A meeting of some of the country’s most successful women has concluded that positive female role models and the availability of mentoring is a key element in helping women achieve their potential.
The breakfast meeting, to mark International Women’s Day, was organised by women from Rotary clubs in the Thames Valley in association with Moor Hall Conference Centre. Over forty women were welcomed by Rotary District Governor, Judith Diment.
The Mayor of the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, Councillor Colin Rayner, recalled that when the town hall was built in the sixties, no provision was made for female mayors or councillors. He also paid tribute to leading women in the borough, including the Rt Hon Theresa May MP, who was recently voted the second most powerful woman in Britain after the Queen and Chief Constable Sara Thornton, who came eighteenth in the same poll.
Dr Kamel Hothi, Business and Community Director of Lloyds Bank gave an inspirational talk on her extraordinary career and traditional Sikh family life. Arriving in England at the age of six, Kamel left school at 16 to begin her career as a cashier at the TSB Bank. She quickly became the bank’s first Asian bank manager, before progressing to her current role.
Kamel was co-founder of Lloyds’ ethnic minority network and mentoring programme. Her passion for equality found her supporting the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Report on Community Cohesion and chairing a range of initiatives on diversity.
Sara Thornton, Chief Constable of Thames Valley Police, looked back at her illustrious career and highlighted the progress made with equality and diversity. Naheed Majeed of the Rotary Club of Maidenhead Bridge, gave an interesting perspective on growing up in a Muslim family in Bradford and the vital importance of mentoring young women.
Judith Diment said: “We have been privileged to have one of Britain’s leading city business women and one of Britain’s top police women share their experiences with us on International Women’s Day. The strong message emerging is the importance of good role models and mentoring to help all young women achieve their potential.”
Pictured left to right: Judith Diment, Rotary District Governor, Dr Kamel Hothi, Business and Community Director, Lloyds Bank, Samantha Rayner, Mayoress, Colin Rayner, Mayor, Sara Thornton, Chief Constable, Thames Valley Police, Anne Cooper, Rotary Club of Reading Matins and Naheed Majeed, Rotary Club of Maidenhead Bridge.
