President's Welcome

I never attend a Kensington Chelsea Women's Club event without being reminded of how Conviviality can be an engaging force. Its Latin root “convivium” denotes banquet - living life together as a feast to be consumed. At our General Meetings, I am fond of retreating to a rare quiet corner to absorb the energy of our members as they socialise and investigate the delicious menu of edifying treats our Activity leaders have planned. The choices on offer at the KCWC table are bounteous. You need only pull up a chair and indulge. Even our littlest members can join the fun when they attend our Easter Party on Saturday 24 March. Whatever your age, curiosity or passion, you are sure to find something in these pages to whet your appetite and satisfy your cravings.

Community is another powerful agent at the heart of KCWC. The simple effectiveness of our “business model” - women of diverse cultural backgrounds coming together in friendship - always impresses me. Individually a woman is already a primal force. Ask any man if you need confirmation of that! But the adage “strength in numbers” comes alive within our organisation. Pooling our talents allows us to welcome many people to our community and, with luck, enhance their enjoyment of it. There are numerous opportunities both within KCWC and beyond in our Charities where the power of women working with each other is exemplified. To that end, I always welcome your ideas and efforts to enrich our work at president@kcwc.org.uk.

But even as I extol community and its convivial spirit, I should acknowledge the reality of loneliness that can often permeate the international experience. As the grinding routine recalibrates for the long year ahead, life can seem overwhelming with compelling challenges, especially if you are new to London. No one is a stranger to the occasional feelings of displacement or isolation. Solitude can be a restorative and therapeutic refuge, but it can also be a distressing empty place. Please know that KCWC is here to help in these difficult moments too. Blanche DuBois in A Streetcar Named Desire “always depended on the kindness of strangers”, but we are greater blessed. KCWC offers the strength and support of a wonderful community of friends. I am so pleased to welcome you all to that community.

Mary Narvell
President

If you were all alone in the universe with no one to talk to, no one with which to share the beauty of the stars, to laugh with, to touch, what would be your purpose in life? It is other life, it is love, which gives your life meaning. This is harmony. We must discover the joy of each other, the joy of challenge, the joy of growth. Mitsugi Saotome


KCWC Board 2011 - 2012
Back Row (Left to Right): Nicky Bindler, Claudia Pohlmann, Tessa Nicholson, Brittan Chepak, Kim Parkash, Tracey Good, Jane Lee-Tin, Jami Christen
Middle Row (Left to Right): Madeline Morrow, Janet Tanner, Penelope Lomax, Sarah Petrilla, Noelle Irvine, Claudia Marchetti
Front Row (Left to Right): Lindsay Kennedy, Judi Robinson, Mary Narvell, Kathleen Herman

Not Pictured: Lucie Dean and Suzi Noetzel