Twelve members of the Soroptimist International Club of Tenby and District recently joined 1,400 delegates at the 69th conference of the GB and Ireland Federation in Belfast.

The theme for the three-day event was 'Touch the spirit, feel the welcome' and those words really did ring true.

The first evening, the delegates attended a civic reception hosted by the Lord Mayor and City Council in the magnificent City Hall. This was followed by a service at Belfast Cathedral, where Soroptimists reaffirmed their commitment to the principals of their international organisation.

The opening ceremony on the Friday was most impressive, with the Federation president receiving the flags of Soroptimist International and the United Nations.

A roll call of clubs followed with the flags of the overseas delegates displayed on a screen. A welcome to Ireland was given by Lady Sylvia Hermon, MP, and the welcome to the city by the High Sheriff, Clr. Mrs. Margaret Clarke.

Greetings were then read from HM The Queen, the Prime Minister, the leader of the opposition and the leader of the Liberal Party. Tenby delegates were delighted to hear a message from Clr. Mickey Folland, chairman of Pembrokeshire County Council.

Speakers at the AGM included Baroness May Blood MBE, a cross-bencher in the House of Lords, Indira Patel OBE, who had just returned from Brazil where she had been awarded their Peace Prize for her work in the area of violence against women. Her talk, however, was on 'Harmful and Traditional Practices' and was accompanied by a film.

The third speaker was Mrs. Gloria Proops, a London Soroptimist and manageress of the SI Residential Club. Her subject was divorce within the Jewish religion and her struggle to obtain her freedom from an unhappy marriage.

The final speaker was Constable Denise Farrel, of the Northern Ireland Police Force, now serving with the UN in Bosnia. She told many harrowing stories of the trafficking of women and young girls into prostitution after they had innocently replied to advertisements for domestic positions. SI are already working in this area and Denise asked that they redouble their efforts to make the public aware of this abhorrent practice.

The afternoon came to a close with the announcement of the new Quadrennial Project by the international president, Dr. Joan Cromer EdD, of Nebraska. Women Survivors of War will replace the Limbs for Life project, and she congratulated the SI Federations for raising over £800,000 towards the latter.

After a very full day, delegates were able to relax and enjoy an evening of music by the 'Rhythms of Ireland band.'

Saturday morning saw the International Best Practice Awards, and delegates were amazed at some of the projects undertaken by clubs in Third World countries. Federation officers gave reports on their areas of responsibility and the morning came to a close with a talk by Sue McGregor, presenter of 'Women's Hour' and the 'Today' programme on radio.

The final speaker of conference was Mark Cook, who with his wife Margaret founded the charity 'Hope and Homes for Children'.

Mark and Margaret gave members a detailed account of how they have provided homes and more importantly love, care and families for over 3,500 children in European and African countries. They were given a standing ovation and were assured that their work would be made known to a much wider audience.

The close of the conference saw the changes of insignia for the Federation and club presidents, and before going on to a gala dinner, delegates were entertained by a 'Music Hall' group who soon had everyone joining in their songs.

En-route to the dinner in the wonderfully decorated St. Georges Market Hall, Soroptimists brought the Belfast traffic to a standstill. A total of 1,400 plus delegates were escorted across the main road, with the new and old presidents preceded by a piper. It was a wonderful end to an excellent conference.

During their stay, Tenby delegates visited the 'other side' of Belfast and saw the stark reality of divided communities, and also went to Stormont and explored the beautiful surrounding countryside.

They also discovered that Guinness did taste better and the food was fit for a king in the Crowne Inn, still gas-lit and now run by the National Trust. They had signed the Peace Wall with the simple message 'Thank You Belfast' - and the words were sincerely meant.