A Message from the District 12 Chairman, Pat Wakeham
Welcome to District 12
I am delighted and proud to be your D.12 Chairman this year. Compared with many in the District, I have not been a member of Inner Wheel for all that long, joining in 2012 when I retired from my job as a teacher. I joined the Canterbury club and soon found myself volunteering to take office as club Treasurer, Secretary and President at various times. I soon came to realise what a wonderful organization Inner Wheel is, offering service to the local community, raising funds for good causes and giving members the opportunity to make new friends. I feel that friendship is probably the most important element of Inner Wheel.
It has been a real pleasure being a member of the Canterbury Club in 2025 as we celebrated our centenary year. Knowing that we are the second oldest Inner Wheel club in the world made all the hard work we put into our celebrations worthwhile Our centenary lunch, our celebratory church service and a concert given by a male voice choir were enjoyed by members across the District and beyond.
I have been District Treasurer for the last five years and have greatly enjoyed the new friends I have made in this role. I am a firm believer in the fact that the more you put into something, the more you get out of it and it was this that encouraged me to stand as District Chairman this year. I hope to encourage all members to make the most of their membership by attending District Meetings and Interclub events, where they will make lots of new friends. I shall strive to add an element of fun to the business of these meetings and am always open to suggestions from members as to how we might do this.
I have chosen The Pilgrims Hospices as my charity for the year. I chose this charity because I am horrified by how little support hospices receive from the government and by how much money they need to raise each year in order to keep going. I have volunteered for the charity since I retired, working in one of their shops and more recently in their E Bay department.
I look forward to visiting the 17 clubs remaining in the District and hopefully together we can continue to fulfil the objects of Inner Wheel and encourage more ladies to join us in doing so.
Pat Wakeham (District Chairman)