Committee Wall

 I joined Brits Abroad in August 2019 when I first moved to Shanghai. I never ever expected to become President although I had expressed an interest in joining the Committee way back then.

I became Secretary and Vice President in February 2020 after I returned to Shanghai in November 2020, being ten months stuck in the UK due to Covid. Who doesn't have a Covid 19 story to tell? 

I love being in Shanghai, its diversity and of course the people that form Brits Abroad - they are my Shanghai family that bridge the gap until it's possible to freely travel again. I will have many happy memories from living here whenever we move onto the next destination, but being my first Ex-pat experience, it will always hold a special part in my heart.

Until then let's continue to make new friends and support each other in these strange times.

For me Brits Abroad was a life saver. I joined soon after arriving in Shanghai in 2017. Everyone was so friendly and welcoming and I quickly joined the committee looking after the Membership. There were so many varied events put on, making it accessible for everyone, no matter what your interests were. Being an expat in a foreign country can be lonely and a bit scary sometimes but Brits Abroad quickly became like a new family - always there if I needed some help, support or company. In April 2019 I was elected as President but due to unforeseen events had to leave Shanghai in June of 2019. Even though I was only President for a short time it was an honour and a privilege to lead the organisation. I have such fond memories of being in Shanghai and the wonderful people I met there which would not have happened if I had not been a part of Brits Abroad so thank you.

I have such fond memories of many of the Brits Abroad events and activities, I learnt so much about the fabulous city of Shanghai while on one of numerous Brits Abroad walks and I still have on display the bowl I made at a pottery workshop! I just loved the one-off special events too, especially the “Think Pink” breast cancer lunch, and Ascot Ladies Day.

Community outreach has always been an important aspect of Brits Abroad, and while having fun, significant sums were raised to support a wide range of charities. A nice part of the president’s role was meeting with some of the beneficiaries and presenting them with our donations.

Without fail, when it is time for members to move on from Shanghai, they always say how deeply important Brits Abroad has been to them, and like me, remember it all with great fondness and have memories and friends that they will treasure forever.

I became treasurer of Brits Abroad two months after I arrived in Shanghai and it was a great experience. Not only did I enjoy the more formal aspects of the role but I very much enjoyed visiting some of the charities we supported. It also gave me the opportunity to get to know and liaise with lots of our members and make some great friendships along the way. 

I began helping with the technical aspects of Brits Abroad back before smart phones and iPads.  When there was only an email sent out from a Hotmail that was handwritten and copy and pasted from week to week.  And the main communication came from a newsletter that was written in word and posted, a large number of which went missing in the post. 

Over the years Brits Abroad's members became more confident with electronic devices and so the technical needs evolved and I have enjoyed being a part of that.  And it is great to be part of an organisation that helps support people so they can better enjoy their time in China while providing an amazing Community Outreach program.