Graphine Structure At the Zoom Business Meeting in March the club had a fantastic talk from a remarkable 14 year old Ava Garside granddaughter of one of our members. Ava gave a very impressive talk about the development of a pin badge that she devised and had developed with the help of nano-scientists at Graphene@Manchester in Manchester University. The badge  could be worn to identify exposure to air pollution e.g. by pupils on their way to school to choose the least polluted route. She has been interviewed about her idea on national TV and radio. She hopes that eventually her design will be available commercially. Ava is a remarkable young woman she loves music, playing the violin  and in addition to her schoolwork is undertaking and accelerated flexible programme on entrepreneurship with MIT.

Members of SI Wigan virtually attended the International Women's Day Live debate on March 12th. This year's theme was #ChoosetoChallenge. Where there was discussion on gender stereotypes within the workplace and looking at how we can best tackle the barriers that many women and girls still face.

Blue plaque for SI Wigan's founding member SI Wigan have successfully applied for a blue plaque to commemorate our founding member and 1st President in 1941. ( Yes we are 80 years old this year). Dr Muriel Haigh was the first women GP in Wigan and the unveiling of her plaque will for the centrepiece of our 80th celebrations in May 2021, and coincidentally the 100th anniversary of SIGBI. Wigan Council will celebrate with us in partnership. The Plaque will be installed on her house where her son still lives .SI Wigan have worked with a local historian to produce a booklet about her life.

Zoom Coffee Morning SI Wigan members fun quiz and coffee morning SI Wigan members are embracing lockdown with online Executive , Business and fun meetings with coffee mornings and a virtual  quiz on line. The Zoom meetings are proving very popular and several new members have been able to join the club and take part  even though we  cannot meet in person

Miss Katherine Mary Fussell Kate was born in Bristol on 13th April 1929, as an only child. She atended several schools, finally a Grammer School for boys, because"the science teaching was better" and she wanted to study Medicine. This she did at Birmingham University , graduation in 1951. She trained in surgery gaining her FRCS in 1957. She worked for five years in various New York hospitals and later at Elizabeth Garrett Anderson , London. In 1970 Kate was appointed consultant surgeon in Wigan, one of only Six women surgeons iun the country. She was a general surgeon but also a pioneer in research and treatment of Breast Cancer, including reconstructive surgery, saving many lives. She led Wigan Soroptimists campaign to obtain the Health Authority's first Mammography Unit. Whilst working in Wigan she chaired Medical Executive and Area Medical Executive Committees and became Chief Executive