Awesome Women!

Yesterday I was honoured to be invited to the Women of the Year Lunch at London’s Intercontinental Hotel on Park Lane. It is always a prestigious affair with an array of women who have achieved all kinds of success in any manner of fields of life. Of course you have your celebs such as Esther Rantzen, Maureen Lipman and Katherine Jenkins as well as household radio names such as Sarah Kennedy and Sue MacGregor, but it is the non-famous special women who you find yourself talking to that make the event even more special.

On my table I found myself sitting next to one of the original WI Calendar Girls from Yorkshire. Since that original calendar was launched, over £2m has been raised for Leukaemia Research. Next to her was a woman who took over the Woolworths store she had worked in for 18 years after it closed down in January and is now making a success of Wellworths, in partnership with the landlord. On my left was the General Manager of Sadlers Wells and next to her, a lawyer and barrister who has helped launch a charity called Family Law Services. They advise on divorce in a practical way. The charity explains the facts of life about divorce and many families go away and sort out their differences rather than proceed towards that terminal split.

The lunch was a celebration of women who made a difference. Awards were given to Hilary Henriques for Outstanding Achievement for, 19 years ago, co-founding a charity called Nacoa to provide support for young and adult children of alcohol-dependant parents. The Window of the World Award was given to Jane Walker who founded the Phillipine Community Fund. Jane has managed to build a school for 1000 pupils to teach them up to college level. The Women of the Year Award was given to 23 year old Emily Cummins – an inventor. Emily has invented a solar-powered refrigerator suitable for use in the third world. Emily has taught the villagers in Africa how to build it and has given them the design free of charge. Such achievements were humbling for everyone present.

The Lifetime Achievement Award was given to Dame Vera Lynn. At 92 she is as bright as a button and gave an incredibly moving speech and made us all feel encouraged that perhaps we had hope of many more years in our own lives than we thought possible, and still be 100% mentally and physically fit.

This is the last year that Joan Armatrading will be President of the Lunch, and Sandi Toksvig is standing down as compere for the event. Both have served the Charity brilliantly for the last five years. The charity owe a great debt to these wonderful women who, with their fellow committee members, do a brilliant job. Well done to them and to all the wonderful women who attended yesterday. Keep up the good work!