Two Inner Wheel Clubs in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, Kingston Club and New Malden, were delighted to celebrate International Women’s Day with so many local women. As an all
women organisation it seemed entirely appropriate that this was something Inner Wheel should be celebrating. All appreciated the inspirational stories the speakers had to tell.

Natalie O’Rourke, M.B.E., had truly gone from ordinary to extraordinary; her inner strength, her passion and her determination led her to build up the Park Lane Stables in Teddington, used by Riding for the Disabled, from next to nothing to the excellent facility it is today – and this included having to raise over one million pounds to save the stables from being sold.

Jeanne Vito, from Chablis, had studied International Business at Kingston University twenty years ago sponsored by her local Rotary Club and mentored by Kingston Rotary, and was now following her dream of establishing a vineyard in her mother’s home country of Togo. She has her first vines growing and is quickly building up the business to create employment and social and educational facilities in the tiny West African country.

Laura Smyth-Wiles M.B.E., founder and CEO of YORDA Adventures, is someone else who is passionate, dedicated and full of ideas. She has created an after-school facility for the most severely disabled children, up to the age of eighteen, something that didn’t exist before. The “Adventures” have expanded as has YORDA’s place in the local community and the support for their families.