Soroptimist International Wales South Region

Welcome from Hilary Allman - Regional President

Creoso! Welcome to Wales South

Well, what a wonderful start I had to my year in office! Receiving the Chain of Office in Barbados was a memory I will always cherish, made even more special as it was presented to me by Federation President Carwen, a member of Wales South.

Conferences are always a humbling, yet uplifting experience and Barbados also gave us a rare opportunity to meet up with friends from all over the world over a longer period than the usual two or three days. It was lovely to be able to talk to so many members from Wales South, often whilst sunning ourselves on the beach, and I believe the experience has cemented many friendships. Fun, friendship and fellowship - we had it all.

My theme for the year is 'Breaking the Chains and Forging the Links'. This originated from discussions on the subject of domestic violence, where women are often 'chained' to their lifestyles, but can also be interpreted as breaking some of the 'chains' that make us reluctant to change and move forward. Forging the links is about meeting others, and developing new relationships; attracting new members into the organisation; inviting non Soroptimists to more of our functions and generally spreading the message. We MUST recruit and retain new ladies to ensure that the organisation continues to thrive and it is up to each and every one of us to take responsibility for this.

Finally, I must urge all Soroptimists to attend some of the regional meetings and even more importantly to attend conference. This helps puts Soroptimism into context and makes you realise the enormity of the organisation and the phenomenal work undertaken worldwide. Next year the conference will be held in Cardiff and I look forward to members from all over Wales South waving their yellow daffodils and supporting Federation President Carwen.

Yours in Friendship

Hilary Allman

A profile of Hilary appears on our Officers page