Looking back on 2024 in the BWPA
2024 was another busy year for the BWPA, and alongside organising a full calendar of events and celebrating the many flying achievements of our members, we have been working hard to make the BWPA better and more relevant than ever for female pilots today. As the year draws to a close, here are some of the highlights.
Our online volunteer platform went live
As part of our five-year strategy, developed in 2020, we launched an online volunteer platform to make it easier for members to get involved and choose opportunities to support the BWPA that match their skills and goals. We’re always on the lookout for volunteers, so if you think you’d like to get involved then log into the members’ area to browse available roles and submit an application if there’s anything that catches your eye.
We celebrated inclusion for International Women’s Day
This year the theme for International Women’s Day was ‘Inspire Inclusion’, and in February a group of BWPA members attended a special reception in Westminster. Hosted by the Air League and the British Gliding Association, this event was designed to raise awareness about ongoing efforts to enhance inclusivity within the aviation sector and to identify areas for potential improvement to ensure aviation accessibility for all.
We launched our Sustainability Strategy
The BWPA committee has developed a sustainability strategy, which we launched in May this year, to guide how the BWPA will act to play our part in promoting not only the transition to a more sustainable industry, but also to promote and celebrate women’s role in this exciting, evolving future.
Our founder got a blue plaque
Also in May, we were delighted to attend a very special ceremony in which the Oxfordshire Blue Plaques Board unveiled a plaque at Chalkstone Cottage, Benson, commemorating Freydis Sharland (1920–2014), ‘Spitfire Girl’ of the Air Transport Auxiliary (ATA) in WWII, pioneering woman pilot and founding chairwoman of the BWPA.
We cheered on our 2023 scholarship winners
The weather in 2024 wasn’t all that kind to aviators. But, despite the gloom, the rain and the wind, occasional glimpses of sunshine and blue skies have meant that many of our 2023 BWPA Scholarship winners made fantastic progress with their flying.
We auctioned the chance to name a scholarship for charity
For the Aerobility Aviators Ball we donated the opportunity to name one of our 70th anniversary scholarships! The winning bidder was Matthew Calderwood, who’s chosen the name ‘The BWPA Butterfly Flying Start Scholarship’.
We’ll be launching our next set of scholarships in the New Year, so stay tuned for information on how to apply for the chance to secure funding to help you reach your flying goals. Why not become a member and be part of our 70th anniversary year?
