In a 33-year career as an Angus hotelier, Trish Douglas has welcomed countless visitors from across the world to The George in Montrose.
But the grandmother-of-four is about to embark on a globe-trotting year of her own as the international president of Inner Wheel.
It is the pinnacle of her involvement with the charitable organisation which boasts 110,000 dedicated members in more than 100 countries.
And for Angus and Scotland, Trish’s selection to the figurehead role is a major coup.
She is the first Scottish Inner Wheel member to be honoured with the international presidency.
The accolade is even greater since it comes in the organisation’s centenary year.
George Hotel celebration
“It is such a privilege and absolutely brilliant for Montrose, the District and Scotland,” said Trish.
Inner Wheel friends joined her for a celebration at the George Hotel to mark the appointment ahead of what promises to be a whirlwind tenure.
“I wanted to bring people together because I’m going to be travelling around the world during my time as president,” she said.
The Nordic nations, Sri Lanka and Europe are all on the itinerary.
And she will make a particularly poignant journey to India where her late husband, Iain, a Church of Scotland minister, was involved in missionary work.
Rise to the top role
Trish and her first husband, Jim, arrived in Montrose from Cockermouth in Cumbria in January 1989.
She has been a member of Montrose Inner Wheel for more than three decades.
Due to the death of her husband she did not take on any official duties until becoming overseas service officer in 1995, followed a year later by the vice-presidency.
In 1996/97, Trish became Montrose president and also served as secretary for two years from 2018.
Her second husband, Iain, was a Kirk minister and, following his death in 2013 from Parkinson’s she became an advocate in raising awareness and fundraising for research into finding a cure for the condition.
Montrose, which will celebrate its half century in 2025, is part of Inner Wheel’s District 1 and takes in 19 clubs in the north and east of Scotland.
At District level, Trish has held a number of key roles including the chairman’s post in 2003/04.
She became a member of the governing body for Great Britain and Ireland.
Through that Trish was encouraged by two close friends to put herself forward for the vacancy of International chairman.
It was a post she held for three years to 2014 and included travelling to Uganda to learn about work being done to combat trachoma and river blindness with the charity Sightsavers.
In 2015/16, Trish became GB&I president and visited 29 Districts throughout the UK.
A highlight of the presidential year was welcoming 2,000 delegates to a conference in Glasgow.
She then became an international board director in 2018 before assuming the worldwide vice-presidency in 2022/23.
And it means the elevation to the figurehead position coincides neatly with the milestone anniversary.
Teamwork
“I am very much a people person, with what I hope is a caring attitude honed by 34 years of membership,” said Trish.
“I will lead from the front, yet firmly believe in teamwork, which works equally well in Inner Wheel as in business.
“In 1924, 27 forward-thinking, determined and dedicated ladies, desiring to serve, were inspired to found our wonderful organisation.
“My hope is that we, with that same determination, will be inspired to pick up their baton in our new century.”
Shine A Light
Each year, the International President presents a theme to unite members towards a common achievement.
The 2023/24 theme is ‘Shine A Light’.
“When over 100,000 members prevail with one passion, the results can create the change across nations and for generations,” said Trish.
She plans to use it as a clarion call to members to work hard and work smary for a better future for the next generation.
And within it the two flagship initiatives will be:
Brighten Lives for the Future
Mental Wellness Brightens Lives
