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"Good evening ladies and gentleman. It is a pretty overwhelming experience standing up here but at least hopefully I don’t sound like I have just run a marathon as I did last year.
It’s great to be part of looking back over the last 10 years and remembering all of the achievements and all of the Women who not only found the courage to realise their own potential but as role models contributed towards influencing, paving the way, changing attitudes and encouraging others.
For me the last year has sped by but I have enjoyed every single moment of it and in fact it has got better and better as the year has gone on. Without a doubt, winning the award has raised my self confidence to a new level which has enabled me to develop a clearer voice about what I believe in. I have also met some new and true friends who are now so strongly part of my life that I wonder how I managed before I met them.
My team at PerkinElmer are equally proud of all the recognition we have received as a business and are here in force tonight. The plant is happily welcoming the opportunity to show all our visitors what we have been doing and equally to learn from those businesses by taking advantage to visit other organisations through Inside Welsh and Inside UK Industry. There is no problem in finding volunteers to deliver presentations and host shop floor tours, our confidence as a business has grown too.
I have met so many new and interesting people, on a business level through network groups and seminars, I have delivered talks at many and varied events and met some truly inspiring individuals who are determined to make a positive difference and am amazed at just how much is going on out there. This and other events I have been involved with have enabled me to recognise that I can use my skills to be more involved on a wider level like working for the National Council planning and promoting further education, work based training, adult and continuing education; the Wales Management Council championing the case for better management and leadership performance across all sectors in Wales and with the Wales Quality Centre as a business mentor. My regular articles in the Western Mail have provoked some good discussions too. My skill set and learning is ever expanding and on Monday this week I was promoted to Vice President of Supply Chain for the entire PerkinElmer Corporation. PerkinElmer is a an American owned business who operates globally and I am happy to say for the first time this level of appointment will be managed outside of the US and I will remain located in Wales.
There is also something else - this motley crew that you see before
you comprise previous finalists and category winners from the last few years and organiser extraordinaire Emma Brennan from the Western Mail. After a few noisy get togethers and meals out we decided as a group, that we could not let the level of energy and ideas we had go to waste and equally we knew that there was even more out there to harness, so this year in conjunction with the Western Mail we have set up WOW, a charity and alumni for Women Of Wales. We wanted a name that captured the essence of how we all came to know each other but that was far reaching and embraced the maximum potential possible, so women of Wales it was. Although we would love to take credit for the great name and three-letter acronym, that credit goes solely to Katy Chamberlain’s husband Huw – thank you
Huw. WOW was created with the intention of linking us together, celebrating 10 years of the WWOTY awards and enabling us to harness our resources to support and promote the role of women in Wales at work and in their personal lives. In addition to this we wanted to create a charity link as an ongoing commitment to the community in Wales, and to do something abut matters that we felt strongly about.
For those of you that have been directly involved in the WWOTY over the last 10 years you will have received a letter asking you whether you would be willing to give your support and commitment to develop an ongoing network of like minded supportive women. It also asks if you would be willing to be role models for schools/colleges, returners to the workplace, those developing their careers or venturing to start their own business. If you haven’t replied and would like to be involved please do, if you haven’t had a letter, maybe you have moved, please contact Emma Brennan at the Western Mail.
WOW’s ongoing charity commitment is the Noah’s ark appeal, Wales is the only country in Europe that does not have a hospital for sick children needing specialist care and treatment that local hospitals cannot offer. We have also been very fortunate to find an anonymous sponsor who will match £ for £ what is raised for the appeal through WOW. As you will see on your table there are envelopes to support two charities tonight, children in need and Noah’s Ark, so if you can dig deep to support both these worthwhile charities it would be very much appreciated. The first WOW group event is on the 14th of Feb. – Valentine’s Day and the Wales/Italy rugby match. Can you help on the 14th Feb – identification, buckets and good cheer will be provided, please let us know via Emma at the Western Mail, you can also find the link to the WOW website on the WWOTY site
WWW.welshwoman.co.uk. If you can’t make it could you raise some funds in your own way and send them into us (payable to WOW) and don’t forget all that we raise will be matched £ for £.
Our Guest Charity for one year – is leaves of hope – Valerie Cousins was the 2002 women in the community category winner. Her charity supports an orphanage in Belarus where many of the children are disabled, still impacted by the Chernobyl disaster. These unfortunate children have very little human contact and often spend their entire lives (some of which are not very long) in institutions. On December 15th a group from WOW will be on
manoeuvres, travelling to Belarus to spend time with the Belarusian orphans. A wonderful and challenging experience I am sure it will be.
I am absolutely thrilled to part of this celebration of 10 years of women’s achievement. For me the key message of the evening is captured perfectly by Nelson Mandela “Our playing small doesn’t serve the world. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.” Celebrating the achievements of everyone here tonight, may allow someone else to unlock their potential and go on to be the very best that they can.
Please, please look for a bit extra for Noah’s Ark and children in Need to tonight. Have a great night everybody and good luck to all the finalists."
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