Page 1 - BPW-UK - E-news - Edition 121 - May 2024

E-news

Edition 120 – May 2024

Dear Members,

This month the new FEC have been getting to know each other better through our first meeting
in April and the WhatsApp group chat we share. Relationships are so very important, and this is the
foundation stone of BPW. It was through these relationships that I found myself in America for the
very first-time last month. Monique Lee had sent me an open invitation to her beautiful home, and I
was fortunate to go and spend some time with her, and her family.

Monique’s son, Dr Pascal Lee, whom some of you may remember from a BPW UK Wednesday
webinar about his Mars work for NASA, was kind enough to take me to see the
Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. It was breathtaking to see the bridge,
after all the times I had seen it in the films! I was interested to hear about
the developments in his role since that last webinar for us, and I hope to in-
vite Dr Lee back to talk to us again after his next trip to the Artic later this
year. I met Apollo his dog, who will accompany the group to the Artic and who
has the role of keeping the camp safe from Polar bears. If you are a fan of In-
stagram then please do follow Apollo, who has his own page
@apollo_spacedog .

The National Federation BPW USA California North District was
holding a regional meeting whilst I was staying with Monique, and they
asked me to talk to them about the BPW UK project a “Van for Cher-
nihiv”. This was a wonderful opportunity to talk to BPW colleagues
about the BPW projects that BPW UK has registered, and it was at a
pertinent time with the US House of Representatives discussing the fu-
ture aid packages to Ukraine. The Chernihiv project is continuing to de-
liver humanitarian aid to the areas around the city, despite a rocket
th
attack on 17 April, 2024 hitting a residential building. Fortunately,
those members of BPW Chernihiv whom many of you have met on the
webinars were safe, if very shaken. Please do continue to tell friends
and colleagues about this project, and the donation link is still open:
(https://bpwpayment.aplusready.com/bpw-help-for-ukraine-refugees)
These further donations will be used to keep buying the humanitarian aid that can be delivered in the
van, by BPW Chernihiv members.

The Duchess of Edinburgh has become the first member of
th
the Royal family to visit Ukraine on 30 April 2024 and was hosted
in Kiev by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his wife
The First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelensky. The Duchess talked to
survivors of sexual violence and torture, at the UK Ambassador’s
residence in Kiev, saying “Women and girls pay the highest
price in terms of human costs. Rape is used to demean, to
degrade and to destroy.” Her Royal Highness paid tribute to
those who lost lives in Bucha during the Russian occupation and
heard about the children that had been removed by force to Russia
and separated from families. I will be writing to The Duchess of
Edinburgh this week to explain about our BPW UK Twinning with
BPW Chernihiv and the humanitarian project that we are continu
Duchess Sophie in Ukraine ing to support.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-68922333 …/...