Frances Alexander is delighted to have had her portrait on display at the National Portrait Gallery amongst 207 others!
Author and social campaigner Zerbanoo Gifford has completed an epic challenge of meeting and documenting the lives and careers of hundreds of inspirational women, from 60 countries and every field of endeavour. Frances Alexander is one, and features not only in Zerbanoo’s book but also in a set of 208 specially commissioned portraits by the artist Jeroo Roy, Women – a world of inspiration. The outstanding women featured come from diverse backgrounds and achievements, but have one thing in common: they are part of a collective, noble endeavour to create a better world.
Frances Alexander started Women Welcome Women (as it was known then) in 1984. Her idea was to encourage international friendship by enabling women to visit one another in their own homes. Her philosophy of international friendship permeates the organisation. There is an ethos of increasing women’s self-confidence. “Planning to spend a weekend with a member in a nearby country and carrying through that plan, making new friendships, noticing differences of interest in the lifestyles in the foreign country are great ways of gaining self-confidence and becoming articulate,” says Frances.
She left school to become a nurse and then a midwife. Wanting to break away from health service constraints, she took a teaching course before marrying. When her children were small she started a private nursing agency. This was to be a formative time in her life. She interviewed 600 women in 4 years; many were qualified nurses who felt apprehensive about returning to work after taking time off to have their children. A bout of meningitis forced the sale of the agency and then there was a nine-year spell of teaching – for the last years as girls’ careers adviser. Part-time teaching then overlapped with setting up Women Welcome Women.
Frances has travelled throughout Europe, across N & S America and to Japan, China and Australia staying all the time with 5W members. Her work for friendship among women all over the world led to her nomination for the 1996 Woman of Europe Award.
Another thread to Frances’s life during the past 35 years has been Liberal Democrat politics. She stood three times for Parliament before being elected to Wycombe District Council in 1991; following the elections in May 1995 she became chair of their Strategic Policy Board. Her first agenda had items about links with Europe and the Third World. In 1997; she became Chairman of Wycombe District Council and dedicated her year to promote Local Agenda 21 – think globally, act locally! 1998-99 saw her in the 700-year-old role of Mayor of High Wycombe.
Frances has also been Chairman of Governors of a First School in High Wycombe – the first in the UK to institute the Parents as (First) Teachers programme, originating in the USA. PA(F)T recognises that the parent is the child’s first and most influential teacher and helps the parent to be the best teacher he/she can be.
The 208 paintings will go on view at the National Portrait Gallery from 17th September 2007 for one week and then go on a national and international tour, including one day – Tuesday, November 6th – at The Environment Centre on Holywell Mead, an initiative of her Chairman of Council’s year.
