Our Club Meeting was very moving on Monday 12 September when we paid tribute to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II following her sad passing the previous Thursday. Our Member Ann Beatty, Chief Executive of the Steve Sinnott Foundation, talked to us as planned, about her work, after we had shared our memories of the Queen together. This photo of the Queen was sent out to Members of Soroptimist International Great Britain and Ireland with a message of condolence. Barbara kindly printed and mounted the photo – so it felt as if the Queen was with us for the evening.
The first part of the evening was spent in reflection and remembrance of the Queen led by Denise after a 1 minute silence. Some Members spoke of their personal encounters with the Queen.
Barbara had met the Queen as part of the 75th anniversary conference of the W.I. The Queen, as a member of Sandringham W.I., had been invited to open it. Barbara spoke to the Queen about the international work she had been involved with and showed HM models of a Maldivian boat and a drilling rig from Lesotho, both countries in the Commonwealth that the Queen had visited so she and Barbara were able to engage in conversation. As this finished Barbara just turned and walked away much to the dismay of her colleagues as the Queen always takes precedence. Barbara described her as a ‘consummate professional’.
Janet A-C remembered walking up the Mall on the day of the Silver Jubilee in 1977 with some Ranger pals. They stood on the fountain and could see the Queen in Pink. She followed the same route on the Sunday just gone, thus bringing back memories.
Joan has followed the example of the Queen and had corgis for over 50 years! She has waved a corgi paw at the Queen and has even stood in for the Queen at a rehearsal for a Royal visit.
Diana remembered fondly and proudly standing next to a cardboard cut-out of the Queen at a Platinum Jubilee event.
Denise recalled attending a Garden Party at Buckingham Palace 5 years ago. The Queen was elderly but had so much stamina. Although she stopped and talked to people for over an hour, unfortunately the Queen did not stop and talk to Denise. Denise noted that the Queen was able to put people at their ease and although small in stature her impact is enormous.
People then chatted about the Queen’s passing and how it had affected them and what they had picked up from the News Coverage. Preet suggested that we put a lily on our windows on the day of the funeral. She will send us the stencil so we can cut out, and colour in the flower.
This session of the meeting was concluded by Denise sending our Best Wishes to King Charles III.
Ann Beatty – Steve Sinnott Foundation www.stevesinnottfoundation.org.uk One of our Members, 
Ann Beatty gave us a short talk on a day in the life of a CEO of her small charity, The Steve Sinnott Foundation. She is normally up at 6.00 am ready for an 8.00 am start. She would take calls from for example West Africa. CEO sounds very grand. In a small charity like hers with only a few employees and helpers you have to turn your hand to many things. This morning she had had calls with Gambia and Sierra Leone but had found an odd hour free where she was able to read up about a meeting scheduled for the next day. Unfortunately her car got blocked in before leaving to come to our meeting causing her to worry that she might be late!
Ann told us more about the Steve Sinnott Positive Periods project www.stevesinnottfoundation.org.uk/projects and how grateful she is for Soroptimist support. As well as St Albans, she is being supported by Clubs from Yorkshire and Hampshire. The charity is based in Watford. It is not an easy to get funding. So far they have helped over 200,000 women make reusable period pads. The women teach other women how to do this and it is spreading fast. This enables women and girls to participate in work and school full time and not with a monthly break. The projects are set up to be sustainable. In Haiti they are going from strength to strength and branching out with their sewing machines to make and sell other products.
When asked what time Ann switched off, she reminded us that the staff working on projects in the Americas are running late into our evenings but she is now making herself switch off earlier ( about 8.00 pm). But it is important to keep in touch. She confirmed that the teachers are all locally employed. Women from Gambia are teaching women from Gambia and now Sierra Leone and it keeps growing.
Sarah asked whether The Steve Sinnott Foundation had sponsors. Ann stated that they have a main funder for all projects and costs for the next five years, the National Education Union. They also have individual fundraisers and get a small amount of income from Life-Long Learning webinars and bequests. Their turnover is £200,000 per annum.
Louise asked how many people work for the charity in the UK. Ann said that there were three employees (including herself) 13 ambassadors who may or may not get some remuneration and volunteers. Each country has employees and volunteers too. Funding comes from the SSF in the UK. Ann commented that they were competing with charities and others who send western-style period pads which create dependency and enormous problems with their disposal for the environment. There is beginning to be a market in the UK for re-usable pads.
Ann spoke about how she had become the CEO of the Steve Sinnott foundation, having worked as a volunteer in Sierra Leone for two years and eventually getting the job with the Foundation after a number of unsatisfactory jobs in the UK.
Barbara asked why she had been working in Sierra Leone. Ann confirmed that she and her then partner had been looking for work in Africa and Ann found a role in Sierra Leone who needed her business skills. Sierra Leone has a lot of problems politically, economically and is campaigning for girls’ education. Ann is going to Sierra Leone in November.
News of Members: Brenda Hillier, a former Member and President of the Club who had moved to the US, sadly passed away recently. Jean has sent a card to Brenda’s family and is collating the many messages of sympathy that have been sent via the Club. Brenda was an inspirational woman – a true Soroptimist. Brenda is pictured here (centre) when she last visited the Club in 2014 (Jean Eaton is on her left and Hilary Ratcliffe OBE is in her right) and joined in with Hilary Ratcliffe celebrating her OBE with Club Members.
Club Business – we had some Ballots to vote on and our Treasurer was able to update us on the Club’s finances (which are healthy).
Club News and Events – we caught up on Club News after the summer break and ran through the busy programme ahead of us from now until December! Click here and make sure the dates are in your diary so you don’t miss anything https://sigbi.org/st-albans-and-district/club-programme/