Ciara Brett, Board Member WIN and Trustee, IYF (UK)

Although I only joined the committee a few years ago my connections to WIN go a wee bit further back: WIN was founded in 1998 by my mum Nessa, and the wonderful Mary Clancy Hatch. I’d love to say that I’ve been fighting the good networking fight since day one, but the truth is that back then I was gently coerced (ahem, mostly dragged out of the pub) into helping with various events.

Most of us know WIN as a warm and welcoming sisterhood of inspiring, supportive, entertaining and fun women (your words, not ours!) and since WIN was founded in 1998 the network has convened hundreds of women at a broad spectrum of events, both business and social, with the aim of providing a valuable and inspiring network for Irish women and their friends. But WIN isn’t just about networking. It’s also about raising money for charitable projects across Britain and Northern Ireland that support disadvantaged young Irish people, via the Irish Youth Foundation (UK).

The IYF celebrates its 30th birthday this year, and since it was founded in 1989 has awarded over £5 million to projects that improve the lives and opportunities of young Irish people in the UK. What you may not know is that over half a million of that money awarded has come direct from you – the WIN members, with WIN funds particularly earmarked for projects that focus on the needs of young women and teens or women with young children themselves.

Your membership fee not only gives you access to one of the most dynamic and engaged networks around, but more importantly, 100% of your membership fee goes to support projects awarded grants by the Irish Youth Foundation. That’s got to be worth celebrating, right?

So please join us on 23rd May at the Rotunda Bar to celebrate 30 wonderful years of the Irish Youth Foundation, meet some of the people involved with the projects they support, and raise a glass to the great work you’ve been helping to achieve just by paying your membership! Details for purchasing your tickets are below. We’d love to see all of you there.

If you would like to contribute to the ongoing work of the Irish Youth Foundation (UK) by way of joining WIN, while also enjoying the benefits of a female networking group, please join us or renew your membership.