High Tea Celebrates YWCA Auckland’s 125th

Press Release

High Tea Celebrates YWCA Auckland’s 125th

The oldest women’s organisation in Auckland, the YWCA, turned 125 this week by celebrating in style with a High Tea at Government House. The afternoon was hosted by YWCA Aotearoa/New Zealand Patron; Her Excellency Lady Susan Satyanand.

With a veritable ‘who’s-who’ of Auckland women attending, including three Lady’s and two Dames and the oldest surviving board president Majorie Bond who was 91. These leading women of Auckland included many past board members and staff who came to reminisce about their parts in the rich and colourful history of the YWCA.

Of the 88 participants there were two brave male guests – North Shore City Councillor Tony Holman who is Chair of Community Services and the Governor General His Excellency Sir Anand Satyanand who recounted his memories of waiting outside the old Queen St building while his mother attended YWCA meetings.

After guests toasted the longevity of the YWCA in Auckland they were treated to the personal stories of two programme participants;
Connie Zein spoke of the how her breast cancer diagnosis had come one month before she was due to compete in a triathlon. The Encore programme got her off the couch after 10 months of inactive misery. Connie said “I found the program so beneficial, I jumped at the opportunity to be part of the first trainer programme in January 2006. She now delivers the benefits of the Encore programmes to women in South Auckland.

Jasmine Weil is 18, she attends Sir Edmund Hillary Collegiate in Otara and is in her final year on the YWCA Future Leaders mentoring programme. Jasmine said “I wouldn’t be speaking to you today without this programme, my vocabulary has increased from two words to whole paragraphs over the last three years!” The hankies came out with her revelation that she now has a positive relationship with her mother and $1,000 in the bank for her university education thanks to her mentor™s succesful effots to secure her a part-time job.

Guests were treated to a couple of old YWCA ditties from the 1920s and 30s, the hilarious rendition of the gym song with lines like “…if you want to have fine Grecian curves, if you want to have fine steady nerves… come join our gym,” had guests roaring with laughter and joining in on the choruses. All in all a wonderful and fitting event.

Event photos at http://www.akywca.org.nz/news-and-events/photo-gallery/high-tea-june-2010.aspx or contact: Tilda Bostwick tilda@akywca.org.nz

About the YWCA Auckland:
The YWCA of Aotearoa/New Zealand is affiliated to the World YWCA which is active in 122 countries and has over 25 million members. Current activities include a Hostel in Vincent St, in the CBD, which contributes to funding operations, Encore – an astoundingly successful free exercise programme for women recovering from breast cancer surgery and Future Leaders “a four year mentoring leadership programme run in schools in Auckland, this life-changing programme has been running for 9 years. In addition the YWCA Auckland is a Voice for women, active in advocating on issus and supporting other organisations which relate to women and young people in Auckland today.

ends

© Scoop Media