meet the incumbent US President Barack Obama in the Oval Office on her birthday (sadly we are not permitted to use that photo). Liz explained some of the complexity of our political system and why change is so difficult. She was rightly very proud of the disability group that ensured that disabilities are considered in all UN policies “nothing about us without us”.
Hertfordshire Ladies Cricket Team update – introduced by Helen Byrne with Team Manager Tom Ruxton and Team Captain Kezia Hassall.
Click here for the full news item… www.sigbi.org/st-albans-and-district/2020/cricket-20/
Last, but not least, our Member Ann Beatty, Chief Executive of the Steve Sinnott Foundation www.stevesinnottfoundation.org.uk told us about the Positive Periods Project – her presentation is available to view here SISTA Ann Beatty Steve Sinnott Foundation Positive Periods
Ann took on the role as Chief Executive of the Steve Sinnott Foundation after a life changing experience of living in Sierra Leone for 2 years. Steve Sinnott was General Secretary of the National Union of Teachers, a champion of “education for all everywhere” and when Steve died the Foundation was launched to achieve his vision as a legacy. International education was Steve’s passion. With quality education which is the UN’s Global Sustainable Development Goal number 4, then the Steve Sinnott Foundation believes all of the other 16 SDGS’ can be met. It is a small charity based in Watford and if you watch and read the Presentation and look at the website you can see some of the wonderful work it does. One example is the sanitary protection Positive Periods project in the Gambia and Cuba – teaching the girls via a “train the trainer” system to make their own washable sanitary wear, locally and in a sustainable way, so they don’t drop out of school when they menstruate (50 days/year of school are lost to girls without period products). Over 3 years 60,000 girls have been trained to be able to make their own washable pads using local materials. They have been asked to work in 10 other countries. They educate about women’s health so girls can learn about their bodies. The Positive Period project is sustainable, creating independence – adapted for each country so it is fit for purpose. They train people to make sanitary pads in their own country using their own materials.
Club Members gave their resounding support for the Positive Periods project and a donation will be made straight away with future fundraising to be planned by the Club’s People Team.