Mayor officially announces her chosen charity

Kiwanis is an international non-profit charity organisation of volunteers who give of their time to change the world through service for children and their communities. Today Kiwanis is known as a worldwide service organisation representing adult and youth members of every culture on every continent and country, including the UK. 

The Worshipful Mayor of Southwark, Cllr Althea Smith is a member of Kiwanis Central London Club whose members are looking to start up a new club in Southwark and beyond.

Cllr Smith said: "Kiwanis members are dedicated to helping children achieve their goals by encouraging them to do things, see places, take education opportunities and develop themselves, and I am very proud to be supporting and promoting their work this year."

Winsome Okeke, President of the Kiwanis Central London Club and a midwife at King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, said: "It is amazing to have The Worshipful Mayor of Southwark, Cllr Althea Smith support the Kiwanis in this way. It is a fantastic organisation that encourages leadership and initiative in young people and we need more members."

The organisation is currently raising money for three main projects:

• The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (that specialise in providing care for some of the sickest babies in South London) 
• The Imagination Library (a literacy programme for children from birth to five years
• The Worldwide Service Project ELIMINATE (working with UNICEF by proving them funds to vaccinate mothers and babies against tetanus to eliminate this disease which causes the death of 60,000 maternal/neonatal annually