23 Jun 2025
Almost 50 women from Soroptimist women’s groups across the London Chilterns Region gathered in Redbourn Parish Centre for their summer conference, hosted by the St Albans and District Soroptimist Club.
Regional President Kate Belinis’ theme for 2024/25 is ‘Impactful Women’ and the event also marked World Environment Day with the 2025 theme of #Beatplasticpollution.
There were three impactful women speakers on the day, first up was Gill Arukpe MBE.
Gill entitled her talk “Leading With Purpose”, which she has done throughout her life in spades! Her life’s journey is motivational and fascinating, from a difficult start at home and in education to making a difference to the lives of thousands of people, particularly women. She is driven by empowering others and seeing them succeed.
The second speaker was Associate Professor Susan Parham MRTPI, FRSA. The title of her talk was ‘Making Space for Food in Everyday Places’ and Susan engaged everyone with her vision for food, placemaking and sustainability.
The third impactful woman is a member of the St Albans Club, Ayushi Kundu, who is also Soroptimist International Great Britain and Ireland assistant programme director for partnerships.
Her talk was entitled ‘Carrying the Torch and Shaping the Future’ As a second-generation Soroptimist from Calcutta, she has a vision together with other young female Soroptimists members of shaping a bright future for the organisation.
Representatives from four Soroptimist Clubs each presented an impactful woman, connected to their club in some way, with St Albans nominating the inimitable and impactful Annie Brewster, immediate past High Sheriff of Hertfordshire.
The packed day ended with Helen Byrne, the event’s leading organiser bringing everyone back to the World Environment Day Theme: #Beatplasticpollution and the Plastic Free July Challenge by showing a couple of great videos and asking what everyone was going to pledge to do.
Communications officer Jane Slatter said: “It was an ‘impact’ packed summer conference with lots for everyone to take away and think about, share and take action on – as in the Soroptimist 3 As of Awareness, Advocacy, Action.”
