Director of Extension: Margaret Oldroyd

It is a pleasure to have the opportunity to introduce myself to you. I have been a member for twenty-one years. I joined the Croydon Club in 1986 and transferred to my present club, Soroptimist International of Nottingham, in 1988 when I moved to the East Midlands to take up a new job and to get married. Since then, I have been President of the club in its Diamond Jubilee year and subsequently became both President and then Development Officer of Midland East Region. I am a Teams of Excellence trainer and also thoroughly enjoyed being Chief Steward for the Cardiff Federation Conference. I spent two very happy years as secretary of the UKPAC, a post which I left in 2003 to serve four years as a Federation Councillor. For two of those years I was councillor for the three Midland Regions which was extremely rewarding as I got to know members across the three areas and formed many lasting friendships.

I am a Chartered Librarian and I have spent all my career in the academic sector, working first in further education and then in universities. My work has focused particularly on continuing professional development and training and staff management. I am currently chair of the Chartership Board of the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals which assesses applications for all levels of membership. Outside work, I am a supporter of Actionaid, Book Aid International and the Africat Foundation. The latter is concerned with mutual sustainability between the big cat and human populations in Namibia. I love the theatre and travel and I'm a member of Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club.

Now, I am looking forward enormously to working with you on the formation of new clubs. I am extremely fortunate to have a committee which has members from across all areas of the Federation who are keen to support your extension efforts in any way they can. So, please do get in touch with us. Wouldn't it be great to have at least one extension project in every Country, National Association and Region of SIGBI? More clubs means more women able to offer their skills and knowledge to make a better world for other women and girls and to reap the personal rewards of doing so.

Margaret Oldroyd,
Federation Director of Extension