Page 9 - BPW-UK -E-news - Edition 107 - November 2022 - BINDED

The June O’ Dell Award for Training

June O’ Dell OBE was the National President of BPW UK from 1993 – 1995.

June held numerous public offices, most notably, Deputy Chair of the Equal Oppor-
tunities Commission, an independent non-departmental public body, which tackled
sex discrimination and promoted gender equality. Others included the UK repre-
sentative European Advisory Committee for Equal Treatment of Women and Men
and as a Fellow, Council Member and Chair of the Membership Committee of the
Royal Society of Arts.

The BPW UK Award for Training in her name was established in 1990 to sustain the
work June did and the events she organised to provide training and education for
women. The Award is to enable a member of the Federation to undertake a
course of training which will improve her employment potential or enhance her
career prospects. Any member wishing to retrain or update her skills, to either
return to the workforce and/or gain necessary qualifications for advancement or
promotion is eligible.

The first award when it commenced in January 1991 was £300 but later was
increased to £500.

Those who have received the Award are:
1991 Margaret Embry, a self-employed book-keeper and qualified tourist guide,
embarking on a new career to work with mentally /physically handicapped chil-
dren.

1992 Deborah Joan Hopkin, a qualified doctor used her award towards her four-
year course to gain the qualifications of Licentiate of College of Homeopathy (LCH)
and Membership of the College of Homeopathy (MCH)
1993 Joy Mann. Having given up her studies in Law to care for a dyslexic daugh-
ter and elderly parents she gradually returned to the job market with experience
as legal firm administrator and teacher and translator in German, French and con-
versational Hebrew. The award gave her the chance of a place on an accelerated
LL.B degree at Hertfordshire University.

1994 Yu Cheng Wren initially took a degree in Physics and trained to be an actu-
ary but took a career break and was later made redundant. Her Award allowed her
to take another actuarial course to increase her statistical knowledge and her job
opportunities.

1995 Karen Radford, a qualified self -employed architect undertook a three year
part-time post graduate course on Architectural Conservation at Bristol University
to gain formal qualifications in working on and restoring historic buildings.

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