A Lunch with a Difference

Lunch

The Women of Scotland Lunch is an annual lunch set up to celebrate the great achievements of women in Scotland. It is a fun day out when women of all ages get a chance to dress up, meet friends new and old in a sociable environment, network and be inspired by some incredible speakers. Each year a charity benefits from the lunch and while fundraising is not the foremost purpose of the lunch it is a significant additional benefit.

Ethos

It was set up in 1958 by May Hamp-Hamilton and has continued to grow and prosper ever since. Following a champagne reception and chance to chat, individual guests are seated at tables randomly, as a main ethos of the lunch is to meet and mingle. You may be sitting next to someone you have never met before as our guests come from all over. This is part of the idea: that you might meet new people from anywhere in Scotland. Alternatively you can book a collection of places or a full table of 10. Corporate tables are also available.

Charity

What sets us apart from other charity lunches is that raising money is not the sole purpose of the lunch. The main aim of the Women of Scotland Lunch is to meet new people and to listen to inspirational women speak, however each year we choose a charity to support and due to the generosity of our guests we raise significant sums annually for our chosen charity.

Committee

Committee

Our Executive Chairman for 2018 was Rowan McCall Smith who has been involved with WOSL for some considerable time (Rowan is on the middle in the photo). The 2019 Executive Chair is Ann Garvie (seated in chair left). The remainder of the committee is made up as follows: Barbara Allison, Laura Lambie, Lindsey Cradock, Katie Stewart, Fenella Taylor, Shona Walker, Louise Kay and Mary Wallace.

Our Story

The Women of Scotland Lunch, or Luncheon as it was known then, was founded in 1958 by Bill and May Hamp-Hamilton. It was designed to draw together a cross-section of influential women in Scotland ‘to celebrate their success in many and varied endeavours’ which in those days was very often in the face of traditional disapproval. Nowadays our guests still continue to be just that – women who are achievers in their own field or who have special qualities or talents.

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