Kate Belinis DL is honoured for her term as president at the SIGBI Conference

At the annual SIGBI (Soroptimist International Great Britain and Ireland) Conference in Edinburgh, Kate received her insignia for her term of office as President of the London Chilterns Region.  It was presented to her by SIGBI’s President Ruth Healy. The London Chilterns Region consists of local clubs from Milton Keynes, Oxford, Newbury, Aylesbury, Slough/Windsor/Maidenhead, Thames Valley, High Wycombe, Greater London, Bedford, St Albans and Hertford.

SIGBI has over 5,000 Members in 250 Clubs in 18 countries, including Great Britain, Ireland, countries in Asia, and the Caribbean, who work at a local, national, and international level to educate, empower, and enable women and girls. Soroptimist International is the only women’s consultancy recognised by the UN for work in gender equality, sustainability, and ending violence against women, to name a few categories.

The name Soroptimist was coined from the Latin soror meaning sister, and optima meaning best. Soroptimist is perhaps best interpreted as ‘the best for women’. From the founding of the first Soroptimist club in Oakland, California, in 1921, to the present day where clubs are flourishing worldwide, Soroptimists have continued to strive to achieve ‘the best for women’ in every sphere of their lives. Transforming lives: Educate, Enable and Empower.