 Katie
was born at Whiston Hospital and has always lived within
a five mile radius. She attended Fairfield Secondary
Modern School for Girls; and followed this with a Secretarial
course, taking ‘O’ levels and a library assistant’s
course in the evening. Her intention had been to
take a Medical Secretary’s course the following
year but fate intervened, when, with a friend she visited
the Job Centre, where she was offered a temporary job
during the Summer Holidays taking claims for unemployment.
She was offered a permanent job, which she accepted.
Over the following 20 years, promotion followed, and
she had a variety of posts including Benefits Supervisor;
Deputy Manager; Restart Counsellor; Cashier at Department
Headquarters and finally Budget and Training & Development
Manager. A change in Government meant that voluntary
redundancy was offered. After three attempts
to leave, her immediate manager agreed to support her
application and she ‘retired’.
A neighbour then invited her join a Hospice Support
Group and her involvement with voluntary work began;
spending time in the Fundraising Office and on fundraising
activities. Katie was then approached about becoming
involved in the local Citizens Advice Bureau and thus
joined the Board of the Knowsley CAB as Finance Director – a
job she resigned from when her commitments in Inner Wheel
increased.
In 2005 Katie was asked by the Chairman to join the
Board of Mayfield Fellowship, a charity running a residential
home for adults with Cerebral Palsy and other Neurological
Disabilities, she is currently a Director & Company
Secretary. Since Roger her husband has been Chairman
of the Charity since 1997 she could hardly refuse.
In 1998, Katie applied for a part time vacancy as secretary
to the Cardiac Rehabilitation Nurses at her local health
centre, this led to working for the Service Provision
Directorate, which encompasses a variety of services
from ’cradle to grave’, i.e. from babies
to the elderly, from which she has recently retired.
On a personal level, she met her husband Roger a Works
Engineer at a fancy dress party organised by his sister
held at the local Benefit Office. They married
11 months after meeting, and have been married for 28
years. They regularly attend meetings at Haydock Park
Race Course, are members of the National Trust and their
local Historic Society. They both look forward to their
holidays, in particular visiting Austria and Cyprus. Katie
is also a JP and sits on the Knowsley bench. To relax,
she enjoys reading and knitting for overseas.
Now to Inner Wheel; Katie made 2 visits to the Prescot
club and was then inducted as a member in September 1996. It
was obvious from the beginning that she was the kind
of member we were looking for and would be very much
a ‘doer’. Katie became a member of
the Executive Committee in July 1997, Treasurer 1998-2001,
President 2001-2002, Club Correspondent 2002-2003 and
Secretary 2003-2005. Surprisingly the only office
she has not held at Club level is Overseas Service Organiser.
Sadly the Prescot Club closed in June 2005 but Katie
transferred to the St Helens Club in July 2005. I
can confirm she has already proved what a great asset
she is.
Katie’s District involvement began when she was
appointed Zone Leader 2002-2004, Editor 2004-2005, Treasurer
2005-2008, 1st Vice Chairman 2008-2009 and now as District
Chairman 2009-2010. She has attended every Conference
since 2002 and attended 2 conventions; Florence and New
Zealand. |
