Saturday, 16 May 2026 | Balmoral Suite, The Royal Garden Hotel, Kensington | 12:00–17:00
On a bright Saturday afternoon in Kensington, members of the Filipino Women’s Association UK gathered at the Balmoral Suite of the Royal Garden Hotel for our half-yearly General Meeting — a moment to take stock of a busy year, celebrate what the Association has built, and look ahead to what comes next.
The meeting opened with a prayer led by Adviser Nenita Garrad, followed by a welcome address from Chairman Glyndell Belmonte, who expressed gratitude to the founders who established FWA-UK 38 years ago, to every Chair who has held the seat before her, and to the members who continue to give their time and dedication to this work.
Welcome to New Members
The Chairman took time to formally welcome the newest faces to the Association. Each new member had the opportunity to introduce herself to the group — a warm start to what turned out to be a lively afternoon.
To set the tone, the meeting opened with a game of Find Your Match: members were invited to find someone who had attended more General Meetings than themselves, prompting ten lively minutes of mingling, laughter, and new connections. The Chairman then invited a few members to introduce the person they had just met — bringing new faces to the room and gently dissolving the table boundaries that tend to form at the start of any gathering.
Chairman’s Report
FWA-UK is currently supporting 20 active scholars — 19 in high school and one in college — across multiple provinces in the Philippines. Over the life of the programme, the Association has now stood behind 103 children.
Since the Board took office last September, the year has included a Christmas celebration, a karaoke fundraiser, International Women’s Day, and our much-loved Salo-Salo. In the Philippines, the Association’s partnership with Inner Wheel Rosario Diamond in Manila delivered boots to 630 children at San Roque School; the “Love Beyond Vision” project provided six months of food supplies to the Philippine National School for the Blind.
The Chairman also reflected on the Board’s active presence across the wider Filipino community — from the 32nd Anniversary of the Batangas Association to events hosted by the Philippine Embassy, including a Violence Against Women campaign and a Breast Cancer Awareness event.
Looking ahead: the Philippine National Day celebration takes place on 6 June at the Palace Suite, Royal Garden Hotel. Sponsors are confirmed, and all members are warmly invited.
Association Updates
Secretary Ira Lehmann formally notified members of two resignations and one sabbatical from the Executive Board.
Patricia Shah resigned by written notice dated 8 December 2025, with immediate effect. Patricia expressed gratitude for the opportunity to serve and her continued affection for the Association.
Velly Cattermole resigned by written notice dated 9 May 2026, with immediate effect. Velly cited personal reasons and expressed pride in the work the Board has accomplished together.
Shirley Soriano, our Assistant Secretary and Publicity Committee lead, will be taking a sabbatical from July as she relocates to the Philippines with her family. Shirley remains a Board member and will continue to contribute where she can. Kristine Mae Brennan will be stepping in to cover her responsibilities in the interim.
The Board thanks Patricia, Velly, and Shirley for their contributions to FWA-UK. 💜
Committee Reports
Education and Scholarship Grants Committee
Presented by Ira Lehmann, ESGC Lead
The ESGC currently supports 20 scholars — 19 at high school level and one in college. For the 2026–2027 school year, 34 applications were received and reviewed at the second ESGC meeting on 26 April. The committee recommended 13 new scholars, subsequently approved by the Board at its meeting on 9 May. They will join the programme in June, bringing the active cohort to approximately 30 scholars.
Highlights from the current cohort are a source of real pride. Three scholars completed Senior High School and graduated in March 2026 — their families extended heartfelt thanks to FWA-UK, to former Chair Dulia Prado, and to the current Board and ESGC. We congratulate them warmly on this milestone. Our college scholar has performed strongly throughout the year, achieving 2nd place in a national competition and sitting his final exams in May. Across the cohort, several scholars received Academic Excellence Awards alongside certificates for music and perfect attendance — a testament to their dedication.
The committee introduced its newly developed Scholarship Management Portal, used live for the first time at the April meeting. It replaces manual paper-scoring and informal coordination with a structured, web-based workflow — all 34 applications were scored and ranked within a single session.
The committee also formally welcomed Luigi Crespo as a new ESGC member. Luigi is the founder of ILAW Ltd, a UK-based provider of Filipino and Tagalog language courses, and a lecturer at SOAS, University of London. She brings over 20 years of teaching experience and a proposal to develop university society partnerships as a route to grow the scholarship fund — an initiative warmly endorsed by the Chairman and the Board.
Fundraising
Presented by Jeannette Thomson, Fundraising Committee Lead
The Association held four fundraising events this year — the Christmas Party, Karaoke Night, International Women’s Day, and the Salo-Salo — all of which were a wonderful success. Thank you to everyone who came out and supported us.
Outreach
Presented by Lesley Laroche, Outreach Committee Lead, and Kristine Inocencio, Deputy
The Outreach Committee has had a full and active year. On 27 January 2026, the committee joined the “Under One Sky” programme, serving 35 rough sleepers with hot drinks, soup, sandwiches, toiletries, socks, and warm clothing. On 20 February, a visit to Laurie Park Lodge brought singing, dancing, and refreshments to 16 elderly residents — who danced the afternoon away and asked for the group to return. On 5 May, a second rough sleeper outreach served 70 people, with the team identifying further needs including smartphones for emergency contact, tents, and women’s sanitary supplies.
Looking ahead, the committee is planning a community day trip, a disco and ballroom dancing event, self-defence workshops for vulnerable women, and an Elderly Women’s Appreciation Project offering makeovers and professional photographs.
Publicity
Presented by Shirley Soriano, Publicity Committee Lead
Over the past 28 days, FWA-UK’s Facebook page reached 75,000 views and gained 92 new followers, with engagement of 7,000. Over 90 days, reach extended to 261,000, with 249 new followers. Total Facebook following now stands at 4,800. Instagram reached 3,400 views over the same period, with 360 followers.
Top-performing posts included coverage of the Salo-Salo celebration (9,331 reach) and the Halo-Halo newsletter, now managed by Kristine Mae Brennan. FWA-UK has also begun a creative partnership with EJA Creatives, our partner photographer for IWD and PND.
Membership and Personal Development
Presented by Shirley Soriano on behalf of Leilanie Indopia, Committee Lead
FWA-UK has welcomed 22 new members since the AGM in September 2025 — a strong show of growth. New members were recruited across this year’s major events, with the General Meeting itself bringing in several more.
The committee launched the Halo-Halo, a monthly digital newsletter featuring member stories, upcoming events, and community highlights. A Member Spotlight series, developed in collaboration with the Publicity Committee, celebrates individual member achievements and strengthens the bonds that hold our community together.
A Meeting Fed with Love
The afternoon was enriched by the generosity of our members. Patricia Shah prepared pancit palabok, and Kristine Inocencio brought pancit guisado and puto. Maraming salamat po to both for nourishing us so beautifully.
Looking Ahead
The months ahead are full. Philippine National Day on 6 June, Independence Day commemorations, the Philippine Summer Festival, Barrio Fiesta — and in September, our Annual General Meeting, where a new Board chapter will begin.
The Chairman closed by reminding members that FWA-UK is not its Board, its committees, or its policies. It is its members — those who show up, who bring friends, who lend a hand, who care. Everything the Association does is done in their name.
Maraming salamat po sa inyong patuloy na suporta at pagmamahal. 💜