Attendees at the first Women’s Fund for Northern Ireland Ambassadors Evening (Left to Right) Roseann Kelly, Ann Hope, Dr Joanne Stuart OBE, Dr Joan Smyth CBE and Paddy Skates.
Womens Fund for Northern Ireland hosts Ambassadors Evening
The Women’s Fund for Northern Ireland held its first Ambassadors evening at the Europa Hotel, Belfast on the evening of Monday 24th September.
The Women’s Fund for Northern Ireland has been established to help local women fulfil their potential and is managed and administered by the Community Foundation for Northern Ireland.
Hosted by Chair of the Fund; Dr Joan Smyth, CBE the event hoped to inform potential ambassadors how they could involved with the Women’s Fund for Northern Ireland – whether it be through donating time, money or simply raising awareness of the fund in their existing networks.
Dr. Joanne Stuart, OBE took the opportunity to sign up as the first Ambassador for the fund and encouraged others to join her in what she believes will be “a strong, dynamic network of key individuals with a desire and determination to unlock the potential of local women”.
Professor Jackie McCoy also attended and made a pledge to become an Ambassador for the fund. Jackie is co-founder of one of Northern Ireland’s first Giving Circles; ‘Give Inc’ which made a donation of £1,000 to the Women’s Fund earlier this year.
Jackie and the audience were delighted to hear from Gail Redmond, Chair of ‘Via Wing’s’ a local organisation which recently received the first grant from the Women’s Fund to support a mentoring programme for women in Dromore and surrounding rural areas.
Joan said: “Our ambassador’s evening was a great success and we are really excited about how the fund is growing and the potential it has to make a lasting difference in women’s lives across Northern Ireland.
“We recognise and appreciate that each Ambassador will be different and we value everyone’s contribution; whether it’s through time, expertise, advice, opening doors or financial support”.
In Year One, the Fund aims to raise £25,000 which will be distributed throughout the year beginning September 2012.
If you are interested in getting involved with the fund please contact Helen McKeever, Fund Development Manager at The Community Foundation for Northern Ireland on 028 90 245927 or hmckeever@communityfoundationni.org
