A Better Tomorrow Begins with the People We Inspire

A Better Tomorrow Begins with the People We Inspire

A presentation to the Womens Institute.

By Wayne Fitzharris

Presenting to the Women’s Institute in Great Harwood gave me an opportunity to reflect on the people who influence our lives, the opportunities we create for others, and the responsibility we share for the next generation.

My work in hospitality and butler training has taken me into many different environments, but the questions that matter often remain the same. How do we help someone discover their ability? Who gives them the confidence to take their first step? And how much talent do we overlook because someone does not fit our expectations?

These are questions I wanted to bring into the conversation with the WI. Its members belong to an organisation with a remarkable history of learning, community service and campaigning. Their experience offers a valuable perspective on what needs to change and how we might begin.

One of the subjects I raised was the growing influence of women within the butler profession. Many outstanding butlers today are women, leading teams, developing colleagues and becoming important role models for those entering the industry.

Grace Kiong is one example. Known for her work as Head Butler at Raffles Hotel Singapore, she has progressed into the role of Hotel Manager for the Paiza Collection at Marina Bay Sands. Her journey demonstrates the opportunities that can grow from a career rooted in service, professional knowledge and leadership.

For a young person considering their future, seeing someone succeed can make an unfamiliar career feel possible. Women in these positions influence the profession through their daily decisions: whom they encourage, how they train their teams, the standards they uphold and the opportunities they give others.

That concern for opportunity also connects with something I feel strongly about: children who struggle academically and begin to believe they are failures.

A young person who finds a maths examination difficult may still possess considerable practical ability. They may understand quantities through cooking, develop commercial judgement through buying and selling, or demonstrate creativity, organisation and an instinct for looking after people. Those abilities deserve recognition and development alongside support with the subjects they find difficult.

I have questioned whether we give enough attention to the different ways mathematics is used in scientific study, business and everyday life. We need young people to develop useful skills and to understand where those skills can take them. We must also be careful about the messages they absorb when they struggle. An examination result can affect a child’s confidence far beyond the classroom.

The WI is a meaningful audience for these concerns because its history shows how members can bring everyday experiences into a much wider conversation.

Established in Britain in 1915, the organisation encouraged women’s participation in rural community life and food production during the First World War. Learning, practical action and community involvement have remained central to its purpose.

Its campaigning record deserves recognition. In 1943, the WI passed a resolution calling for equal pay for equal work. A resolution in 1954 helped bring about the formation of Keep Britain Tidy. In 1964, members called for comprehensive facilities for routine cervical screening. These examples show women identifying a concern, organising around it and pressing for improvement.

The organisation also gives members a democratic route to bring issues they care about onto its national agenda. A concern first discussed locally can gain support and become a collective call for action.

For me, that is an important part of the WI’s continuing value. It brings women together to share knowledge, question assumptions and use their experience constructively. Friendship creates connections; those connections can give people the confidence and support to act.

My presentation was an opportunity to contribute to that exchange. Through the women leading our profession, the young people discovering their potential and the communities determined to improve lives, there is much we can learn from one another.

Thank you to the Women’s Institute in Great Harwood for the opportunity to share these thoughts. A better tomorrow depends on people willing to notice what needs attention, encourage the talent around them and take the next practical step.