IWF UK 2020 Annual Festive Season Breakfast

The delivery of an amazing Fortnum & Mason hamper heralded the seasonal holiday tone.

The 54 participants responded to a fun poll reviewing a strange 2020!

• Where do we live? 75% in London. • Go-to strategies for well-being and mental health? A lot of walkers, exercise and connecting virtually with friends, family and colleagues.
• Challenging aspects of 2020? Generally, a tough year in terms of motivation and building connections.
• New interests? Yes, many!
• New life decisions? A good time to pause and reflect.

We had a wonderful music performance, thanks to Kimberly Connors, intermingled with rich and uplifting discussions.

Our Chair Shirley Cooper OBE welcomed new members and board members, gave a big cheer to long-standing members and extended warm thanks to outgoing board members; Julie Goldstein, Alison Maitland, Marty Rolle and Anne Minto OBE.

Our Vice Chair Sylvana Caloni reviewed the year and highlighted how IWF UK rose to the challenges of Covid-19.

Representatives from all Committees and Special Interest Groups shared their insights and resources. And they invited members to participate more actively by joining them.

Members felt immensely proud of IWF UK’s 2020 achievements as they heard about the behind-the-scenes efforts that contribute to the breadth and depth of our activities. The leadership team championed a vibrant, exciting, and purposeful evolution for IWF into 2021 and encouraged more diverse, inclusive, and impactful membership.

The event concluded with a prize draw of amazing gifts.

As Lynne Berry CBE said “IWF is a place where extraordinary things are produced by bringing the most unlikely people together.”

And the chat was full of praise for the “magical”, “inspiring”, “inspirational”, “brilliant”, “vital”, “refreshing and energising” event - a “showcase of the best of IWF”.

Lina Takla

Click here to see a short video on what some members have liked the most this year.