A member of Keighley Soroptimists was installed as national president of her organisation at the weekend.

Former Keighley solicitor Hilary Shaw now heads a women's organisation with branches as far afield as Thailand, Africa and the Caribbean.

During the past 12 months, as president elect, she has travelled to Cameroon and South Africa to see the work of fellow members.

Soroptimist International of Great Britain and Ireland is made up of business and managerial women who work in their spare time on practical projects to improve human rights, health, education and the environment.

Hilary was installed as president during a ceremony in Wales last Saturday watched by 2,000 women from around the world.

She has been a solicitor for 20 years and, despite retiring from legal practice last spring, remains a consultant with Keighley firm Chivers Walsh Smith.

Living in the Wigglesworth area, near Skipton, she now works with husband Andrew in his growing garden design and construction business Gardenmakers.

Hilary says her year as president will be full of opportunities and challenges, adding: "On my own there is no way I could make the smallest impression on problems facing the world.

"Being a Soroptomist gives me the opportunity to make that difference, and the chance to find fulfilment, fun and friendship."

Hilary's theme for the year is "You Can't Beat a Woman". She says: "It both reflects the intolerability of violence towards women and celebrates women's achievements. We shall also be researching and addressing the growing menace of the trafficking of women and girls, which is sadly going on all around us and needs to be stopped."

Hilary was impressed with Soroptimists she met during her recent travels in Africa. "They're amazing women and I feel privileged to have seen some of their work," she says.

"Running shelters for abused women and for street children, adopting hospital wards for TB sufferers, and day care centres for the elderly -- these are just a few of their projects."

One of the projects was close to Hilary's heart: Seeds for Plastic, where locals collect waste plastic and swap it for seeds and land to cultivate. The plastic is turned into beads, bags and hats and then sold, making money for the craftspeople as well as clearing up the environment.

Keighley Soroptimists are inviting any woman to join them if they work in a profession or an occupation of comparable status, or are responsible to such a person. Phone Edith Sanderson on 01535 607704 for more details.