Page 26 - BPW-UK ANNUAL REVIEW 2022-2023

Our year started with our Regional AGM on Saturday 12 February via Zoom.
We had an excellent turnout for the AGM with eight out of eleven members present. The re-
gional team reported back on activities during the year. We continue to have representation
on Women’s Forum NI and NIWEP (Northern Ireland Women’s European Platform) and our
Travelling Scholarship and Martha McMenamin Memorial Scholarship.

Under normal circumstances we would have had our usual Public Speaking Final that after-
noon, but we did run one heat in November 2021 which was also our regional final. Public
Speaking events in other UK regions were unable to take place which unfortunately meant
that the BPW UK Inter-Regional Championship didn’t happen in March 2022.

Events for the year slowly got back to normal with many returning to face-to-face meetings.
Our newly formed BPW Northern Ireland Club continued to meet during the year via Zoom. A
great opportunity to hear what BPW was planning and to have a general chat.

Our International Lunch was due to take place on 17 September but had to be cancelled/
postponed due to the death of Queen Elizabeth II. Sixteen ladies from BPW and other wom-
en’s organizations were to join us on the day and we intend to invite them to join the BPW
National Conference when we meet in Belfast in March 2022.
The BPW UK Public Speaking Task Force first met in May 2022 with Jeanette Thornton, Jacqui
McLoughlin and I as members. This was a very useful forum to agree the way forward for Pub-
lic Speaking and review guidelines etc.

Our Regional Team met in mid-July to plan Public Speaking heats and final for 2022/2023. We
ran two heats in November and have six teams competing at our Regional Final in February
2023. The winners and runners up will compete in March 2023 at the BPW UK Inter-Regional
Public Speaking Championship. We are delighted to get this up and running again.
Our Travelling Scholarship restarted again after the pandemic. Denise Kehoe, a PGCE student
in Art and Design, awarded the scholarship.
The Martha McMenamin Memorial Scholarship was also awarded again this year.

We also continued to have representation on Women’s Forum NI and the Women’s Platform.
In the autumn we sent a proposal to the FEC to host the BPW National AGM and Conference in
Belfast during 2023 and were delighted they agreed. We look forward to welcoming you to
Belfast on 10/11 March.
Several of our members were able to join a range of Zoom meeting arranged by BPW UK
which were found to be informative and useful.
We were delighted that Jacqui McLoughlin and Ruth Galwey continued to be joint National
Vice President International and that a number of members agreed to join various Working
Groups.
I would like to thank the regional team for their continued support and contribution and to
our members a big thank you for your understanding and support during the year. ▪

Heather Louden
President BPW Northern Ireland

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