Page 1 - BPW-UK - E-news - Edition 110 - March 2023_Neat

E-news

Edition 110– March 2023

Dear Members,

Well, we have made BPW UK history! Many of us took
part in the first ever hybrid BPW UK National Conference, ei-
ther in person or virtually. With 53 members and guests in
total, either in person or sign-ins it was a good cross section
of us all. Feedback so far is that we loved being together, and
that the filming went very well. We found nothing can make
up for the coffee together, discussing motions at the AGM or
indeed watching the schools compete for the National Inter-
Regional Public Speaking Competition, but we have been able
to stay connected.

The weekend began with PNP Sue Ashmore’s words ringing in my ears…. “I hope you
don’t get any disruption, like the Icelandic Volcanic ash cloud that disrupted the 2010 Bel-
fast Conference”. Well, it wasn’t ash, it was snow. The last blast of winter delayed our Eu-
ropean Co-Ordinator Anu Vicks flying in with three connections from Estonia. Judith Crowe
from France also had an overnight unexpected stop-over in London, but both arrived safe-
ly just 24 hours later than planned. But it was the VP for Advocacy Chris Nendick that truly
had the journey of all journeys. If you have seen the film “Planes, trains and automobiles”
with Steve Martin and John Candy, you will have an idea of Chris’s route to Belfast. But
she never gave up, and we were so very pleased to see her at the podium ready to debate
the motions.

I would like to thank TWN (www.twnonline.com) for the wonderfully generous loan of
the conference facilities, which enabled us to live stream the BPW UK AGM via Zoom. The
FEC will remain unchanged for this coming year, and it is a team that works very hard for
the membership. Thank you to each FEC member, all in the room in Belfast apart from
PNP Ann Wiseall who was the person taking the minutes back at home. We had the oppor-
tunity to celebrate some members who you will all be familiar with, PNP Stella Rule cele-
brates 60 years of membership. Stella is still very active and keeps us informed of the cor-
respondence she frequently has with her local Cornish MP. Judith Webb and Christine
Nendick both celebrate 50 years of membership this year, and they each received a certifi-
cate designed by YBPW UK member Otoha Hyashi-Hunt, and the 50-year brooch.
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