Dear Ladies,
I can hardly believe that it is over two years since Heather and Amanda approached me to ask me to become Patron of the AWA. It was an easy decision to say yes, and since then I have watched with enormous pride and joy as your association has gone from strength to strength in what it has achieved – and more importantly even, in what it plans to achieve in the future.
But please never think I underestimate the circumstances by which you became members of this association, or indeed the struggle and heartbreak that has brought each of you to where you are today. I am just so pleased that the AWA is there to walk beside you and please let us have your ideas for future events – any of us, or indeed your regional reps, would be delighted to hear from you.
And I must just commend your new chair before I finish, Christine Gemmell is warm, bubbly knowledgeable and wise. We are so fortunate to have her at the helm and she and the committee are working incredibly hard on behalf of the association. I know you will all join with me in wishing her every success during her years of tenure. (And no, she didn’t cross my palm with silver to persuade me to write that…!)
With very best wishes,
Lady Philippa Dannatt