London ,
22
September
2015
|
12:42
Europe/London

Philanthropist Dame Stephanie Shirley to launch City Breakfast Club for women

City of London - The Women for Change Breakfast Club (WfCBC) launch event on 23 September 2015 features one of the world’s leading female philanthropists Dame ‘Steve’ Shirley talking on being a successful tech entrepreneur, founder of a pioneering all-woman software company and former UK Ambassador for Philanthropy.

The WfCBC brings together the City‘s women achievers to use their wealth and wisdom for social impact and to address some of the world’s most intractable issues.

Dame Stephanie says: “My motivation is to help improve the lives of others less fortunate than ourselves and to encourage those whom fortune has favoured to give generously and with a joyous heart.”

This exciting new network is hosted by Shiva Foundation, that works to build a collaborative movement to end human trafficking, GMSP Foundation, the Sachdev family foundation that promotes gender equality across the UK and India, in association with City Philanthropy, a campaign to promote more philanthropy in The City of London, funded by the City of London Corporation’s charity City Bridge Trust.

Nishma Jethwa, senior programme manager at Shiva Foundation says: “We know that successful women in the City have a lot to give but often do not know where to start, who to support or how to be most effective. WfCBC will be one way for women to start tackling these questions with a like-minded group and support from us.”

Sonal Sachdev Patel, director of GMSP Foundation says: “We know that by empowering women we can empower entire communities. We want to bring more women into this virtuous circle to add their voice, skills and funds to make an impactful change.”

Cheryl Chapman, director of City Philanthropy, says: “Women are succeeding in the City and now want to flex their philanthropy muscles. Where influence means power, philanthropists are powerhouses across the giving sector. Women need to be at that table and have a voice in shaping the future of social impact. This is one way to do it.”

Each month, the WfCBC will feature leading experts concerned with social issues such as human trafficking, child sexual abuse, violence against women, education and the environment, so that women can make giving decisions based on hard facts and an understanding of issues.

To find out more contact:

Jessica , Shiva Foundation, T:07860807981, E:jessica@shivafoundation.org.uk

Cheryl Chapman, City Philanthropy, T:07725 234127, E:cheryl@cityphilanthropy.org.uk

Editor’s notes

About Dame Stephanie Shirley www.steveshirley.com

Dame Stephanie Shirley made her wealth through her family-friendly IT business that employed women part-time. She has devoted her 'retirement' to giving back to society. She has originated and supported strategic projects in the fields of autism (her son Giles was autistic) and IT, particularly making better use of IT in the voluntary sector. Through The Shirley Foundation her aim is to facilitate scientific research focussed on the causes of this disorder and to halve its global costs by 2020.

About WfCBC

The Women for Change Breakfast Club will meet once every few months at venues around the City. It aims to expose successful and passionate women to the social issues of their generation and support them in putting their determination, resources and skills behind these causes. It will inspire generosity by unlocking potential for women to have a greater impact on the world on the basis of their personal interests, aspirations and motivations. It will enable action by connecting them with organisations the can work with and add real value.

About Shiva Foundation www.shivafoundation.org.uk

Shiva Foundation is a corporate foundation dedicated to using its resources, skills and networks to create a bold new movement to end human trafficking and slavery. A movement about collaboration not competition, engagement not blame and systemic change across institutions. The foundation seeks to amplify the skills, knowledge, and ideas of its partner organisations through leadership and learning opportunities, working towards mobilising both financial and non-financial resources through leveraging and influencing partnerships.

About GMSP Foundation www.gmspfoundation.org

GMSP (God My Silent Partner) Foundation was set up in 2006 by the Sachdev family and has invested c.£5m. GMSP Foundation believes empowering women and girls empowers entire communities. It takes an entrepreneurial approach to giving seeking out dynamic and capable leadership and assessing and measuring impact and sustainability. As well as funding it applies skills and networking to support partner organisations, and focuses on the

UK and India (Mumbai and Gujarat)

About City Philanthropy www.cityphilanthropy.org.uk

City Philanthropy – A Wealth of Opportunity is a project funded by the City of London Corporation's charity City Bridge Trust. It aims to promote more effective philanthropy among City professionals earlier in their careers and position the City of London as a leading global centre for philanthropy.