On Saturday, 29 June, the Asimenia Featham Schools of English in Rethymno hosted the international premiere -outside the UK- of Tessy's Brunches, an innovative women's empowerment initiative by Dr. Tessy Ojo CBE, renowned Civil Society Leader and CEO of The Diana Award royal charity. The Featham Schools organised and sponsored this groundbreaking event as part of the 10th anniversary celebrations of their multi-award-winning and internationally-recognised Anti-Bullying Campaign. Eighty-five women attended the brunch, most of whom were mothers of the schools’ students who received the special invitation after a draw. Six attendees were Diana Award holders who had received the prestigious accolade in the past for their voluntary work in the Featham Schools’ ongoing Anti-Bullying Campaign.
The stellar lineup of guest speakers consisted of:
Lilika Couri, esteemed teacher educator, school management consultant and co-founder of Educational & Training Concepts
Angie Greaves, legendary UK radio presenter with an audience of over 2 million listeners daily
Lurine Cato MBE, acclaimed Gospel singer whose collaborations include Elton John, Adele, Mariah Carey, Andrea Bocelli, Hozier and Kylie Minogue, among others
Anastasia Andritsou, the widely recognised Director of The British Council Greece & Cyprus
Asimenia Featham, respected educator, and proprietress of the Featham Schools
Additional presenters from Dr Ojo's team were Linda Nnene and Tayo Olalekan.
During his welcome speech, Director of Studies Fred Featham, dedicated the monumental gathering to the memory of Diana, the late Princess of Wales, and a minute of silence was observed at the start in memory of the many victims of femicide in Greece and beyond.
Fireside chats, the sharing of profoundly moving stories, live uplifting songs, and collaborative storytelling created a unique interactive gathering of women. New bonds were formed between the attendees and fresh, constructive thought patterns were developed by the end of the inspirational day, aimed at helping women rebuild their beautiful lives on strong, positive foundations.
A carefully curated menu of sweet and savoury gourmet delicacies was offered alongside a variety of invigorating hot and cold beverages. Each attendee received a limited edition Tessy's Brunches goodie bag with gifts, courtesy of international and local sponsors. The 5-hour brunch took place at the Ikones Seafront Luxury Suites, on the Cretan coast of Rethymno, against a breathtaking background of the clear blue waters of the Mediterranean Sea.
