Chief executive of the British Association of Dental Nurses, Pam Swain, has become president-elect of Soroptimist International Blackpool and District.
Soroptimist International is a worldwide organisation for women in management and the professions, working through service projects to advance human rights and the status of women.
The word ‘soroptimist’ comes from the Latin ‘soror’, meaning ‘sister’, and ‘optima’ meaning ‘best’, and loosely translates as ‘best for women’.
Soroptimist International was founded in 1921 in Oakland, California and membership has grown to over 90,000 women across the world, making SI the world’s largest classified service organisation for women.
Members are women of all ages, cultures and ethnic groups, who join their local clubs to give service to others.
Each club identifies the needs of its community, then establishes specific projects to address those needs.
SI Blackpool and District, for example, supports the local womens’ refuge, the contact centre, the hospital league of friends, talking newspapers and other local projects.
SI Fleetwood, now part of SI Blackpool and District, provided accommodation for retired women on limited incomes.
Pam originally became a member of SI Fleetwood in 2001, and was a member of its Housing Committee.
Following the closure of SI Fleetwood in 2004, Pam took a short break whilst studying for her MBA, and then joined SI Blackpool in 2008. She is a member of the Club’s Executive Committee and was recently Toastmistress at the Club’s 50th Charter Lunch. She will begin her term of office as President in April 2012.
BADN president, Sue Bruckel, said: ‘Pam has supported dental nurses throughout the UK for the last 20 years – as a BADN Council Member and President, I am especially aware of how hard Pam works on behalf of all of us, and of the invaluable support and advice she provides to those of us in the Presidential role. BADN are therefore delighted to be able to support Pam during her own Presidential term of office, and to support and promote the work of Soroptimist International.’
