Norwood is delighted to announce the appointment of Carol Sopher as an Honorary Life President. The appointment has been made in recognition of her tireless commitment to Norwood, which supports people with learning disabilities and children and families in need to live the life they choose. Fellow recipients of the title include Clive Marks OBE, Sir Evelyn de Rothschild and Sir Trevor Chinn.
Carol has been the Chair of the Annual Dinner Committee since 2004 and is also Norwood’s Deputy Chair of Patronage. When she was appointed six years ago, the Annual Dinner attracted 880 guests. Since then, the event has grown into the largest charity dinner in the Community, with 1,200 guests attending this year. The Norwood Dinner raises approximately 30% of the charity’s voluntary income budget each year and attracts a range of high-profile guests.
Aside from her fundraising work, Carol is a great ambassador for Norwood. She has visited a number of its services and has attended the opening of many recent new capital projects, including The Pamela Barnett Centre for adults with profound and multiple disabilities, where she was presented to The Queen. She has also hosted visits by Mrs Sigalia Heifetz, the wife of the former Israeli ambassador, and Lady Sacks, the wife of the Chief Rabbi Lord Sacks, to Norwood’s services in north-west London.
Bernie Myers, Chair of Norwood, said: “While Carol has been Chair of the Annual Dinner Committee, the event has gone from strength to strength and is now one of the main social occasions in the Jewish community calendar. She is a fantastic ambassador for Norwood and she has tremendous empathy and compassion for the people we support. She also takes her responsibilities as a lay-leader very seriously and is actively involved in all aspects of the Charity’s work. It is because of this that she is being appointed as an Honorary Life President and she is undoubtedly a most worthy appointee.”
Carol said: “I am honoured to accept this appointment. Norwood performs a vital role within the Community and it is a privilege to play a part by helping the Charity to support people with learning disabilities and children and families in need. I will continue to strive to ensure that nobody is left in any doubt about the importance of this incredible organisation’s work.”
Carol and her husband, Rick, have two daughters, who in preparation for their Bat mitzvahs visited a number of Norwood services to learn about Tzeddakah.
“Visiting Norwood’s services, is an extremely moving and humbling experience and makes you realise that we all have a responsibility to do what we can to support those people in our community who rely on us and give them the opportunity to reach their potential and live life to the full,” she said.
